Agfa Clack Film camera

 

Coming in with a new post is a camera that was part of the Agfa box series, the Agfa Clack. So far one of the oldest cameras I have and what makes this camera even more amazing and special, is that it was my father’s, who gave it to me.

To start, I will look at the Agfa company’s history. Boasting a 150 year run, Afga has a “long and illustrious record of innovation and technological leadership. A Belgian ‘photo products’ business and a German color dye manufacturer joined forces and grew into an internationally renowned company in the graphic and healthcare industries.” (Agfa 2024)

Founded in 1867, by Paul Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Carl Alexander von Martius, the company went by the name Aktiengesellschaft für Anilinfabrikation (or in other words Agfa, for short and according to Analogue Wonderland (2024) translates to Corporation for Aniline Production) and focused on creating chemicals for microscopy, specifically aniline dyes. (Molenaar 2023)

Agfa entered the photography business in 1879, when they introduced a new photographic paper that had a gelatine coating (please see my Kodak 200 Color Plus Film post for more information on how this gelatin works) and by 1909 rolled out its first roll of film (Analogue Wonderland 2024). This was the Agfacolor and by 1925 merged with the chemical company Bayer to form IG Farben, advancing their abilities to delve deeper into the chemical and photographic industry (Molenaar 2023).

Agfa was involved in the war effort to supporting the Nazis during WWII (Molenaar 2023) and suffered a lot of damage to their factories (Analogue Wonderland 2024). After the war IG Farben was dissolved by the allied forces and Agfa became an independent company (Molenaar 2023). 

Even through all this Agfa still moved forward and in the 1950s “they introduced the Agfacolor CT18, which was the first single-layer color reversal film. Agfa also developed the Agfacolor Neu film system” (Molenaar 2023) and by the 1960s “Agfaphoto expanded its product line even further, introducing a range of consumer electronics products, including radios, tape recorders, and television sets. The company also began to invest heavily in research and development, with a particular focus on developing new photographic technologies…” (Analogue Wonderland 2024).

Agfacolor Neu. Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Agfacolor_neu_-_7300960484.jpg/640px-Agfacolor_neu_-_7300960484.jpg

Agfacolor CT18. Image Source: https://www.album-online.com/photos/most/NGU4MTNkMA/album_alb5562193.jpg

By the 1980s Agfa underwent a few mergers, most significantly in 1982 (although Agfa (2024) states this was actually done in 1964) it merged with “Gevaert, a Belgian photography company, to form Agfa-Gevaert. The new company continued to produce a wide range of photographic equipment, but it also began to expand into other areas, including healthcare and graphics,” (Analogue Wonderland 2024).

Gevaert, according to Agfa (2024) was a company started in 1890 when the “22-year-old Lieven Gevaert established his own workshop in Antwerp (Belgium), which was mainly used for manufacturing calcium paper for photography. Barely four years later, the businessman Armand Seghers helped to establish the limited stock company ‘L. Gevaert & Cie’.” 

L. Gevaert & Cie took over The Blue Star Papers company, which became their first subsidiary and introduced a new gelatine paper. L. Gevaert & Cie’s business grew and by 1920 changed their name to Gevaert Photo Producten N.V., then to Agfa-Gevaert after the merger (Agfa 2024).

Then “With the advent of digital technology in the late 20th century, Agfa transitioned from traditional photographic products to digital imaging solutions. They developed a range of products, including medical imaging equipment and digital printing technology” (Molenaar 2023). But by 2000 “Agfaphoto began to experience financial difficulties, and in 2004, it was declared bankrupt. The rights to the Agfaphoto brand were acquired by a consortium of investors, who formed a new company called Agfaphoto Holding GmbH…” (Analogue Wonderland 2024).

But Agfa is still going on strong, focussing on IT, healthcare technology advancements, industrial printing and much more (Molenaar 2023).

Now time for the camera, the Agfa Clack.

 Manufactured between 1954-1965, as a part of the Agfa box series (considered even as the last of the series according to Filmphotography.eu (2024)), which was designed to be affordable and easy to use (Agiromony 2008). Its name is also quite unique. As Agiromony (2008), writes: “Maybe you are wondering about the name of the camera – Agfa CLACK: Push the button and you will not wonder anymore.”

The camera also has a pretty interesting history, which fans of this Online Museum might know I love to talk about, maybe a bit too much. So to make it as less complicated and as compact as possible I will present an excerpt from Klomp’s article The Agfa Clack:

“In the case of the Clack, we're talking about the German Wirtschaftswunder ('economic miracle') of the 1950's.

