The camera we are going to feature for this time is Medalist 1 manufactured by Eastman Kodak Co. in 1941.
Speaking of Kodak, it has been famous as a worldwide film manufacturer, but in those days, their main products were popular cameras with which people consumed many films.
In the early '30s, the Kodak and the Graflex, the United States' two mass manufactures of a camera in those days, began to produce precise and small-sized cameras, for the companys like Leica, Rollei and Contax had developed and manufactured those cameras one after another and had had remarkable success.
In the 1940's, the world war spread out over the world, cameras were used more as military use than daily use and it was then that Medalist 1, and also Ektra for 35mm format were developed for the professional use.

As for the mechanism of it, the viewfinder is the single-lens and double-image superimposing rangefinder, and others are the parallax correction mechanism, automat film loading, self-cocking and also, a film back is interchangeable with a sheet film holder.
But before everything, one of the most attractive feature of this camera is the lens named Ektar100mm/f3.5. Not a few of us get this camera so as to use this lens, focusing through double helicoid mechanism.
For 6x9cm format camera, Medalist 1 has comparatively small-sized body but its weight is 2 pounds 15 oz. (1340g) and it was named "Professional's heavy tank" after that.

6x9cm format rigid camera
Film : 620 roll film go to 620 roll film page
Lens : Kodak Ektar100mm/f3.5, double helicoid
Shutter unit : Kodak Supermatic Shutter (B,1-1/400sec.)
Body size : H95.3xW136.6xD111.2mm
Body weight : 1340g
first sold in 1941 by Eastman Kodak Co. (U.S.A.)