Kodak Partystar Kodamatic (1983-1985)

1971- The announcement of Polaroid’s SX-70 system, and the beginning of a new era in photography- the instant print!

Shortly after this amazing development, several of the other big players started developing similar systems to compete with Polaroid. One of these was the Partystar Kodamatic, with it’s 100mm f/2.8 lens (with fixed focus).

A folding camera similar to Polaroid’s SX-70, Kodak’s camera used their own film (HS 144 type film, 67x91mm), but essentially accomplished the same task- an instant print. The folks over at the Polaroid company were not flattered by the imitation, and began what would come to be a decade-long court battle to repay them for infringements on patents and camera sales lost due to said infringements.

The Kodak corporation paid up, to the tune of  $909,457,567.00. They even went so far as to exchange Kodamatic cameras for a $50 certificate for company stock. Some of these cameras still exist today, albeit completely useless due to lack of film. They can be had at garage sales and flea markets all over the place, going for somewhere between 5 and 20 dollars.

Read more about antique cameras at The Latent Library!