Kodak Brownie Starflash Camera – Instruction Manual

About this edition

This text edition transcribes all sixteen source pages of the Brownie Starflash Camera booklet with Kodak Dakon lens, including the film descriptions, camera features, historical guarantee and M-2 flash-distance table. Decorative photographs and illustrations are omitted; readable labels and captions are retained. No publication date is identified. Original American spelling and historical product claims are preserved. The camera’s 13 and 14 markings are exposure-value numbers, as the booklet states.

Credit: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. Source copy: The Brownie Camera Page.

Your Brownie Starflash Takes All 3

Kodak Verichrome Pan Film VP 127 – for 12 black-and-white snapshots.
Kodacolor Negative Film C 127, for both flash and daylight use – for 12 color snapshots.
Daylight Type Kodak Ektachrome Color Safety Film E127 – for 12 color slides.

Uses Kodak 127 Films.
Standard enlarged black-and-white or color prints – 3½ x 3½ inches.
Color slides – 2 x 2 inches, picture area 1½ x 1½ inches.

To make sure you understand your camera, read these instructions. Before any important pictures, shoot a roll of film and take a few flash shots. Your Kodak dealer will be glad to help you.

Note: If you’re practicing with an empty camera and find that the red shutter release cannot be pushed down, turn the wind knob on the bottom of the camera.

T.M. Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.

Five do’s for picture-taking fun

The best color snapshots are made in bright sunlight or with flash. Kodak Verichrome Pan Film can be used on sunny or hazy days.

Be sure the sun is behind you.
Keep at least 5 feet away from your subject when using the 13 setting – at least 4 feet with the 14 setting.
Hold the camera steady and slowly press the shutter release.
Keep the picture simple – avoid confusing backgrounds.
Keep the lens clean – sparkling pictures will be your reward.

Load … but never in bright, direct light

Push the LEVER on the bottom of the camera to OPEN; then remove the FILM HOLDER as illustrated.
Place the end of the film spool under the fork of the SPRING pointed out by the word LOAD. Push up against the spring; then push in the other end of the spool and let it snap into the hole.
The empty spool should be over the WIND KNOB. If the end of the spool does not snap into the hole, turn the wind knob until it does.
Break the film seal; then draw the paper, colored side out, over the film holder marked FILM THIS SIDE. Thread the end of the paper fully into the slot of the empty spool. Turn the wind knob two full turns to make sure the paper is straight and tight. To make sure the paper is tight, apply pressure on the paper when winding two turns.
Replace the film holder; make sure it is all the way in. Lock it in place by moving the lever all the way to LOCK.
Look in the window on the camera back. Wind until the warning arrow appears; then slowly wind until the “1” is centered. The film name precedes each of the 12 numbers.

Illustration labels: LEVER; OPEN; LOCK; SPRING; WIND KNOB.

Unload … but never in bright, direct light

After the 12th snapshot, wind until the end of the paper has passed the film window and is all wound on the spool.
Push the lever to OPEN. Remove the film holder. Grasp the end of the film spool near the forked spring and pull out the film.
Fold under the end of the paper. Seal it with the paper sticker.
To reload the camera, move the empty spool to the wind knob side.

Important: Do not leave the exposed film in bright light. Have your film developed as soon as possible.

Outdoor Snapshots

Illustration labels: SOCKET; SHUTTER RELEASE; LENS OPENING LEVER.

Important: When you’re using Kodacolor Film or Kodak Ektachrome Film Daylight Type, have the subject in bright, direct sunlight.

Set the LENS OPENING LEVER by pressing it in and moving it all the way to the end of the slot.
- Set at the arrow under 13 COLOR for color films.
- Set at the arrow under 14 B & W for Kodak Verichrome Pan Film.
NEVER SET THE LEVER BETWEEN THESE POSITIONS.

These are exposure-value numbers.
Compose the picture with your eye close to the finder so that you can see all 4 corners of the front finder frame. The square finder lens is directly above the film window.
Hold the camera steady while slowly pressing the SHUTTER RELEASE all the way down.

Note: A white spot will appear behind the lens to indicate that the film needs winding. Be sure to advance the film to the next number.

