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:
Remember
to also check out my displate:
https://displate.com/artist/bfennsw?art=66e809bf952d9
Anyway,
back to the camera at hand:
Going
from an unknown and non-existent brand name, to a household one that is easily
recognisable. This is the Kodak Pony 135.
I already went through the history of Kodak in my 200 Color Plus and Instamatic Pocket 10 posts.
So with that, I will jump into the camera at hand.
This
camera was created by Arthur H. Crapsey, a “…graduate in Ceramic Design from
Alfred University, Crapsey began work with Kodak in 1945, after being sent home
from the war in Europe with one leg fewer than he had taken with him…” (Moore
2012) and Kodak sold six variations of the camera (Wikipedia 2024).
At the time, which is to say
during and after WWII, camera factories in Germany were destroyed and political
changes and unrest meant that cameras could no longer be exported from there,
so in response the U.S. founded new camera companies to speedily bring out new
cameras as fast as possible. But at that time, Kodak was already the leading
company and to help fill the demand for more cameras (Eckman 2022),
specifically entry level cameras, Kodak approached Crapsey (Luyckx 2017). Who,
alongside other well-known cameras, brought out the first Kodak Pony in 1949,
the 828 model (Eckman 2022).
According to Halgand (2026),
the name Pony could be “…associated with the conquest of the West and Native
American horses.”
The 828 camera used a film
similar to the 35mm, which was used by Kodak’s Bantam series (Wikipedia 2024).
 |
| Bantam cameras. Image Source: https://cdn4.volusion.store/sgzmc-wsszf/v/vspfiles/photos/-43336-2.png |
Crapsey then went on to make other cameras such as the Brownie Bulls-Eye, Hawkeye and the Signet series (Moore 2012).
Kodak Bulls-Eye. Image Source:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/373867412_20ceed2d2b.jpg
Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. Image Source:
https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/431/109/medium_smg00101917.jpg
 |
| Signet series cameras. Image Source: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRNG5DJ5uVI4akDfkMKEyyjUryBvHGkqb5lQ&s |
And according to Mitchell
(2008), the Pony was a “…lesser quality than the Kodak Signet series…” and as
Eckman (2022) writes was the camera to use when you wanted to move on from the
Pony and step up your photography game.
Now let’s talk about the
different versions of the Pony camera, or as I like to call them the string of
Pony cameras.
First, as mentioned was the
Pony 828 in 1949-1959 (Moore 2012). This camera is different from the others.
First is the lack of rewind knob and a green film counter window. Then there is
the film compartment that was made specifically for 828 film (Eckman 2022) and
had the drawback of “…while the same size as regular 35mm film, it used a
single sprocket hole for advance and auto stop and took a larger frame size
than 135, but only fit eight shots on a roll…” (Luyckx 2017).
 |
| Pony 828. Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Kodak_Pony_828_Camera.jpg |
It also had a 3-elemtent Lumenized colour coated lens, with a four speed shutter (Eckman 2022).
Then there was the Pony 135, which I will go over in more detail later on.
After that was the Pony 135 Model B, 1953-1955 (Moore 2012), which had a similar lens of the 828, but it was slow and had an f/stop of 4.5 (Eckman 2022), the same lens as the 135 (Grey 2018).
Pony 135 Model B. Image Source:
https://media.fotki.com/2v2agrprrxJ21ND.jpg
Then Kodak released the Model
C version in 1955-1958 (Moore 2012), and differs from the previous ones, and
that is the lens which had an f/stop of 3.5 (Eckman 2022) and a focal length of
44mm. It also had a different shutter, whereas the first three use the Flash
200 shutter, the Model C used the Flash 300 shutter (Moore 2012).
 |
| Pony 135 Model C. Image Source: https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTU5WDE0ODI=/z/1b8AAOSwP8Vm9asO/$_57.PNG?set_id=880000500F |
Then in the same year Kodak released the Pony 135 II, 1957-1962, and the Pony 135 IV, 1957-1961 (Moore 2012). And as Eckman (2022), writes that there was no Pony 135 III. Skipping numbers is a common theme in camera naming. One can see this in the Agfa Isolette I and the Ricohflex IIII.
The Pony 135 II and IV are different from the other Ponies. Both have a different lens, the II and IV use an Anastar (please see my Kodak 35RF post) whereas the others used the Anaston.
