Kodak Sterling II camera

 Amazing news!!! My first book is now available on Amazon, Pegasus Publishing's website, Apple Books and many more... click here to see all the sites listed on Good Reads where you can get a copy:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/255842068-thomas-and-hugabe/get_a_copy

Get your copy today.

And...

Before we begin, I would like to announce that my new Patreon exclusive camera series is now up, with my first post talking about the Chuzhoa M1 Retro Camera. It can be viewed by either joining my Patreon or buy just buying the post for a onetime fee. I hope you will check it out, not only will you be part of an exclusive club, but you will be helping this site out.

You can find the first post on my new series here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/chuzhoa-retro-m1-151240549?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link 

Remember to also check out my displate:

https://displate.com/artist/bfennsw?art=66e809bf952d9

Anyway, back to the camera at hand:

From one noticeable brand to another, this post will be looking at and adding another camera to the long list of Kodaks featured on this blog. This is the Kodak Sterling II.

I already went through Kodak’s history in my Color Plus 200 and Instamatic Pocket 10 posts.

With that let’s get into the camera at hand.

There isn’t much history or some big backstory behind this camera. But I did find some key facts, such as, that even though the name has a II in it, there was no Sterling I (Photo Ways 2021), the reason for this was because this camera was based off of the Kodak Junior II (Tash & Nicky’s Cameras).

Kodak Junior II. Image Source:
https://historiccamera.com/images2/tom/datasheet_4001_datasheet_image1.jpg

The only difference between the two cameras is that the Sterling II was “…slightly more sophisticated with its front-cell focusing lens in a four speed shutter with fully adjustable iris…” (The Museum of Technology 2007).

Now it isn’t confirmed where the name Sterling came from, but I found two possibilities. One could be named after Sterling Drug Inc., a drug store that processed Kodak film. Kodak eventually bought the drug company in 1988 (Kodak 2026) in an “…attempted to diversify its chemical operations…” (Wikipedia 2026). 

But due to poor planning this led to many losses and eventually the selling of Sterling Drug Inc. in 1994 (Kodak 2026) to Sanofi for US$1.675 billion and the return of Kodak's minority stake in Sterling Health Europe, but a week later Sanofi, didn’t want anything to do with film development, so they then sold it to Hafslund Nycomed AS for US$450 million (Wikipedia 2026).

But this is farfetched, seeing that most drug stores developed Kodak film and that the purchase of the company happened 33 years after the Sterling II’s release. But who knows, maybe Kodak was really fond of Sterling Drug Inc.?

Now the second theory is more plausible, and that is that it was probably named after Sterling Henry Nahum, a portrait photographer who took pictures of the British royal family and celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe. Sterling Henry Nahum also went by the name Baron (Tash & Nicky’s Cameras).

Now Sterling Henry Nahum or Baron had a show in the mid-1950s called “Have You a Camera?” and also wrote “Have You A Camera?” and “Create with your Camera” which all served as guides to help teach people how to use their cameras efficiently (Tash & Nicky’s Cameras). Tash & Nicky’s Cameras further state that: “…In both the television series and the written guides his demonstration camera is a Kodak Sterling II, which he affectionately refers to as Katie. A camera such as this would have been more representative of what the general public would be shooting, rather than anything more expensive.” 

There isn’t much else I could find, but this camera does seem to have been very popular as CollectiBlend (2025), puts its rarity as “Very common”.

Now time to have a closer look at the camera of this post.

The Sterling II was released in 1955-1959 (Tash & Nicky’s Cameras). The body, as described by Brown, is: “…a metal casting with added sheet metal and chromed parts, and a plastic top plate…”, similar to the Pony 135. It weighed around 665g (Retonthenet 2026) and its size is 6.5 x 1.5 (5 when opened) x 3.7 inches.

Time for a closer examination and breakdown, starting with the front-

This camera is a folding camera, so the first thing is the front cover.

On this cover is the handle/stand.

And to open the cover, one must press the button on the side.

Unlike most other folding cameras (such as the Billy Record and the Model 95A), the cover doesn’t lock in place once opened. The user can simply just close it by pushing it closed, no need to press down on the sides.

Now the lens-

It is a Kodak Anaston (see my Kodak Pony 135 for more information) with a max f/stop of 4.5 and a focal length of 105mm.

And according to Tash & Nicky’s Cameras, the lens is a “…lovely 4-element 'Tessar' type lens…” (see my 35 RF post for more on the Tessar lens). This is confirmed by Photo Ways (2021). But seeing that I pointed out that it is a Anaston lens, meaning that it is a triplet lens, this 4-element is a 3 group (see my Super 35X post for context).

This lens also has Mount 320 written on it, meaning that it has an adaptor for lens accessories that are a size 320, such as filters, close-up lenses and hoods.

Screenshot from the manual.

Around the lens, or on the lens, is the focus settings.

This can be set between 3.5-50 feet and infinity. The focus indicator is a pointer that protrudes out and on the lens or focus ring, is another pointer or spike which, as Photo Ways (2021) was most likely added to stop the user from accidentally unscrewing the lens.

Then there is the outside ring.

