Antique_Camera_Guy
Kodak 126 Instamatic Film Cartridge
This is an exposed and undeveloped Kodak Instamatic 126 Kodacolor VR film cartridge.
The 126 format (originally marketed as "Kodapak") was introduced in 1963, and was meant as a foolproof system for loading, taking pictures and unloading film. The drop-and-load design of the film cartridge meant that the photographer did not have to worry about improperly loading the film. The light tight design of the film cartridge and lack of a rewind mechanism allowed Kodak to design cameras that were simpler and with fewer parts.
126 film is basically 828 rollfilm housed in a plastic cartridge. Kodak had introduced the 828 format in 1935, but it never became popular primarily because most cameras that used 828 were low-end, compact point-and-shoots. 126 film is the same width as 35mm film, but featured pre-exposed frames with lines and numbers intended to make printing and viewing the negative easier. With a little ingenuity, regular 35mm film can be fitted into an empty 126 film cartridge (See link below)
The 126 film cartridge consisted of four main components: the outer two-part plastic shell, which contained the protective numbered paper, the film and the take-up spool. Each frame on the film contained a single sprocket hole which would trigger a leaver to let the shutter mechanism know that the film had been advanced one full frame. The cartridge even contained notches to help the camera detect the film speed and adjust the shutter speed accordingly, although very few 126 cameras had this feature.
Although 126 was popular among armature photographers in the 1960s and 70s, the format never caught on with professional photographers for a number of reasons. Professional photographers did not like the idea of using a film cartridge and did not care of the square orientation of the 126 film frame. Also nearly all 126 cameras produced were simple point-and-shoots, often with fixed shutter speeds, fixed focus and fixed apertures. The fact that majority of 126 camera were plastic and on the junky side, and offered very few features deterred professional photographers even more from adopting the format. Also, 126 had a reputation for sometimes producing rather dull looking pictures. However, this was not the fault of the film itself, but rather the low quality lenses that Kodak often used in their cheaper 126 camera models.
Kodak stopped manufacturing 126 cameras in 1989, and eventually ceased producing 126 film in 1999. However, a few companies such as Ferrania and Adox continued producing 126 film into the early 2000s. Kodak's 126 format was available in B&W (Verichrome Pan), slide transparency (Kodachrome II) and for colour prints (Kodacolor)
Here is a link with instructions on how to load a 126 cartridge with 35mm film:
www.lomography.com/magazine/44732-recargando-tu-carrete-d...
Kodak 126 Instamatic Film Cartridge
This is an exposed and undeveloped Kodak Instamatic 126 Kodacolor VR film cartridge.
The 126 format (originally marketed as "Kodapak") was introduced in 1963, and was meant as a foolproof system for loading, taking pictures and unloading film. The drop-and-load design of the film cartridge meant that the photographer did not have to worry about improperly loading the film. The light tight design of the film cartridge and lack of a rewind mechanism allowed Kodak to design cameras that were simpler and with fewer parts.
126 film is basically 828 rollfilm housed in a plastic cartridge. Kodak had introduced the 828 format in 1935, but it never became popular primarily because most cameras that used 828 were low-end, compact point-and-shoots. 126 film is the same width as 35mm film, but featured pre-exposed frames with lines and numbers intended to make printing and viewing the negative easier. With a little ingenuity, regular 35mm film can be fitted into an empty 126 film cartridge (See link below)
The 126 film cartridge consisted of four main components: the outer two-part plastic shell, which contained the protective numbered paper, the film and the take-up spool. Each frame on the film contained a single sprocket hole which would trigger a leaver to let the shutter mechanism know that the film had been advanced one full frame. The cartridge even contained notches to help the camera detect the film speed and adjust the shutter speed accordingly, although very few 126 cameras had this feature.
Although 126 was popular among armature photographers in the 1960s and 70s, the format never caught on with professional photographers for a number of reasons. Professional photographers did not like the idea of using a film cartridge and did not care of the square orientation of the 126 film frame. Also nearly all 126 cameras produced were simple point-and-shoots, often with fixed shutter speeds, fixed focus and fixed apertures. The fact that majority of 126 camera were plastic and on the junky side, and offered very few features deterred professional photographers even more from adopting the format. Also, 126 had a reputation for sometimes producing rather dull looking pictures. However, this was not the fault of the film itself, but rather the low quality lenses that Kodak often used in their cheaper 126 camera models.
Kodak stopped manufacturing 126 cameras in 1989, and eventually ceased producing 126 film in 1999. However, a few companies such as Ferrania and Adox continued producing 126 film into the early 2000s. Kodak's 126 format was available in B&W (Verichrome Pan), slide transparency (Kodachrome II) and for colour prints (Kodacolor)
Here is a link with instructions on how to load a 126 cartridge with 35mm film:
www.lomography.com/magazine/44732-recargando-tu-carrete-d...