Instamatic
Instamatic was Kodak's trademark name for their easy-load 126 cartridge film cameras, launched in February 1963 with the Instamatic 50. Later, in 1972[1] Kodak used the name Pocket Instamatic for some of their 110 cartridge cameras (other 110 models were branded Ektra or Ektralite), and also called some of its Super-8 8mm movie cameras and projectors "Instamatic." Kodak 126 Instamatics were a great success, and sold around 60 million by 1976; thus "Instamatic" became a generic term for cartridge-loading - or any plain point-and-shoot - cameras, irrespective of manufacturer.
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Manufacturing
Instamatic cameras were manufactured in various plants across the world, in particular by Kodak in the US, by Kodak AG in Germany, and by Kodak Ltd in the UK. Instamatic models continued until c.1988.
Description
Whilst most Instamatics were simple "snapshot" cameras, made of plastic with very few, or no, adjustments, the range extended through designs with metal chassis, light meters or automatic exposure, rangefinders and even an SLR with interchangeable lenses. There were also add-ons such as teleconverter lenses and viewfinders.
Early Instamatics (e.g. Instamatic 50) had a special flash adaptor for either AG-1 bulbs or (later) Flashcubes; a few had a pop-up flash gun. Later models used Flashcubes or ("X" models) Magicubes without an adaptor.
From 1975, 126 and 110 models were introduced to use the new Flipflash system.[2]
Instamatic models
126 cassette film
Model numbers ending in 0 have pop-up flash gun; ending in 4 have Flashcube socket, ending in X have Magicube socket. Models ending in F have Flipflash
| Name | Manufacture
110 pocket cassette filmSee also Kodak, Kodak AG, Kodak Ltd. for other Kodak 110 cameras, not called "Instamatic"
Super 8 movie cassette film
Instant camerasFrequently "Instamatic" was used in error to refer to Kodak's instant cameras. Due to the strong association of Instamatic with 126 cameras, the name was not used for Instant cameras, which were instead branded Kodamatic, Colorburst, EK or simply Kodak Instant. Notes
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