Kodak Signet 80

The Kodak Signet 80 is a rangefinder camera. It was built in the USA from 1958 to 1962. The camera is the last model of the Signet series and can also be called the most advanced camera of this series. At that time, the called new price of the Eastman Kodak Company was around 130 US dollars (equivalent to almost 1200 US dollars in 2020). Nevertheless, it was not a top seller and production was discontinued after only four years.

The lens of the 35mm camera can be changed, the only model in the Signet series that has this feature. It has a special mount for this purpose. In total, only three different lenses were offered for the camera. The Kodak Ektanar 50mm f/2.8 is often found with the camera. In addition there was an Ektanar 35mm f/2.8 and an Ektanar 90mm f/2.8.

The 35mm camera is equipped with a built-in selenium light meter. It is designed for an ISO range of 10 to 1600 and does not require batteries. The desired shutter speed can be set manually. The aperture is also freely selectable.

The shutter manages exposure times from 1/250 second to 1/4 second. For long time exposures there is a bulb mode. The shutter remains open as desired. The camera is equipped with a thread for a tripod. There is also a connection for a cable release and an external Kodalite flash connection.

Films for the Kodak Signet 80

The Kodak Signet 80 requires 35mm film to take pictures, batteries are not required. For this film format there is a good selection of material for color and black-and-white images. The recommended films from that time are no longer available, but there are good alternatives. A 35mm film for color pictures is the Kodak Gold 200*. A possible black and white film is the Kodak T-Max 100*.