Just after the war, Germany was a big mess. Most of its factories had been destroyed, as well as most of the main infrastructure. The allies could have humiliated and poverized Germany, but considering that this approach indirectly paved the path for Hitler after world war one, they decided to restructure Germany into a modern state instead. Not only would that pacify the German people, but it would also create an effective buffer between western Europe and the east, where the Red danger was expanding rapidly.

It was in this climate of funded industrial rebuilding that Germany incorporated the newest technologies into brand new factories, thereby quickly regaining its position of highly advanced technological nation. (Ironic though that most of their chairmen were the same industrials who backed Hitler fifteen years before.) Many camera factories took advantage of the economic boom to create virtually countless types of small (and sometimes large) cameras. This camera revival lasted till around the 1960's, when the German industry learnt the hard way that the Japanese renaissance of the same era was slightly more successful. Anyway, in the 1950's the sky was still the limit, and that's probably the climate in which Agfa Munich started producing its Clack, as a camera for the many millions who prospered from the high tide.”

As well as an excerpt from Luyckx’s (2022) article:

“Despite the overall normalcy and widespread availability of the Clack, the camera itself has a unique place in the history of the German Camera industry. It all started in 1945 after the German surrender, which ended World War Two, at least in the European theatre. The war had taken a toll on Germany; no major urban centre had been spared Allied bombings. And with the partition of Germany, the occupying forces needed to rebuild the economy fast and more substantial than it had been before the conflict. Much of what led up to World War Two and the rise of Hitler to power came about because of the vicious price placed on the German people after World War One. The photographic industry proved a vital part of the allied plan. What happened next is known to historians as Wirtschaftswunder or economic miracle. And tied into that miracle is the Agfa Clack. In contrast, the German photographic industry contained heavy hitters of premium cameras, thing Franke & Heideckie, Leitz, Voigtlander, and Zeiss Ikon. There needed to be a camera that was accessible to all, and Agfa was just the company to build one. One of the earliest box cameras from Agfa included the Box line of cameras, this included the B2, 50, and Syncro Box (600), the lineup produced from 1949-58 offered up an all-metal body with a simple meniscus lens and a 6×9 format but in portrait orientation. These cameras introduced me to medium format and Agfa cameras as a whole, and my mom still has her father’s Box 50, a gift when they emigrated to Canada from the Netherlands. But they needed something even more accessible, enter the Clack and the Click. Oddly enough, both cameras are named for their shutter’s sound; the larger Clack offered up that big 6×9 negative while the Click a smaller 6×6. Like the earlier Box, the Clack was produced out of a durable steel outer shell with reptile skin leatherette. A simple single element lens with a curved film plane allowed the creation of sharp images helped out by that landscape orientation 6×9 negative. The Clack also provided a much-needed camera for the export market and sold under the Weekender name in the United States. Despite having the big negative, the Clack never gained as much popularity as the Click. And while the Click got an update in 1959 with the Click-II, the Clack remained almost the same throughout its entire production, although later models swapped steel for plastic and a leatherette cover. Production of the Clack ended in 1965, while the Click-II continued until 1970.” 

The design of the camera, as mentioned, is as simple as it gets, or as Klomp puts it: “it's just a box with a lens and a shutter…”

 The camera comes with a strap attached to the body and a plastic carrying case.

Now on to the camera itself.

First the lens. “There is a meniscus lens in it, and the focal length is fixed at 95 mm.

                                            

The largest aperture is f/11. Early Clacks also had an f/16 aperture, but this was later replaced by a yellow filter…” (2024 Filmphotography.eu) (Please see KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post to learn what a Meniscus Lens is). 

Agfa Clack 1/30mm Gelb Yellow Filter. Image Source: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jlwAAOSw26Nkbmt4/s-l1600.webp

Agfa Clack - Pinhole Mod, Yellow Filter. Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tbrogan/2967217397

With a fixed focus and a focal length of 85mm, as well as a focus range of “10ft to inf. + portrait 3ft - 10ft” (Art Deco Cameras 2020).

It also has a focus zone of “1 m to 3m, 3m to Infinite.” (2024 Filmphotography.eu)

The aperture setting for the camera is on the right side of the lens and consists of three holes punched into a metal plate, similar to the Sinpo PQ3 camera.

he first hole “…contains a small positive lens: for pictures in the range of one to three meters…”

…and the other two sets the aperture to f/11 for over cast weather and f/12.5 for sunny weather (Klomp).

