The Kodak Instamatic series of inexpensive, easy to load cameras was introduced in 1963, and featured an easy load film cartridge and initially, a pop-up flash holder.
The first model released in the US was the basic Instamatic 100 model. With fixed shutter speed, aperture and focus, it continued the tradition of Kodak, initiated by their N° 1 and later Brownie models, of providing simple to use snapshot cameras for everybody.
The even more basic Instamatic 50, without built-in flash, had been released in the UK a couple of weeks earlier. A few of other models soon followed, including the 400 which featured a clockwork automatic film advance and automatic exposure based on a selenium light meter, and the aluminum chassis 800 with rangefiner based focus in addition to clockwork winding and light meter.
The Instamatic was an instant success; more than 50 million Instamatic cameras were produced between 1963 and 1970.
In 1965 came the four exposure flash cubes, the cameras so equipped identifiable by 4 being added to the model number (the 100 became the 104 etc.). The Magicube came in 1970, each bulb featuring a mechanically triggered pyrotechnic detonator, thus avoiding the requirement for batteries. Models equipped for these cubes have a X suffix.
Then, in 1972, came the miniature Pocket Instamatic using a smaller, but similar 110 film cartridge. More than 25 million cameras were produced in under three years.
Instamatic is also the name of a DJ/mash-up producer based in London, UK.
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