Both the II and IV also had focal lengths of 44mm, but the II and IV have slight differences from each other. First is the f/stops, the II had a f/3.9 and the IV a f/3.5. Second are the shutters, the II used a Single Speed shutter and the IV used a Flash 250 b shutter. Then there is also the flash sync. All of the Ponies, including the II, used the M-sync, but the IV used both the M and X-sync (Moore 2012).
Pony 135 II. Image Source:
https://media.fotki.com/2v2aLF9MoxJ21ND.jpg
 |
| Pony 135 IV. Image Source: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQnh87yhBoRdaNpXGs5GKmc6Ou0u8k31Js8dg&s |
And just as a small note, all
of the later Pony 135 cameras were designed by not only Arthur H. Crapsey, but
also Joseph Mihayli, and Walter Dorwin Teague. All three also worked on the Signet
series and the Kodak Chevron (Eckman 2022).
 |
| Kodak Chevron. Image Source: https://www.35mmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1273.jpg |
Now time to look at the first 135 variant of the Pony 828, the Kodak Pony 135. This camera was released in 1950-54 (Moore 2012) and as with all of the other Pony cameras, has a body that is a mix of aluminium and Bakelite (Luyckx 2017).
It appears that the reason for
Kodak’s decision to release a 135 version of the original 828 Pony was because
“…the economy of 8 shots vs 20 or 36 exposures for the Pony 135 won people
over…” and due to its popularity it would obviously receive updates in the form
of new variants (Eckman 2022).
The weight is approximately
443g (Luyckx 2017) and its size is 5.3 x 2 (2.6 lens extended) x 3 inches. And
just as a fun piece of information, all Pony cameras from the 828 to the model
B came in black and silver, but when the Model C was introduced, the black also
came in brown (Luyckx 2017) or red-brown (Moore 2012).
Anyway, time to have a closer
look. Starting with the front.
The lens-
The lens on the Pony 135 seems
to be the same as the 828 (Moore 2012), which is an Anaston 3-element 51mm
f/4.5 lens, that has a Lumenized colour coated lens.
Let’s break it down. Anaston is basically a triplet lens or a Cooke (see my Billy Record 7.7 and Argus C2 posts for more information) triplet lens (Grey 2021). According to didekeer (2017), an Anaston is a lesser quality version of the Anastar (see my Kodak 35RF post) and can basically be viewed as Kodak’s rebranding or (in my opinion) a slightly better version of the Anastigmat lens (see my Billy Record 7.7 and Argus C2 posts).
Now to explain what the Lumenized colour coated part is. To tell if your Kodak lens is Lumenized, the lens would have an L on it (Camera-wiki 2025), which the 135 has.
Lumenizing was a term Kodak
used to describe their patented way of coating lenses and “Lumenized lenses
were coated on all air-to-glass surfaces, and Kodak later marked them with a
small "L" in a circle on the lens barrel…” (leicasociety 2025).
In other words, Lumenizing,
was Kodak’s way of improving a lens’ ability to take better pictures. To
explain it better, here is an excerpt from Wallen (2010):
“The most recent advance in
Kodak lenses in the wide application of Lumenizing. Many Kodak lenses now bear
a thin, hard coating of magnesium fluoride to reduce surface reflections and
consequently flare light and spots. Picture quality is improved in shadow
contrast and detail and in shadow colour purity of colour pictures. Because of
the reduced tendency to veiling and spots, the camera has greater freedom of
position with regard to the sun or bright lights. Lumenizing slightly increases
sd the speed of a lens having many glass-air surfaces. More light is
transmitted to the highlights, less to the shadows. In colour work the increase
may amount to as much as a third of a lens opening setting; in bland-and-white
no allowance should be made.”
And as a fun fact, this lens might be radioactive! According to Moore (2018), the Anaston lens contains radioactive thorium, which was used to make high-quality glass, at low curvature and at a lower budget.
But not to worry, as thorium is
a natural occurring silver-like rock, that was named after the Norse god Thor,
found in igneous rocks (Vlasov 2023) and is “…a weak a -emitter, and decays to
lead-208…” (Emsley 2010).
 |
| Thorium. Image Source: https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vr2R!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F54bbf9e9-38c5-42dc-9210-f2e088c5e6ad_967x693.jpeg |
And if you need more
conformation that the thorium is harmless, here are some quotes:
“…the radiation you’d be
exposed to would be about 1/10 what an average chest xray would give you, and
that’s assuming the lens comes in direct contact of your eyeball and stays
there for a measurable amount of time…” (Moore 2018)
And
“Thorium is a naturally
occurring element found at very low levels in the air, food and drinking water.