On the other side of the lens is the Shutter lever that is a Leaf shutter (Art Deco Cameras 2020 & also see my Kodak Instamatic 104 Camera post to learn more about this shutter) also known as a Guillotine Type (Luyckx 2022). The shutter has two speed settings, which is set with the lever above the shutter. These two settings are labelled B, for bulb, and M, for moment (Klomp).

The M setting is at least 15 seconds because of the lens being an f/11 (Kearney 2021) and the B setting is used when an external flash is used (which is why the B stands for bulb) and according to Klomp, the shutter “stays open for as long as the photographer keeps pressure on the lever.”

Underneath the shutter is the port or hole where a remote shutter switch or trigger cord can be fitted.

On top of the camera…

 There are two adapters for an external flash...

 …“but only for the Agfa Clibo Blitzer and Agfa Clack Blitzer…” (Filmphotography).

Agfa Clibo Blitzer. Image Source: https://i.etsystatic.com/51451257/r/il/3b56d5/5937588106/il_794xN.5937588106_9w7l.jpg

Agfa Clack Blitzer. Image Source: https://www.kamera-sammelsurium.de/zubehoer_agfa_html/abl_0140.html

The view finder which is also called a reverse Galilean viewfinder (Art Deco Cameras 2020). It is very small, but at least it is above the lens so that the user at least has some idea what they are shooting (see KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post and Sounex YN-9000 Re-usable Camera post for the importance of this!).

The viewfinder also “consists of a plastic lens and an ocular. The world as seen through the viewfinder is tiny and barrel-distorted. Like most viewfinders it does the job if you're forgiving enough, but it's far from ideal…” (Klomp).

On the other side of the viewfinder is the Film winding knob, that moves the film inside to the next frame.

On the back in the bottom corner is the film window cover and film window. To open it the user follows the direction of the arrow to reveal the window that shows the user the number of the frame they are on.

Underneath is the tripod port and the mechanism that opens the film container.

To open the container, the user, turns the lever to the direction of the AUF (open) and to lock it ZU (lock).

This opens up the container and splits the camera into two pieces, one of them being the housing for the film.

Agfa Clack Film container without film (front). Image Source: http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/clack/11.jpg

Agfa Clack Film container without film (back). Image Source: http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/clack/10.jpg

Then you put in the film as the manual instructs:

The Agfa Clack uses “shoots eight 6×9cm pictures on a standard 120-film. The negative size is that large and ostensibly uneconomical, because in practice Clack negatives were not enlarged, but contact printed. Though nothing prevents you from loading 220 film, it wouldn't be wise, because without the paper backing of 120 film, it would be fogged immediately by the red window. The Clack furthermore has no explicit provisions for different film sensitivities, but considering the era it was made in and the camera's slow shutter speed, I think a 50 or 100 ASA film is implied.” (Klomp)

120 film vs. 35mm film. Image Source: https://shootitwithfilm.com/guide-to-medium-format-film-photography/

The 120 film is interesting and “is commonly known as medium format. This film was introduced by Kodak in 1901 for their Brownie No. 2. Back then, Kodak named each film according to their camera's design. When it became difficult to manage their system it changed, and names were given by following the sequencing of their products: the Brownie was their 20th camera, therefore 1-20.” (Epparino 2023)

The 120 film, unlike the 35mm, has no sprocket holes, meaning that the whole negative is exposed. It also come in three formats, 6x4.5, 6x6 and 6x9 (Epparino 2023). For the Clack, the 6x9 format should be used, so the film would be the size of 56x84mm, and aspect ratio of 1:1.50, and can take up to eight photos (Epparino 2023). 

120 Film. Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/120spools.jpg/385px-120spools.jpg

120 Film. Image Source: https://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/120film/index.htm

To learn how film captures pictures in a process known as photochemistry, please see my Kodak 200 Color Plus Film post.

This one was fun and a worthy entry for the return to this blog, but I was hoping that this would be on a new website. But due to some unforeseen technical issues and misunderstandings has put a hold on the Grand Reopening. 

But fear not, I will keep posting here until the new site is ready. 

Thank you for reading and as always, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did researching it.

