Pocket camera

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
High quality (left) and simple pocket cameras

In photography, a pocket camera is a camera that fits in your pocket.

The proper name Pocketfilm (Type 110 ) uses a system introduced by Kodak in 1972 that worked with film cassettes.

prehistory

At the end of the 1950s, photo cameras for 16 mm cine film appeared; For example Edixa 16 or Rollei 16 , the mail order company Quelle offered the Minolta 16 for 99 DM. Nevertheless, these models were not widely used, which was due to the cumbersome film change, as they were open spools that could easily be exposed if handled carelessly.

The miniature camera from Minox , which has been built since 1938, used an even smaller image format and must therefore be viewed separately.

Kodak had already introduced cameras for easy-to-change film cassettes with the Instamatic system , which created square images in the format 28 mm × 28 mm on 35 mm wide roll film, and has now tried the same with 16 mm film. In 1972 Kodak introduced the new 110-pocket film cassette with which photos could be taken in the 13 mm × 17 mm format and simultaneously presented five different models of the Kodak Pocket Instamatic camera that used the new film format. From then on, the term “Instamatic” was also used by Kodak for pocket cameras. These cameras were the Pocket Instamatic 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60. All were made in the USA. The line was successful; over 25 million cameras have been manufactured in just under three years.

Types

The typical pocket camera came in the same design as the previous 16 mm models, as an elongated, flat cuboid. At first there were a few exceptions, the best known of which was the Rollei A 110 / E 110 with a higher but less deep housing. The Minolta Weathermatic A from 1980 even had a waterproof, bright yellow housing and Photo Porst offered a model with set lenses, in a set with wide-angle or tele attachment . In the course of time, more exotic special models such as the Action Man from Hasbro or the Coca-Cola can camera appeared.

Minolta 110 Zoom SLR

Two manufacturers even offered an SLR camera for pocket film: Minolta presented the 110 Zoom SLR at Photokina 1976 , with a futuristic-looking, flat design and a double zoom lens . Asahi Pentax brought out the Auto 110 in 1978, a model with interchangeable lenses and the appearance of a shrunk 35mm camera. In a set with wide-angle, normal and telephoto lens, flash unit, motorized film transport and filter, it cost around 1,000 DM. In 1979, Minolta released the Minolta 110 Zoom SLR Mark II , a pocket film SLR whose design was also based on “classic” SLR cameras.

Most models could be operated with flash cubes, but an extension piece always had to be used to increase the distance from the lens to the light source, otherwise the eyes would easily glow red when taking photos of people. In 1976 this led to a new form of flash cube, the Topflash : This was of a flat, elongated shape and had two connections to attach it to the camera. First the top four or five flashes were fired, then you could turn it around to fire the rest. This always ensured a sufficient distance to the lens. Of course, there were also electronic flashes, built into some cameras - they usually had a longer shape.

"Ritsch-Ratsch-Klick!" - Agfamatic 4000

Consider the Agfa cameras for a typical program. There were the models 1008 , 2008 , 3008 , 4008 , 5008 and 6008 , whereby the number 8 already indicates the Topflash connection. The 1008 came as a very simple camera with one exposure setting, the 2008 for around 100 DM with two settings (sun and clouds), the 3008 with three settings. All had a fixed focus lens with a speed of 11.0 or 6.3 for the 3008. The 4008 for around 180 DM offered distance adjustment and electronic exposure control with a shutter speed of up to 15 s, which allowed night shots. The top models had an f / 2.7 lens that could be focused down to 50 cm and a built-in close-up lens that was otherwise available as an accessory. For all of them, the film was transported by squeezing the camera, which with the slogan Ritsch-Ratsch-Klick could be used with enormous advertising effectiveness. In the rest position, the lens and viewfinder were covered. Later, the 2008 telepocket and 4008 telepocket models came out with a switchable auxiliary lens, and in 1978/79 the 901 series with a built-in motor, which then could no longer be compressed.

With all pocket cameras you could produce slightly shaky images due to their low weight, but apart from that, good quality results could be achieved without any problems. This was especially true for the SLR cameras with their extended possibilities.

Slide films

The pocket film was also made up as a slide film, but was only rarely kept in stock even in larger shops. The slides could be shown with special frames in conventional 35mm projectors, which on the one hand wasted a lot of space when archiving and on the other hand required either a wide-angle lens or a projector location far away from the screen. That is why there were also special projectors for pocket slides, the Agfa model used a special round magazine , then 3 cm × 3 cm (9 cm²) slide mounts were used.

Market importance

The pocket film was an even bigger success than the Instamatic system ( type 126 ). At their peak, in the second half of the 1970s, pocket cameras held around 40% market share. Almost every major camera manufacturer had a model for it in their range. In contrast to the type 126, the more upscale models also sold excellently for 300 DM, with many amateurs buying the same as a second camera. Only slide photography with pocket film remained an exception. With the increased appearance of the particularly compact 35mm cameras after 1980, the pocket cameras gradually lost their right to exist and were forgotten. In the meantime, some compact digital cameras are referred to as pocket cameras , although of course they do not use pocket film.

Manufacturer

Pocket cameras were manufactured by:

  • Agfa ( Agfamatic Pocket and Optima Pocket series and many more ),
  • Canon ( 110 ED with Databack etc.),
  • Hanimex ( 110 LF Tele etc.),
  • Kodak ( Pocket Instamatic and Ektralite series and many more ),
  • Minolta (between 1973 and 1980 ),
  • Minox ( 110 S ),
  • Mity ( 110 EE Minimax ),
  • Pentacon ( Pentacon K 16 ),
  • Pentax ( Auto 110 and others),
  • Revue ( Minimatic Pocket 205 etc.),
  • Rollei ( Rollei A 110 etc.)

Models and model ranges

Agfa pocket cameras:

  • Agfamatic 508 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 1000 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 1000S pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 1008 Pocket Sensor
  • Agfamatic 1008 tele pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 2000 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 2000 flash pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 2008 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 2008 tele pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 3000 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 3000 flash pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 3008 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 4000 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 4000 flash pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 4008 pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 4008 tele pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 5008 macro pocket sensor
  • Agfamatic 6008 macro pocket sensor
  • Optima 5000 pocket
  • Optima 6000 pocket

Minolta pocket cameras:

  • 1973 : Minolta Pocket Autopak 70
  • 1973 : Minolta Pocket Autopak 50
  • 1976 : Minolta 110 zoom SLR
  • 1976 : Minolta Pocket Autopak 270
  • 1976 : Minolta Pocket Autopak 250
  • 1976 : Minolta Pocket Autopak 230
  • 1977 : Minolta Pocket-Autopak 450E
  • 1977 : Minolta Pocket-Autopak 470
  • 1979 : Minolta 110 zoom SLR Mark II
  • 1979 : Minolta Pocket-Autopak 460T
  • 1980 : Minolta Weathermatic-A

Rollei pocket cameras:

  • Rollei A 110
  • Rollei E 110
  • Rollei Pocketline 100
  • Rollei Pocketline 200
  • Rollei Tele-Pocketline 300

The Astrocam from Estes is a special type of pocket camera . The Astrocam is a model rocket with a pocket camera on its tip. With the help of the Astrocam you can take aerial photos yourself .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Camera Museum: Figure Action Man .
  2. ↑ Camera Museum: Figure Coca-Cola can camera  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.deutsches-kameramuseum.de   .
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