It is not easily taken up by your body. It is unlikely that health effects will
occur in the general population…” (ATSDR 2019)
I should also point out that
the 135 and the 828 have collapsible lenses. When the lens barrel is collapsed,
the camera shutter won’t go off. It is only when the user twists the lens,
pulls it out and twists it until it locks into place, that the camera will be
put into the taking position and be able to take pictures. Or in better words:
“Twist counterclockwise, pull, twist clockwise until it locks. To collapse it,
twist, push, twist…” (Grey 2018).
It is only the Pony 828, 135
and Model B that have a collapsible lens, as the Model C and possibly onwards,
the Pony cameras had fixed lenses.
On the lens is the lens mount
on the front of the lens. And this lens mount has a thread for lens adapters,
but the lens mount is also where the focus settings are found.
Then on top of the lens is the
shutter speed setting.
It is set with the shutter
speed pointer and can be set to 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and 1/200 second. Then there
is the bulb or B setting that keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter
button is held down.
Then behind that is the f/stop
setting.
It is set with the lens
opening pointer and can be set to an f/stop of 4.5, 5.6, 6 or 7 (the red dot),
8, 11, 16 and 22. The aperture petals are behind the shutter.
The f/stop numerical values can be found on the front of the lens.
This is used to help the
photographer get the sharpest image possible when setting the focus and
aperture. Here is a brief explanation from the Pony 135 Model C manual:
.png) |
| Page 11 from the Model C manual. |
On the side of the lens is the
shutter cocking lever.
The user must push the lever
down to cock the shutter. This is a good safety measure, as it helps the user
remember to advance the film before taking another photo and reducing the chance
of any accidental double exposure.
Under that is the PC flash
connector (see my Pucky
I post).
This connector is an M-sync (Moore 2012). See my Fujica 35-ML post for more information.
Then on the other side seems to be a remote shutter cable socket, but the thread the attach the cable is missing.
 |
| Example of the remote cable thread on the Pony 135 cameras. Image Source: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EZMAAOSwIYVlaP-t/s-l1200.jpg |
Then above the lens is the
viewfinder, which like most Kodak cameras, is small and very irritating. But at
least it is above the lens.
On top-
From left to right.
First is the film rewind knob.
Next to that is the film
wheel. This doesn’t have any real function other than reminding the user what
film they are using or what film they put into the camera.
Then there is the film counter
wheel. This is connected to a single film sprocket, which only moves when the
film’s sprockets hook into the teeth and move the film counter when the film
spool is turned.
In front of that is the
shutter release/button. This button only works when the lens is fully extended
and the cocking lever is set in place.
This camera uses a Flash 200
shutter. Which from what I can find means that it is a leaf shutter, with the
ability to go up to 1/200 second when using a flash attachment.
Then there is the film advance
knob.
On the bottom-
Is the tripod socket.
On the sides-
You can find the slide locks.
These work similar to the Brownie
Holiday Flash, in that they are used to connect the neck strap and to hold
the film compartment cover in place.
But the one key difference
between the Holiday Flash and the Pony 135, is that only one of the slides can
move and the other is stuck in place.
The other slider/clip is used
to hold the hook/flange part of the cover.
I will say that I prefer this
method over the Holiday’s. The Pony’s method is much smoother and easier.
On the back-
Is the film compartment cover.
Above that-
You can find the small
viewfinder.
Then there is the film release
lever, which is used to when the film is advanced.
Next to that is the rewind
lever, this is pressed in when rewinding the film. It allows the advance knob
to go backwards.
Then there is the film
compartment.
The cover completely detaches
from the main body and has a pressure plate.
The film compartment is a simple design.