If you want to help this site out, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/OnlineCurator

https://patreon.com/OnlineCurator?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

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

List of sources:

Agfa. 2024. History. https://www.agfa.com/corporate/about-us/history/

Agrimony. 2008. Agfa Clack. https://www.lomography.com/magazine/5543-agfa-clack

Analogue Wonderland. 2024. The History of AgfaPhoto: From Film to Digital Cameras. https://analoguewonderland.co.uk/pages/agfaphoto?srsltid=AfmBOoqtCxb1oI-8H7mRyVBbxSpz-9CdXH5NaUU1dF3Q1gyBW_pT_8Zm

Art Deco Cameras. 2020. Agfa Clack. http://www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/agfa/clack/

Eparrino. 2023. 120 Film: The History and Characteristics of Medium Format. https://www.lomography.com/magazine/351735-120-film-history-and-characteristic-of-medium-format#:~:text=120%20film%20has%20no%20sprocket,on%20the%20camera%20you%20use.

Filmphotography. 2024. Agfa Clack. https://filmphotography.eu/en/agfa-clack/

Kearney, F. 2022. Photography 101: Apertures and Shutter Speeds. https://nanpa.org/2021/07/07/photography-101-apertures-and-shutter-speeds/

Klomp, A. The Agfa Clack. http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/clack/

Luyckx, A. 2022. Camera Review Blog No. 145 – Agfa Clack. http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/2022/07/04/camera-review-blog-no-145-agfa-clack/

Molenaar, E. 2023. The History of Agfa. https://vintagelens.nl/2023/09/28/the-history-of-agfa/

Orphan Cameras. Agfa Clack 6x9. https://www.cameramanuals.org/agfa_ansco/agfa_clack_6x9.pdf

Kodak Instamatic 104 Camera

 

Staying within the realm of Kodak Instamatic, this post will be looking at Kodak’s earlier Instamatic series, the Kodak Instamatic 104 Camera.

                        

I will mostly be focusing just on the camera in this post because I went over the history of Kodak in my Kodak 200 Color Plus Film post and my KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post (where I also briefly went over Kodak’s camera and Instamatic camera series’ history). 

As a start, I want to briefly indicate Kodak’s reasoning for the introduction of the Instamatic cameras. Interestingly, the Instamatic series was first introduced in 1963, when Kodak manufactured the 126 film, which was self-contained and focused on Kodak’s ideas to make consumer-focused cameras that anyone can use. This also helped get rid of many problems amateur and novice photographers where facing, such as: “1) having to thread film onto the take-up spool of a camera, 2) setting the film speed on the camera, and 3) trying to determine when they had properly advanced to the next frame. All three of these things were cared for automatically by the 126 cassette. It was just drop-in and go! And if the camera back somehow was opened accidentally, only one frame would be lost as the previously-exposed frames were safely contained inside the light-tight cartridge.” (Odenbach 2017)

The first Instamatic camera was the Instamatic 50, but this camera was only available in the UK (Science Museum Group), but a month after the 50 was released, the USA saw the release of the Instamatic 100 (Kinsley 2020), which looks and works exactly like the Instamatic 104. 

Instamatic 100 camera. Image Source: https://filmphotography.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/kodak-instamatic-100-front.jpg

The difference between the 100 and the 104 is that the 104 “featured a connector for the new flashcube, instead of the Instamatic 100's holder for single flashbulbs…” (Hilliard Ohio Historical Society 2024)

Instamatic 100 camera with single use flashbulb. Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Kodak_Instamatic_100.jpg/640px-Kodak_Instamatic_100.jpg

Instamatic 104 camera with flashcubes. Image Source: https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2016/08/instamatichead.jpg

The Instamatic 104 was released in 1965 (MODiP 2024), alongside the flashcube which also came out in 1965 for “the need for greater safety and simplicity urged the Flashcube into existence…” (Harriss 2021). The Instamatic could be the third or fourth Instamatic camera in the series and was an improvement on the Instamatic 100 with this new addition.

This idea to keep the design of the 100 and just change the flash mechanism makes sense. The Instamatic 100 was one of Kodak’s “lowest-end and most popular model of the first such cameras was the Instamatic 100, which listed for $16. Five years of planning and teamwork (under the secret-design code name of Project 13) went into the Instamatic system of photography. News accounts said experts worldwide were involved in the planning and called it the most integrated of all programs in the history of Kodak coordination.” (Morrell 2016)

It makes sense that since the 100 was so popular that introducing a brand new camera with a new system that would probably make it more expensive to make and sell. After all the “Kodak Instamatic 104, produced in the 1960s, is a small rectangular camera made from injection moulded polypropylene and metal.” (MODiP 2024)

Meaning it was easy for the company to reproduce and make quickly. Also from a marketing prospective this also makes sense. According to Harriss (2021): “Eastman Kodak’s invention of the Flashcube also emerged from the company’s specific wish to offer a flash that would work with its newly ubiquitous amateur photographers’ cameras, made popular by the white middle-class families targeted in 1960s advertising campaigns. Partnered with Kodak’s Instamatic camera, the Flashcube’s adaptability, portability, and ease of use made interior photography possible for the masses, without prerequisite skill or expertise.”

