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 for Super8 8mm movie cameras and projectors. 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.
Frequently "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.
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. Kodak. SA Spain. Instamatic models continued until c.1988.
- ↑ Dates from Kodak's web site
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, viewfinders etc.
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.
Instamatic Models
126 Cartridge
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
|- |Instamatic 132 |Argentina | ||- |Instamatic 132 |Argentina | ||- |Instamatic 132 |Argentina |
|| Name | Manufacture | Introduced | Withdrawn |
| Hawkeye Instamatic | US | 1963 | 1967 |
| Hawkeye Instamatic II | US | 1969 | 1975 |
| Hawkeye Instamatic R4 | US | 1965 | 1971 |
| Instamatic 11 | Brazil | 1969 | |
| Instamatic 22 | Argentina | ||
| Instamatic 25 | UK, Spain, Argentina | Jan 1966 | 1971 |
| Instamatic 26 | UK, Argentina | 1968 | 1972 |
| Instamatic 27 | Argentina | ||
| Instamatic 28 | UK | Jan 1972 | 1974 |
| Instamatic 32 | UK | 1972 | 1973 |
| Instamatic 33 | UK, Germany | Sep 1968 | 1973 |
| Instamatic 36 | UK | Jan 1973 | 1974 |
| Instamatic 44 | US, Canada | Jun 1969 | Oct 1973 |
| Instamatic 50 | UK, USA | Feb 1963 | Jan 1966 |
| Instamatic 54x | Argentina | ||
| Instamatic 55X | UK, Germany | Sep 1971 | 1972 |
| Instamatic 56X | UK, Germany, Argentina | Sep 1972 | 1977 |
| Instamatic 66X | UK | Dec 1973 | 1977 |
| Instamatic 76X | UK | 1977 | |
| Instamatic 77X | UK, Germany, Argentina | Jan 1977 | 1984 |
| Instamatic 100 | US, UK, Australia | Mar 1963 | Jun 1966 |
| Instamatic 104 | US, UK, Australia, Germany | Jul 1965 | Sep 1968 |
| Instamatic 124 | US | Jul 1968 | Apr 1971 |
| Instamatic 133 | Germany, Spain, UK, Argentina | Sep 1968 | 1970 |
| Instamatic 133X | Germany, Spain, UK | Sep 1970 | 1971 |
| Instamatic 134 | US | Jul 1968 | Jul 1971 |
| Instamatic 150 | US | Aug 1964 | Jul 1966 |
| Instamatic 154 | US | Jul 1965 | Jan 1969 |
| Instamatic 154X | Argentina | ||
| Instamatic 155X | UK, Germany, Brazil, Argentina | Sep 1971 | 1977 |
| Instamatic 174 | US | Jul 1968 | Apr 1971 |
| Instamatic 177X | UK, Germany, Argentina | Jan 1977 | 1984 |
| Instamatic 200 | UK | Jan 1965 | 1966 |
| Instamatic 204 | UK | Jan 1966 | Nov 1968 |
| Instamatic 220 | Germany | 1965 | 1966 |
| Instamatic 224 | Germany | 1966 | 1968 |
| Instamatic 233 | UK, Germany | Sep 1968 | 1970 |
| Instamatic 233X | UK, Germany | Sep 1970 | 1971 |
| Instamatic 250 | Germany | 1964 | 1965/1967 US |
| Instamatic 255X | UK, Germany, Spain. | Sep 1971 | 1977 |
| Instamatic 277X | UK, Germany, Spain, Argentina | Jan 1977 | 1985 |
| Instamatic 300 | US | Mar 1963 | Jun 1966 |
| Instamatic 304 | US,UK | Jul 1965 | Apr 1969 |
| Instamatic 314 | US | Jul 1968 | Apr 1971 |
| Instamatic 324 | Germany | 1966 | 1967/1968 US |
| Instamatic 333 | Germany | Sep 1968 | 1974 |
| Instamatic 333X | Germany | Sep 1970 | 1971 |
| Instamatic 355X | Germany | Sep 1971 | 1977 |
| Instamatic 400 | US, UK? | Mar 1963 | Jun 1966 |
| Instamatic 404 | US | Jul 1965 | Apr 1969 |
| Instamatic 414 | US | Jul 1968 | Apr 1971 |
| Instamatic 500 | Germany | 1963 | 1965/1966 US |
