The Camera Site

Box Cameras

Six-20 MF

A luxury model Brownie Six - 20 Model F is made in UK. It has has a built in close up lens , a yellow filter and a flash contact. Besides certain metal parts are "gold plated".

Kodak Six-20 Brownie Six - 20 Model C

A camera is similar to model F but lacks the exstra features. No filters neither the flash contact.

 

Box-620 Kodak Box 620 is made in Germany. It is built for the 620 film format. A curiousity is the film chamber locking which is integrated with a handle holder.

Kodak CH/B Kodak Cartridge Hawkeye
Model B

Hard to identify because the lack of carrying handle.

Hawkeye Kodak Six-20 Hawkeye Major has an identifier plate NÄPSÄ,(finnish for HANDY) in the front. Kodak wanted to rename this simple and handy camera easier to pronounce for us Finns.

Popular Brownie Kodak Popular Brownie

Another NÄPSÄ plate on a different Kodak model.
Thank You Ossi A. for information about NÄPSÄ.

Model-1Kodak Brownie Model I

Again a box from Kodak. The main differences to Brownie Six-20 cameras are in the front "face" of the camera

The most reliable cameras after a pin hole camera are these simple box cameras. The construction is so uncluttered that there are exstremely few parts to conk out.
Most of them are not very collectible. I like to collect box cameras, because they have proven to be best to set the scene for a nostalgic feelings. They were so common part of a life some decades ago

EclairEclair is a quality brand name in the history of French camera manufacturing.

This Eclair Lux has nothing to do with it , exept the name. Nice looking, maybe not so elegant. Basically one box camera among many others. It is not so well finished as most of the Kodak box cameras of its age class, not to mention Zeiss Tengors etc.
I consider it as a typical French product. A reasonably well working "artistically" assembled item. Real brand name might be Box Coronet (UK). I have to mention that my present car is a Citroën.

Braun Because of the precious name I decided to take a picture of this Braun Imperial surrounded by a silk canvas. (the night shirt of my wife)

If you take a closer look at the camera its forms refers more like a "Bunde" than an Imperor. General appearance is not gracefull att all. On the other hand "Teutons" might not have been utterly slender at those times.

Carl Braun started producing of wireles sets and binoculars in 1906. Camera production begun in1948. I personally remember a stylish portable radio from the sixties.

Bilora SpecialBilora was a well known German manufacturer of large variety of optical instruments.

Bilora the Photo Company still exists. Camera production has ceased but tripods, binoculars and laser instruments continue in carrying the Bilora emblem...

Optomax"Synchrona"This camera was specially made or modified for a finnish camera- and photo equipment chain store Helios.
It was used as a gift for good and faithfull customers at the anniversary of the Helios Company it is actually a rebadged Vrede Box, Vredeburch , Germany.
Quite obviously it is made in 1960. Kind of retro model, because the time of the box cameras begun to be past by then.
©2008 Reijo Lauro