photax
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Post by photax on Mar 22, 2010 15:12:10 GMT -5
Hi ! This are some funny accessories for Kodak Instamatic ( model 50,100 and 150 ) cameras: The Kaligar auxiliary Telephoto and Wide Angle lenses made by Kalimar Inc. in Japan. I had nearly forgot about them and recovered it last weekend. This lenses gives every cheap Kodak a professional impression  . I don’t know if using such attachments made sense, I think the lens-set was much more expensive than the camera itself and the money would have been better invested in some 35mm-camera. I will file it under “odd items”. MIK   |
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Mar 22, 2010 18:55:07 GMT -5
MIK,
I never would have imagined that such accessories were available for the Instamatics. They may well have extended their usefulness, I wonder how well they worked.
I do like your "odd items" classification. I would like to see it used as a permanent section in this site as I am intrigued by photographic odd items and have more than a few of them.
Mickey
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Post by pompiere on Mar 23, 2010 4:16:28 GMT -5
I had not seen lenses like that for Instamatic cameras, but my wife had a set for her Canon Sure Shot. The camera didn't have filter threads so the lens had a bracket to clamp it in place over the top of the camera. Last Christmas I saw the same type of telephoto lens for a cell phone camera.
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photax
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Post by photax on Mar 24, 2010 16:06:05 GMT -5
Hi Mickey, I am also fascinated by odd photographic accessories and cameras, for instance a dentist attachment for Kodak 110 pocket cameras ( would not be the doctor i trust ) or the fabulous Mick-A-Matic camera. Looking at your member-name, i guess you have some of the Mickey stuff in your collection  Mik |
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Mar 25, 2010 10:02:06 GMT -5
MIK, You are right about Mickey But I have yet to get a teeth camera. Here he is.  And here he is with some of his friends, The Ambassador, Miss Diana and a few other bosom buddies.  Mickey |
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photax
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Post by photax on Mar 27, 2010 7:16:05 GMT -5
Hi Mickey ! The Mick-A-Matic is also one of my favorites in my collection ! Here is a picture of the “odd dentist stuff “: The Kodak Instatech Closeup Camera from 1977. From time to time, such items appears at Ebay with the headline “unknown camera equipment” and you can buy them for the starting bid ( equ. 1 to 3 .- USD ), because it seems that nobody wants to have a unknown item. These two Instamatics came in original packing, I don’t want to have a camera that’s been around in several mouths… MIK  |
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Mar 27, 2010 17:59:18 GMT -5
MIK,
That blue device and the chain must surely be removable for sterilization.
They look like neither of them go into the mouth of the "sitter" but are used to position the camera.
The blue one has what appears to be a close up lens which would have to be used a a specific close distance as determined by that bracket.
The chain appears to be a device to position the lens at the camera's closest focusing distance, the full length of the chain, when used without a close up lens.
In either case the patient would probably be told to "Smile" rather than "Watch the birdie."
I am just guessing of course.
Mickey
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photax
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Post by photax on Mar 28, 2010 14:39:23 GMT -5
Mickey, you are right, the attachements are fixed with a screw. I found a price label from 1977 on one of the cameras: 435.- German Mark ( 330.- USD ): peanuts for a dentist . For this price he could have purchased a box full of this japanese 110 talking-cameras:  If you insert a battery the camera will say: Hello and cheese ! MIK |
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Post by philbirch on Feb 21, 2014 17:44:45 GMT -5
MIK, That blue device and the chain must surely be removable for sterilization. They look like neither of them go into the mouth of the "sitter" but are used to position the camera. The blue one has what appears to be a close up lens which would have to be used a a specific close distance as determined by that bracket. The chain appears to be a device to position the lens at the camera's closest focusing distance, the full length of the chain, when used without a close up lens. In either case the patient would probably be told to "Smile" rather than "Watch the birdie." I am just guessing of course. Mickey You are right. I was in the dental trade and we sold lots of this type of camera. The chain was to determine the exact point of focus. The blue frame would rest against the patient's face and a special mirror (supplied with some cameras) would be held in the mouth so the camera could see the hard to reach places. mirrors would be different shapes according to the area of the mouth - palatal, buccal, lingual etc. I think this model allowed you to use flash cubes to illuminate the oral cavity. I patented a device similar to this blue frame that attached to a Cokin holder, allowing you to use any camera capable of using a Cokin holder. The kit had a 3.5 dioptre close up lens, metal frame and set of mirrors. I had a French manufacturer make disposable, single use frames for it but unfortunately my timing was wrong. Mini fibreoptic video cameras with frame grab and printers came on to the market soon after and although they cost thousands rather than the £100 that my system did, they outsold it. Mine was sadly discontinued. But my local dentist still uses the sample I gave him along with a 90's Sony Mavica camera that used 1.44mb floppies. |
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Post by julio1fer on Feb 22, 2014 19:22:02 GMT -5
I had no idea that Instamatics were so sophisticated. In any case, they were not the only cameras for which a lens set cost more than the camera!
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. I don’t know if using such attachments made sense, I think the lens-set was much more expensive than the camera itself and the money would have been better invested in some 35mm-camera. I will file it under “odd items”.