This is the shutter speed setting and has is a four speed with 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and 1/200. And then there was the B setting. This ring is the pointer.

On the bottom right of the lens is the self-timer.

According to the manual, this timer sets a delay for 10 seconds after it is set and the shutter is released.

On top of the lens-

Here is the cable release socket.

Then the flash PC connector.

After that is the shutter cocking lever. Most likely to help the user remember to advance the film and prevent any accidental double exposure.

Behind those are the aperture or f/stop settings.

This can be set to an f/stop of 4.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, with the slider.

The aperture petals are behind the shutter.

The t1 found on the f/stop ring most likely refers to the type of cable release the camera uses.

Next to the f/stop settings is something that I have no idea about. The manual doesn’t point to it and I don’t see anyone else talking about it.

 My best guess is that it does nothing or it is a second flash connector, or an outlet to let air out when it is folded in or when the f/stop slider is moved.

Behind the lens is the bellows, which uses the Chamfered corners folding method (see my Billy Record post).

On the right side, bottom to top-

First is the winding knob or film advance knob.

Then there is the shutter button.

This button isn’t directly connected to the shutter. Instead it is connected to a lever, which then presses onto another lever. This second lever then presses against the real shutter release on the left bottom corner of the lens.

This shutter is a leaf shutter, more specifically a Pronto shutter.

This is a shutter made by the same company that made the Vario shutter (Camerapedia), see my Isolette I post. The Pronto shutter is a leaf shutter that is specifically a “…pre-set shutter synchronised for flash and fitted with built in-delayed action device. It has four shutter speeds, 1/25 to 1/100 sec B. & T. c.1950…” (Museum Science Group).

Then there is the viewfinder.

After that is the opening button that unlocks the front cover.

Lastly is the spool release. This holds the newly placed film in place.

Left side-

Here is the tripod/flash gun socket. This camera is compatible with the Flasholder Model II.

Flasholder II. Image Source:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Jd0AAOSwA95kxQDg/s-l400.jpg

Screenshot from the manual.

On top-

Here is the leather handle.

And then there is the film compartment release latch, that locks/unlocks the film compartment cover.

Then there is the back-

Here is the film compartment cover.

On this cover is the film counter window.

Then we have the film compartment.

It comes with a large pressure plate in the cover.

The film compartment is a simple design.

 And works like this:

Screenshot from the manual.

Screenshot from the manual.

This camera takes the now discontinued 620 film, and because it has a negative size of 6x9cm (Brown), which is 2 ¼ x 3 ¼” it can take up to 8 exposures using the 620 film. To learn more about 620 film please see my Brownie Model 1 post and to learn how film works please see my Color Plus 200 post.

And as a final note, this camera did come with a carrying bag.

Sterling II carrying case. Image Source:
https://collection.guyjbrown.com/images/post/_DSF5773.JPG

This camera has a brilliant design, but I think that the  Billy Record did it better and can still be used as that camera uses 120 film. Now, I am pretty sure that the Sterling II can be adapted to take 120 film, but the camera does warn that this camera doesn’t take 120 film, so that means this camera has to be completely modified to take 120 film and thus devaluing the camera and in a sense “ruining” it. So user beware!

But what do you think? Do you like this camera or do you think the Billy Record is a better choice? Do you think that the Pony 135 looks better with the plastic top plate or is it a tie between the two? Let me know in the comments.

And as always, thank you for making it to the end and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did researching it.

Please remember to check out my Patreon at: patreon.com/OnlineCurator  where you can find my first post of my new series, as well as pictures and links to my other Fantasy Blog series.

Please see the Please help this site post on this blog, for more information.

Or if you want to help in another way, please visit my Displate Store. Thank you for the support.

List of sources:

Brown, C. Kodak Sterling II camera. https://collection.guyjbrown.com/blog/kodak-sterling-ii-camera/

Camerapedia. Pronto. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Pronto

CollectiBlend. 2025. Kodak Eastman: Sterling II. https://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Kodak-Eastman/Sterling-II.html

Kodak. 2026. Milestones. https://www.kodak.com/en/company/page/milestones/

Mike. 2008. Kodak Sterling II manual. https://butkus.org/chinon/kodak/kodak_sterling_ii/kodak_sterling_ii.htm

Museum of Technology. 2007. KODAK STERLING 2, CAMERA, 1955. https://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/objects/_expand.php?key=313

Photo Way. 2021. Shining Bright: Kodak Sterling II Review - Unveiling the Elegance of Vintage Camera Craftsmanship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smNAWg4QUe0

Retonthenet. 2026. Vintage Folding Camera English Kodak Sterling II 2 1950s Pronto Shutter Anaston Lens Canvas Case. https://www.retonthenet.co.uk/vintage-folding-camera-english-kodak-sterling-ii-2-1950s-pronto-shutter-anaston-lens-canvas-case-7758-p.asp

Science Museum Group. AGC Pronto Shutter. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8092938/agc-pronto-shutter

Tash & Nicky’s Cameras. Kodak Sterling II. https://tashandnickyscameras.blogspot.com/p/kodak-sterling-ii.html

Wikipedia. 2026. Kodak. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak

Wikipedia. 2026. Sterling Drug. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Drug