Basically Kodak took a camera that is already so easy and convenient to use and made it even easier and more convenient with a flash that can take four photos back to back. Which is probably why they named it 104, the 4 meaning that it can take up to four flash photographs in a row, while still maintaining the familiar look and feel of the 100’s internal design, which according to Douglass Collins (the writer of The Story of Kodak), is “a ‘marvel’ of industrial engineering.” (Morrell 2016)

Now, let’s have a look at the camera itself. 

As mentioned this camera was manufactured in 1965 of which the production was discontinued in 1968 (MODiP 2024). It is made in a mould from metal (which was stamped aluminium, according to Andrew (2014)) and polypropylene (MODiP 2024).

The camera has the dimensions of “104 mm (Width), 56 mm (Depth), 61 mm (Height)” (Museums Victoria Collections), making it small enough to fit in most jacket pockets and easy to store and keep in a bag without taking up too much space. The only accessory that I can find that came with the camera is the strap. 

The front of the camera…

…Is where you can find the lens, which is a 43mm fixed prime lens, with an f/stop of 11 (Little Kodaks 2022). This is the same as the KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera (if you want to know more about this f/stop and how it affects the focus of the camera please see this post). The lens is also most likely similar to the Instamatic 10, that it has a Meniscus lens plastic lens (see KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post for more details).

Above the lens is the viewfinder. This camera is mirrorless and the user can’t directly see what the lens or sensor see, but it does give the general idea. And the fact that it is above the lens make it better than even the Instamatic 10 (see post and also the Sounex YN-9000 Re-usable Camera post and the Sinpo PQ-3 Point and Shoot Film Camera post) and avoids some of the problems faced when it comes to viewfinders that are next to the lens.

Then in the bottom right is the flashcube eject button. It is pressed to well eject the flashcube when it is used. 

Then in the upper left is the shutter release, which has an interesting design. Instead of a traditional button, the shutter release is an L shaped piece of metal. This is probably because it has a shutter leaf mechanism (Wagner 2024). 

To explain this, I will direct you to Parkhurst’s (2017) article, What Is A Leaf Shutter?

https://improvephotography.com/44427/what-is-a-leaf-shutter/

Because it is a complicated, long and fascinating piece of engineering. And if you are interested, here is a link to Jordan’s (2017) article, Focal-Plane Shutter: What it is and how it affects your photos:

https://improvephotography.com/44172/focal-plane-shutter-affects-photos/

If you want to learn about the Focal-plane shutter that is associated with SLR and more modern cameras.

The shutter, much like the Instamatic 10 has two shutter speeds. 1/90 second and 1/40 second with the flashcube (Wagner 2017). The camera changes this speed automatically. The reason for this is exposure. The camera has a slower shutter speed without the flash so that it can absorb as much light as possible to capture the image and is faster with the flash as to not over expose the film because of the access of light.

Speaking of which, the flashcube socket can be found on top of the camera. This works almost the same as the Instamatic 10, except that the Instamatic 104 moves the cube in a clockwise direction and takes a different type of flashcube. 

Flashcube. Image Source: https://compote.slate.com/images/ba31b9d7-0c6d-43a0-8c12-cbf79ee3eb89.jpeg?crop=3379%2C2253%2Cx0%2Cy0&width=840

The difference is that the magicube of the Instamatic 10 has a square attachment hole and the Instamatic 104 has a circular attachment hole.

Magicube square attachment.

Flashcube circular attachment. Image Source: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50029198756_7b14ae7c19_h.jpg 

This is because the magicube is an improved version of the Flashcube and has a different firing mechanism that doesn’t require batteries (Blue Moon 2024) and thus the attachment hole was made square to stop people from using it on older camera models like the Instamatic 104. This is also why on the Instamatic 10 is explicitly indicates “USE ONLY MAGICUBES”. (See KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post) 

To learn more about this wonderful cube please check out my KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post. And if you want to go deeper, check out Harriss’ (2021) article The Obsolete Object That Gave Every Boomer a Case of Redeye to learn all about the flashcube.

https://slate.com/technology/2021/12/the-kodak-flashcube-history-how-the-object-changed-domestic-photography.html

On the side of the camera…

…Is the film advance lever, to move the film to the next frame when a photo is taken.

