Pho-Tak Traveler 120

Another simple box camera, the Traveler uses 120 film and has one shutter speed, 1/50.  It was first made in 1948 and was continued for a few years into the 1950's.  Made by the Pho-Tak Corporation in Chicago. To me it is interesting that Chicago seems to have once been a hotbed for the making of cameras of this sort.









For reasons that I can't currently explain the Pho-Tak Traveler is one of my favorite box cameras. When I decided that I would thin out my box cameras in favor of more classic SLRs, the Traveler was quickly included in the keep list. For me I think a lot of the Traveler's appeal is its heavy metal construction.  I believe that in a pinch I could probably drive a nail or crack nuts with this camera.  The Traveler weighs 504 grams which tops the 320 grams that the similarly sized Agfa Clack weighs.

The Pho-Tak Traveler takes 6x9 images on 120 film. Here it shows the classic sharp center with soft edges. I like the 6x9 format. It is more impressive when viewed at sizes larger than what is usually convenient for using on the internet.







For me the Traveler has more shelf appeal than it has appeal as a picture taker.  So far I have only ran one or two rolls of film through it in a couple of years.  Probably it is good for the Traveler that I have come to appreciate having a camera around just for its looks.

Below are a couple of links for some photos taken with the Pho-Tak Traveler.
http://westfordcomp.com/classics/traveler/index.htm
http://junkstorecameras.com/Traveler120Review.htm