Kodak Instamatic 500 - Manual says 126/12 and 126/20 only

ggray79 · Apr 17, 2025

Because of this spec in the manual I am concerned about buying 126/24 exposure. Is this camera incompatible with 126/24? Since I am mainly wanting the case to reload with 35mm film from a normal roll, can I assume that the case is the same for 12, 20 and 24? I would rather shoot and develop the film and then use the case, but if a 126/24 is cheap enough I might just get it for the case. Hopefully, this camera will actually handle 126/24. I won't get the camera for several weeks so I can't really experiment. Thanks!

MattKing · Apr 17, 2025

All the Kodak 126 cameras I can remember depended on the printing on the backing paper to show frame counts, so I doubt that the difference between 20 and 24 exposure lengths will much matter.
I'm not aware of any differences between the 126 cassettes themselves.
I assume you mean "cassette" when you say "case".

BrianShaw · Apr 17, 2025

I’m not too sure that the manual reference to film is a specification, as it most likely is a reference to the film options that Kodak made in 1965.

There is a frame sensing hole in the film but I’m not sure if that camera used it or not. The (can’t recall the brand) 126 camera I used in the 1970’s did and the dim registered “automatic” versus manual using the frame numbers on the backing paper.

Don_ih · Apr 18, 2025

ggray79 said:
Is this camera incompatible with 126/24?

No. The camera doesn't count exposures - it simply advances the film and cocks/fires the shutter. It would be compatible with every 126 cassette. Proper exposure is a different matter (luckily, you can set that manually).

darkroommike · Apr 18, 2025

ggray79 said:
Because of this spec in the manual I am concerned about buying 126/24 exposure. Is this camera incompatible with 126/24? Since I am mainly wanting the case to reload with 35mm film from a normal roll, can I assume that the case is the same for 12, 20 and 24? I would rather shoot and develop the film and then use the case, but if a 126/24 is cheap enough I might just get it for the case. Hopefully, this camera will actually handle 126/24. I won't get the camera for several weeks so I can't really experiment. Thanks!

Your camera (and manual) were introduced before the newish 24 exposure 126 cartridges were introduced. No worries.

ggray79 · Apr 18, 2025

Thank all of you for these perfect answers! My daughter got this for me at a garage sale without realizing it was 126 and not 35mm. But that German lens ought to make this fun. I have a couple of wonderful Retinas. I hear that the lack of a pressure plate might hurt the image at the widest aperture, but I am pretty much a Sunny 16 day shooter anyway. Thanks again!

Don_ih · Apr 18, 2025

There are a couple of considerations if you intend to use the camera with reloaded 126 cassettes. First, you need to tape the seams of the cassette or you will get light leaks. If you don't use the backing paper, you'll need to put tape over the indicator window. Also, the camera will stop and cock the shutter whenever the pin goes into a sprocket hole. That means you need to cover the lens and fire the shutter to be able to advance again to not overlap your photos. I saw somewhere that you need to do that once for every exposure but I'd think it might be more. And part of your photo will expose on the top row of sprocket holes, so adjust the lower part of your scene through the viewfinder with that in mind.

dynachrome · Apr 19, 2025

My Instamatic 500 came with the full Lester Dine set-up for close-ups. I wish someone would make an easily reusable 126 cartridge which could be loaded with 35mm film. That would get me to use some of my 126 cameras.

ggray79 · Apr 19, 2025

Don_ih said:
There are a couple of considerations if you intend to use the camera with reloaded 126 cassettes. First, you need to tape the seams of the cassette or you will get light leaks. If you don't use the backing paper, you'll need to put tape over the indicator window. Also, the camera will stop and cock the shutter whenever the pin goes into a sprocket hole. That means you need to cover the lens and fire the shutter to be able to advance again to not overlap your photos. I saw somewhere that you need to do that once for every exposure but I'd think it might be more. And part of your photo will expose on the top row of sprocket holes, so adjust the lower part of your scene through the viewfinder with that in mind.

I have been looking into those type of issues. Bruce Varner has some very thorough how to's specifically for the Instamatic 500. "Overllooked Kodak Instamatic 500/Loading the 126 Cartridge". Thanks!

Ian Grant · Apr 19, 2025

Film flatness was the issue with 126, which was essentially 828 roll film in a light trap cassette when loading & unloading, with greater capacity in terms of film length.

But then it was 126 that largely kill off the B&W D&P trade and heralded the era of cheap Colour D&P, almost overnight. 126 also killed off the 120 Kodak Brownie box cameras, which were amazingly still being made in the early 1960s.

Ian

Vaughn · Apr 19, 2025

I started my photographic endevors with a Rolleiflex that my father had been using for the family snaps shots (handheld GE lightmeter and a 35mm adapter) for 15 years or so. We started backpacking as a family in 1968, and he went with a Instamatic 804 instead...good lens, manual (rangefinder) focus, some shutter speed control, which he was use to, but lighter and easier to use on week-long hikes in the Sierras, and on camping trips in general.

Paul Howell · Apr 19, 2025

My wife was a features writer, for a few years she worked for the Sacramento Bee, at time mid 70s, for she often had to her own photos, hated loading 35mm film. We got her a Kodak 126 SLR with the 3 lens set. She used either Plus X or Verichrome pan along with Kodacolor, don't recall which. Camera and lens were made in Germany. Auto load, auto ASA auto exposure, even with non TTL meter the exposure was pretty good. She had small flash but usually used flashcubes. I was concerned about film flatness, I dont think she ever had an issue. She used it off and on until the 90s when she got a 35mm zoom point and shoot.

Donald Qualls · Apr 21, 2025

Film flatness wasn't as much an issue as some make it out to be. I had a Zeiss 126 SLR back in '81 (later traded it for the Pentax Spotmatic SP that I still have). I don't recall any changes in focus across the frame (though I did only get 4" prints, as the larger ones were too expensive for my budget at 21).

Don_ih · Apr 21, 2025

Film flatness was less of an issue with freshly-made film.

Donald Qualls · Apr 21, 2025

Don_ih said:
Film flatness was less of an issue with freshly-made film.

That makes all kinds of sense. Hence it ought to be less of an issue if you reload the cartridge with fresh bulk 35 mm film (the curl will have a larger radius even if the film has been rolled a good while).

Fujicaman1957 · Apr 21, 2025

Paul Howell said:
My wife was a features writer, for a few years she worked for the Sacramento Bee, at time mid 70s, for she often had to her own photos, hated loading 35mm film. We got her a Kodak 126 SLR with the 3 lens set. She used either Plus X or Verichrome pan along with Kodacolor, don't recall which. Camera and lens were made in Germany. Auto load, auto ASA auto exposure, even with non TTL meter the exposure was pretty good. She had small flash but usually used flashcubes. I was concerned about film flatness, I dont think she ever had an issue. She used it off and on until the 90s when she got a 35mm zoom point and shoot.

Verichrome Pan was the only B & W film Kodak made for 126. I did see some spanish made 126 B&W back in the mid 1970's. but I have no idea who was selling it.

Paul Howell · Apr 21, 2025

Verichrome sound right, did a good job with environmental portraiture.

Paul Howell · Apr 21, 2025

Well I just looked on Ebay and found TriX

Donald Qualls · Apr 22, 2025

I always wondered about Tri-X in 126 -- there were only two or three models of 126 camera that could expose 400 speed film correctly.

Kodak Instamatic 500 - Manual says 126/12 and 126/20 only

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