Editing Instamatic (section)

===Early Instamatics===
[[File:Kodak Instamatic 100.jpg|thumb|right|The Instamatic 100, the first Instamatic sold in the US, with single flashbulb attached]]
The lead designer for the Instamatic program was [[Dean M. Peterson]] (original design by Alexander Gow), also later known for most of the innovations in the [[point-and-shoot camera]] revolution of the 1980s. They were the first cameras to use Kodak's new 126 format. The easy-load [[photographic film|film]] cartridge made the cameras very inexpensive to produce, as it provided the film backing plate and exposure counter itself and thus saved considerable design complexity and manufacturing cost for the cameras. Kodak sold various print and slide films in the 126 format.

The first Instamatic to be released was the Instamatic 50, which appeared in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] in February 1963. The first model released in the US was the basic Instamatic 100, approximately one month later, which included a built-in [[Flash (photography)|flashgun]] for single-use AG-1 "peanut" [[Flash (photography)#Flash bulbs|bulbs]], a feature lacking in the 50. With non-adjustable aperture, focus, and shutter speed ({{frac|90}}&nbsp;sec.),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.instructables.com/id/Instamatic-Retro/step5/Kodak-Instamatic-100/ |title=Instamatic Retro : Kodak Instamatic 100 |publisher=Instructables.com |date=2008-07-27 |access-date=2015-05-09}}</ref> it continued in the tradition of Kodak's earlier [[Brownie (camera)|Brownie]] cameras, providing a simple [[Snapshot (photography)|snapshot]] camera anyone could use, with the added convenience of drop-in loading using "Kodapak" cartridges. These were offered initially with one of four preloaded films: [[Kodak Verichrome Pan|Verichrome Pan]], [[Kodachrome|Kodachrome-X]], [[Kodacolor (still photography)|Kodacolor-X]], and [[Kodak Portra|Ektacolor-X]].<ref name=PopSci-63>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA112 |title=Now: Cameras You Load Like a Gun |first=Bob |last=Hering |date=May 1963 |magazine=Popular Science |pages=112–113 |volume=182 |number=5 |access-date=2 December 2024}}</ref>

The first Instamatics went on sale for $16 in early 1963<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gustavson|first1=Todd|title=500 Cameras 170 years of photographic innovation|date=2011|publisher=Sterling Signature|isbn=978-1-4027-8086-8 }}</ref> and were soon followed by the 300 (which had a light meter), the 400 (which had a light meter and a spring driven film advance), and the 700 (which had a light meter and adjustable focus and shutter speeds).<ref name=PopSci-63/><ref name=PM-1963>{{Cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CeMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA208 |title=Comparing the new quick loaders |author=Brown, Kevin |pages=112–115;208;212 |magazine=Popular Mechanics|publisher=Hearst Magazines|date=October 1963}}</ref> Early fixed-focus Instamatics used either a 43&nbsp;mm {{f/|11}} plastic lens or a 41&nbsp;mm {{f/|8}} ''Kodar'' glass lens;<ref name=JimGrey>{{cite web |url=https://blog.jimgrey.net/2014/02/17/kodak-instamatic-104-and-kodak-hawkeye-instamatic/ |title=Kodak Instamatic 104 and Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic |date=17 February 2014 |author=Grey, Jim |website=Down the Road |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> the 700 was equipped with a marginally wider and much faster 38&nbsp;mm ''Ektar''/''Ektanar'' {{f/|2.8}} lens.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8085559/kodak-instamatic-700-camera-camera |title=Kodak Instamatic 700 camera |publisher=Science Museum Group |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> The final digit in the model designation (e.g., 100 or 104) refers to the type of flash used: models ending in 0 had a built-in flashgun, while those ending in 4 (introduced in 1965)<ref name=PP-1988/> used [[Flash (photography)#Flashcubes, Magicubes and Flipflash<!--This section is linked from GTE-->|flashcube]]s.

[[File:Kodak Instamatic Reflex (2241986487).jpg|thumb|left|Kodak [[Instamatic Reflex]] SLR model]]
The lineup was soon expanded to include a variety of models from the basic but popular 100/104 to the automatic exposure 800/804, which featured an [[aluminum]] chassis, [[Rangefinder camera|rangefinder]], [[selenium]] [[light meter]], and [[clockwork]] spring wind. The best model made in the USA was the 814, which had a four-element lens and a coupled range-finder.<ref name=BL-1969>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKRtQ5ap1vQC&pg=PA32 |title=Photo gifts for Christmas |author=Durniak, John |date=December 1969 |magazine=Boys' Life |publisher=Boy Scouts of America |pages=32–33;79 |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N9gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA193 |title=Meet the sharper shooter (advertisement) |page=193 |volume=132 |number=1 |magazine= Popular Mechanics|publisher = Hearst Magazines|date = July 1969}}</ref> The top-of-the-line model was the [[Instamatic Reflex]] (1969), a [[single-lens reflex camera]] which was made in [[Germany]] and could accept a variety of [[Kodak Retina|Retina]] S-mount [[photographic lens|lenses]].<ref name=PM-196902>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I9gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA148 |title=The drop-in film cartridge has come to stay |author=Gallagher, Sheldon M. |pages=148–150 |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=February 1969 |volume=131 |number=2 |publisher=The Hearst Corporation |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref> Some German-built Instamatic cameras such as the 250 and 500 included fixed lenses made by [[Rodenstock Photo Optics|Rodenstock]] and [[Schneider Kreuznach]].<ref name=Kemp/>{{rp|16–17}}