My First Camera
The Kodak Instamatic 25 was produced between 1966 and 1972. I received mine as a Christmas present from my parents in 1967. I would like to think that mum and dad were trying to nurture my budding photographic talent, but I think dad was just tired of me ‘borrowing’ his box Brownie when he wasn’t looking and using all his film.
It came in a box with a plastic lid (not unlike a shirt box) along with the strap (not attached to the body), a film cartridge (126 format), a flash cube, an extender to raise the flash cube above the camera and a small instruction book.
It has two shutter speeds: full sun and shade/flash. Apart from the film advance, the only other control is the shutter release.
I put a lot of films through this camera, I think I still have them all. It is hard to explain to people of the current generation, but cameras weren’t that common in the ’60s and ’70s. Very few of my friends families had cameras, and I don’t think any of my close friends did.
I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been given a camera so early and to have had a chance to find out how much I liked making pictures.
You were very fortunate, it’s a talent we’re nurturing in our son as well. Sure he has mishaps like dropping the digital recently in a river (granted he followed the camera in complete with his arm in a full cast of plaster *ahem*; these things are sent to try us) but he took some amazing photos that day.
Well, at least he is off to a good start, if the camera survives. Does he have his own Ipernity account yet? 🙂
Also it was my first camera….. uffffff