| Instamatic 700 | US | Mar 1963 | Jun 1966 |
| Instamatic 704 | US | Jul 1965 | Apr 1969 |
| Instamatic 714 | US | Mar 1968 | Sep 1970 |
| Instamatic 800 | US | Mar 1964 | Jul 1966 |
| Instamatic 804 | US | Jul 1965 | Mar 1970 |
| Instamatic 814 | US | Mar 1968 | Aug 1970 |
| Instamatic Reflex | Germany | 1968 | 1970/1974 US&UK |
| Instamatic S-10 | US | Mar 1967 | Mar 1970 |
| Instamatic S-20 | US | Mar 1967 | Apr 1971 |
| Instamatic X-1 | Brazil | ||
| Instamatic X-15 | US, Canada | Jul 1970 | Mar 1976 |
| Instamatic X-15F | US, Canada | Mar 1976 | 1988 |
| Instamatic X-25 | US | Jul 1970 | Jan 1974 |
| Instamatic X-35 | US, Canada | Jul 1970 | Mar 1976 |
| Instamatic X-35F | US, Canada | Jul 1970 | Jan 1974 |
| Instamatic X-45 | US | Jul 1970 | Jan 1974 |
| Instamatic X-90 | US | Jul 1970 | Aug 1973 |
110 Cartridge
See also Kodak, Kodak AG, Kodak Ltd. for other Kodak 110 cameras, not called "Instamatic"
|
| Pocket Instamatic 10, with Magicube extender |
| Name | Manufacture | Introduced | Withdrawn |
| Instamatic 91 | Nov 1974 | Jan 1976 | |
| Instamatic 92 | Sep 1974 | Jan 1976 | |
| Instamatic 125 | Sep 1974 | Jan 1978 | |
| Instamatic 130 | UK, Germany | Jan 1976 | 1978 |
| Instamatic 192 | UK, Germany | Jan 1975 | Jan 1976 |
| Instamatic 230 | UK, Germany | Jan 1976 | 1978 |
| Mini-Instamatic S 30 | Germany | Sep 1976 | Jan 1978 |
| Mini-Instamatic S 40 | Germany | Sep 1976 | Jan 1978 |
| Pocket Instamatic 10 | US | May 1973 | Sep 1976 |
| Pocket Instamatic 20 | US | Mar 1972 | Jul 1976 |
| Pocket Instamatic 30 | US | Mar 1972 | Apr 1976 |
| Pocket Instamatic 40 | US | Mar 1972 | Nov 1975 |
| Pocket Instamatic 50 | US | Mar 1972 | Apr 1976 |
| Pocket Instamatic 60 | US | Mar 1972 | Sep 1976 |
| Pocket Instamatic 100 | UK, Germany | Sep 1972 | Dec 1974 |
| Pocket Instamatic 101 | UK | Jan 1974 | Nov 1974 |
| Pocket Instamatic 200 | Argentina | Sep 1972 | Dec 1974 |
| Pocket Instamatic 300 | Sep 1972 | Aug 1976 | |
| Pocket Instamatic 400 | Sep 1972 | 1976 | |
| Pocket Instamatic 500 | Sep 1972 | 1976 | |
| Tele-Instamatic 330 | US | Sep 1975 | 1978 |
| Tele-Instamatic 430 | Germany | Sep 1975 | 1978 |
| Tele-Instamatic 608 | US | Apr 1975 | Jun 1979 |
| Tele-Instamatic 708 | US | Mar 1976 | Jun 1979 |
| Trimlite Instamatic 18 | US | Apr 1975 | Jun 1979 |
| Trimlite Instamatic 28 | US | Apr 1975 | Jun 1979 |
| Trimlite Instamatic 38 | US | Apr 1975 | Jun 1979 |
| Trimlite Instamatic 48 | US | Apr 1975 | Jun 1979 |
|
| M2 |
Super 8 movie cameras
- Kodak Instamatic M2
- Kodak Instamatic M4
- Kodak Instamatic M6 (US)
- Kodak Instamatic M12
- Kodak Instamatic M16
- Kodak Instamatic M18
- Kodak Instamatic M22
- Kodak Instamatic M24
- Kodak Instamatic M30
Books
- Coe, Brian, Kodak Cameras: The First Hundred Years, pp.223-260, Hove Foto Books, Hove, East Sussex, UK: 1988.
Source for some of the model names, and many of the dates.
Links
- Instamatic page on Mischa Koning's Kodak Classics
- Many Instamatic 126 models on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
- Many Instamatic 110 models on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
- Pocket Instamatics on Pierre J's Apphotnum (English; also in French)
- Kodak Instamatic page on John Cooper's OzCamera