But the film loading is a bit
intricate. So to explain here are some screenshots from the 135 Model C manual:
.png) |
| Page 2 from the Model C manual. |
.png) |
| Page 3 from the Model C manual. |
.png) |
| Page 4 from the Model C manual. |
.png) |
| Page 5 from the Model C manual. |
The compartment is what
separates the 828 from the 135. Eckman (2022) writes that the 828 film shot
larger exposed images, but this meant that the number of pictures that can be
taken would be reduced to eight. And because the exposures were bigger, the
compartment was different from the 135 camera.
 |
| Pony 828 film compartment. Image Source: https://media.fotki.com/2v2agGgfqxJ21ND.jpg |
And even though the 828 film
was similar in size to the 35mm (Luyckx 2017) and you can use 135 film in the
828 camera, because according to Moore (2012), “…you could ‘roll your own’ from
35mm, since 828 and 135 were the same size film…” the Pony 135 Kodak had to
redesign “…the camera’s entire film compartment and controls…” to be able to
use 135 film (Eckman 2022).
So, as this camera’s name implies, it takes 135 film and is thus smaller, as the 828 takes negatives of 28 x 40mm (Eckman 2022) and the 135 is 24 x 36mm. It is a slightly small difference and hardly noticeable, but as most photographers will say that no matter how small the change, if you use the wrong film, equipment or angle, it can ruin the whole picture.
I should mention that the 135 seems to be quite rare and the one I see the most are the Model B and C cameras. But according to Hancock (2022) the Pony cameras made in France are the rarer ones, as the lens has Angenieux, instead of Anaston.
Pony 135 French, lens. Image Source:
https://www.declic-jaune.fr/phototheque/appareils/135_001b.jpg.JPG
And that is that. I like this
camera, I think it looks fantastic and it is very unique.
It is very comfortable to hold
and the collapsible lens adds a fun element to the camera’s design. It is
definitely a great entry level camera and easy to use. Honestly, if it wasn’t
for the small viewfinder, I would recommend this camera over the Halina
Super X35, but since the Super X35 has a big viewfinder, a lever to advance
the film, instead of a winding knob, and is easier to load film in…
I am going to put the Pony 135 in second place and say that the camera I recommend the most for beginners in the film photography space would be the Halina Super X35 and the point-and shoot-cameras (Sinpo PQ-3, the Praktica Sport and the Minolta AF-Big Finder).
Thank you for making to the end. And as always, I hope you enjoyed reading this 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 source:
ATSDR. 2019. ToxFAQs™
for Thorium. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=659&toxid=121
Butkus, M. Koadak
Pony 135 Model C manual. https://www.cameramanuals.org/kodak_pdf/kodak_pony_135.pdf
Camera-wiki. 2025.
Kodak lenses. https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_lenses
Camera-wiki. 2025.
Kodak Pony 828/135. https://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_Pony_828/135
Didekeer. Playing
With Lenses. https://playingwithlenses.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-kodak-moment-kodak-anaston-51mm-145.html
Eckman, M. 2022. Kodak
Pony 135 Model C (1955). https://mikeeckman.com/2022/05/kodak-pony-135-model-c-1955/
Emsley, J. 2010.
Thorium. https://edu.rsc.org/elements/thorium/2020027.article
Grey, J. 2018. Kodak
Pony 135 Model B. https://blog.jimgrey.net/2018/11/16/kodak-pony-135-model-b/
Gre, J. 2022. single
frame: A truly crappy camera. https://blog.jimgrey.net/2021/02/24/single-frame-a-truly-crappy-camera/
Halgand, S. 2026.
Kodak Pony 135 Model B. https://collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_appareil=313
Hancock, D. 2022. Kodak
Pony 135 Camera Review, Manual, Use, Take a Photo, Lens Markings, Loading Film,
Zone Focusing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y9lUp3MBsU&t=20s
Leicasociety. 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLqRG3UpCUI/
Luyckx, A. 2017. Camera
Review Blog No. 64 – Kodak Pony 135 Model C. http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/2017/06/06/ccr-review-64-kodak-pony-135-model-c/
Moore, C. 2018. Review:
Kodak Pony 135. https://digitalfilmnerd.com/2018/01/27/review-kodak-pony-135/
Moore, B. 2012. Kodak
Pony: 1950’s Little Work Horse. https://filmphotographyproject.com/kodak-pony-1950s-little-work-horse/
Vlasov, A. 2023. Thorium’s
Long-Term Potential in Nuclear Energy: New IAEA Analysis. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/thoriums-long-term-potential-in-nuclear-energy-new-iaea-analysis
Wallen, B. 2010.
Notes: Kodak Cameras. http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/LFN/KodakEktarsDB0a.htm
Wikipedia. 2024. Kodak Pony. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Pony
