![Estes Astrocam RTF film compartment | by [jonrev]](http://live.staticflickr.com/8093/8530600606_2c2aa0d472.jpg)
Estes Astrocam RTF film compartment
I've talked about the Astrocam before, briefly, but thought I'd go into the camera design a little more...
The camera design is very simple: the 110 film cartridge rides in the pictured compartment, with an exposure facing the lens - the lens being pointed at a 45-degree angled mirror that acts almost like a periscope. There are then two pieces of sliding plastic; one to open the aperture, and the other being the shutter mechanism. Before launching, you pull the shutter mechanism to (as-pictured) the right via a pullstring, which loops under the camera assembly and is held in-place by friction when you insert the assembly into the top of the body tube of the rocket booster, and open the aperture by sliding a switch on the other side of the camera to "Open".
After ascending to 1,200 feet (Estes claims), the rocket arcs over and begins coming in ballistic (hence the recommendation of C6-7 motors; the 7 indicating the delay in seconds between the launch charge and the ejection charge), then fires the ejection charge. As the string is released the shutter mechanism springs back to the left and exposes the film for 1/500th of a second. From there the rocket parachutes back to Earth, and upon recovery you then move the aperture switch to "Closed", hold down the film release button, and advance to the next frame (although some advise you advance twice, to prevent accidental double-exposure). These cameras are notably cheap and clumsy in quality.
The original Astrocam 110, released in 1979, was a kit in which the camera itself had to be assembled, along with the Delta II model rocket booster. Production continued until the late-90s, when this ready-to-fly version became available as a starter kit that included motors, a launch pad, and controller. Estes, more recently, re-issued the standalone kit with a pre-assembled camera, and released a new RTF starter kit utilizing the Astrocam camera riding an alternate booster design. However, on top of already being a quirky novelty from its initial release, they were quickly discontinued soon-afterward as 110 film fell completely out of consumer relevancy.
The original Astrocam advised 400-speed film be used, but the RTF variant, for some reason, recommends 200 speed; which Lomography is now making, and has me tempted to fire this off again.
Estes Astrocam RTF film compartment
I've talked about the Astrocam before, briefly, but thought I'd go into the camera design a little more...
The camera design is very simple: the 110 film cartridge rides in the pictured compartment, with an exposure facing the lens - the lens being pointed at a 45-degree angled mirror that acts almost like a periscope. There are then two pieces of sliding plastic; one to open the aperture, and the other being the shutter mechanism. Before launching, you pull the shutter mechanism to (as-pictured) the right via a pullstring, which loops under the camera assembly and is held in-place by friction when you insert the assembly into the top of the body tube of the rocket booster, and open the aperture by sliding a switch on the other side of the camera to "Open".
After ascending to 1,200 feet (Estes claims), the rocket arcs over and begins coming in ballistic (hence the recommendation of C6-7 motors; the 7 indicating the delay in seconds between the launch charge and the ejection charge), then fires the ejection charge. As the string is released the shutter mechanism springs back to the left and exposes the film for 1/500th of a second. From there the rocket parachutes back to Earth, and upon recovery you then move the aperture switch to "Closed", hold down the film release button, and advance to the next frame (although some advise you advance twice, to prevent accidental double-exposure). These cameras are notably cheap and clumsy in quality.
The original Astrocam 110, released in 1979, was a kit in which the camera itself had to be assembled, along with the Delta II model rocket booster. Production continued until the late-90s, when this ready-to-fly version became available as a starter kit that included motors, a launch pad, and controller. Estes, more recently, re-issued the standalone kit with a pre-assembled camera, and released a new RTF starter kit utilizing the Astrocam camera riding an alternate booster design. However, on top of already being a quirky novelty from its initial release, they were quickly discontinued soon-afterward as 110 film fell completely out of consumer relevancy.
The original Astrocam advised 400-speed film be used, but the RTF variant, for some reason, recommends 200 speed; which Lomography is now making, and has me tempted to fire this off again.