And underneath that is the latch that has to be pushed upwards to open the film compartment.

On the back…

…Is where the user can find said film compartment. This camera takes a film cartage called 126 film, which is the older brother of the 110 film (see Minolta 110 Zoom SLR film camera post and KODAK Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera post for more information). The name comes from its dimensions: “the negatives’ (of the 126 film) dimension of 26.5 mm square” (Lomography 2024). 

126 Film front. Image Source: https://cdn.assets.lomography.com/8d/91c00bb82f1070b3d26cf207ccff7ec30e28cc/864x576x2.jpg?auth=13c7938c9dd5fb258b11204287d599fbf8057edd

126 Film, back. Image Source: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/iYMAAOSwI9le3SIz/s-l1200.jpg

And like the 110 film, the number of frames is on the cartridge and can be viewed through the window on the back of the camera.

Basically in a nut shell, the 126 film cartage is a 35mm film in a capsule that even non/amateur photographers can use without struggling to insert the film or accidently exposing it. Or as McCafferty (2024) puts it: “This ingenious re-usable adapter (imported from CameraHack, Italy) allows you to spool 35mm film into the adapter so you can shoot with your favorite 126 camera.”

126 Film. Image Source: https://filmphotographyproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/126reload_770x_-300x161.jpg

For further information, please read McCafferty’s (2024) article 126 Instamatic Film – History and Status, for the full scope and history of this film type.

https://filmphotographyproject.com/126-instamatic-film-history-status/

And if you want to know how a camera and film captures images through a process known as Photochemistry, please see my Kodak 200 Color Plus Film post.

Above the film compartment is the viewfinder. Although I said that this viewfinder is a bit better than the Instamatic 10, because it is right above the lens, I would still rather use the Instamatic 10, just because the viewfinder on the Instamatic 104 is very small and makes it hard to see clearly.

Then lastly is the bottom of the camera, where the battery compartment is. This is used to power the flashcube. As mentioned flashcubes need batteries to fire whereas magicubes don’t. This works with two AAA batteries.  

                         

The Kodak Instamatic 104 model that I have in my possession, is an interesting camera and what makes this camera more interesting is that it has the name “McLean” scratched on it and is chipped on the front. Now depending on the type of collector or camera lover you are this might degrade the camera’s value, but to me it adds value. 

Looking at all the dents, scratches and name etched on the camera, tells me that it was once loved and used. The stories this camera could tell about the beautiful moments and family vacations it has captured must be endless and (hopefully) full of wonderful Kodak moments in photos of “McLean”.

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

If you want to help this site out, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/OnlineCurator

https://patreon.com/OnlineCurator?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

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

List of sources:

Andrew. 2014. NOT MUCH TO LOOK AT, BUT A HUGE SUCCESS- THE KODAK INSTAMATIC 104. https://shootfilmridesteel.com/not-much-to-look-at-but-a-huge-success-the-kodak-instamatic-104/

Blue Moon. 2024. Magicubes Flash Cube. https://bluemooncamera.com/shop/product/AAA0124%7CMAGICUBE/magicubes-flash-cube#:~:text=While%20Magicubes%20look%20very%20similar,of%20cube%20your%20camera%20needs.

Harriss, H. 2021. The Obsolete Object That Gave Every Boomer a Case of Redeye. https://slate.com/technology/2021/12/the-kodak-flashcube-history-how-the-object-changed-domestic-photography.html

Hilliard Ohio Historical Society. 2024. Kodak Instamatic Camera Model 104; 1960; Rochester NY; 022019060016. https://ehive.com/collections/8747/objects/1020187/kodak-instamatic-camera-model-104    

Kinsley, F. 2020. The Kodak Instamatic Camera Range Around the World. https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/17038

Little Kodaks. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRtLlw1Zcrw

Lomography. 2024. What is 110 film? https://www.lomography.com/school/what-is-110-film-fa-ame1qreg

McCafferty, O. 2024. 126 Instamatic Film – History and Status. https://filmphotographyproject.com/126-instamatic-film-history-status/

MODiP. 2024. Kodak Instamatic 104 camera. https://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/aibdc-06644

Morrell, A. 2016. Whatever Happened To ... Instamatic cameras? https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/rocroots/2015/12/31/whatever-happened-kodak-instamatic-cameras/78142968/

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