The shutter release remains locked after it is tripped until the wind knob is turned. This feature prevents accidental double exposures.

Photograph caption: The picture shows the recommended way to hold the camera. It’s important that you get a firm grip on the camera and that your finger or the neck strap is not in front of the taking lens.

Flash Snapshots

Illustration labels: BATTERY BASE UP; BATTERY BASE DOWN; LAMP EJECTOR.

Flash snapshots are just as easy as outdoor snapshots. Just pop in an M-2 lamp, aim, and shoot. To make color slides indoors use Kodak Ektachrome Film Type F and clear flash lamps. Kodak Verichrome Pan or Kodacolor Films can be used with either sunlight or flash.

Two 1½-volt photoflash penlite BATTERIES are required to flash the lamp. Be sure that these batteries are fresh (test at least 3½ amperes each). Weak batteries may cause flash failures. To install the batteries, unscrew the coin-slotted screw located above the LAMP EJECTOR and remove the battery cover. Insert the batteries – one, base down; the other, base up – as illustrated. Replace the battery cover.
Push the M-2 lamp into the SOCKET until it clicks in place.
The distance from the camera to the subject is important, as is the setting of the lens-opening lever. Keep within the distances listed for the films in the table below and on the back cover plate.
Compose the picture; then take the snapshot. The lamp will flash when the shutter release is pressed.
Push the LAMP EJECTOR to eject the used lamp.

Camera-to-Subject Distance Table for M-2 lamps
Setting	Kodak Verichrome Pan	Kodacolor	Ektachrome Type F
13 setting	9 to 25 ft	5 to 9 ft	6 to 8 ft
14 setting	6 to 16 ft	5 to 6 ft	5 ft

This table gives distance ranges for both lens-opening settings for these Kodak Films. Although the camera is marked 13 COLOR and B & W 14, flash pictures can be made at the 14 setting with color film for shorter distances – the 13 setting with Verichrome Pan for greater distances.

Note: Since lamps may shatter when flashed, the use of a transparent flashguard over the reflector is recommended. Never flash lamps in an explosive atmosphere.

Watch Out for These

You’ll take better snapshots if you avoid the six common mistakes pictured below. Watch out for these when making pictures:

CAMERA MOVEMENT, during the exposure, results in a blurred picture. Hold the camera steady and press the shutter release with a slow, steady motion.
If you want to avoid pictures with a London fog effect, don’t make pictures with a DIRTY LENS. Clean your lens with Kodak Lens Cleaning Paper.
If YOUR FINGER OR THE NECK STRAP IS IN FRONT OF THE LENS, you’ll get a picture like this.
CLUTTERED BACKGROUNDS – trees, wires, poles – steal interest from the subject. Look beyond the subject before you shoot.
If everything but your subject is sharp, then you have SUBJECT MOVEMENT. Don’t snap moving subjects.
When your SUBJECT IS TOO CLOSE to the camera (closer than 5 feet at the 13 setting or 4 feet at the 14 setting), it will appear fuzzy. Your camera will give sharp pictures of subjects 5 feet and beyond.

Photo Aids

HOW TO MAKE GOOD PICTURES is perhaps the most famous and popular picture-taking book of all time. See your Kodak dealer for this and other publications.

THE KODAK CLOSE-UP ATTACHMENT NO. 6A is slipped over the lens for close-ups of people, flowers, etc. Make pictures from 1¾ to 4 feet at the 14 setting – from 2 to 3 feet at the 13 setting.

THE KODAK CLOUD FILTER NO. 6A captures fluffy clouds by making the blue sky appear darker. Use it with Kodak Verichrome Pan Film – never with Kodak color films.

THE KODASLIDE POCKET VIEWER combined with the KODAK ILLUMINATOR, MODEL 1, really lets you enjoy your slides.

THE KODASLIDE DIAL-LITE VIEWER (MODEL A) has focusing and brightness adjustments to permit fine slide viewing.

THE KODAK 300 PROJECTOR lets you see the full beauty of your color slides brilliantly projected on a screen.

See your photo dealer for these and other photo aids which increase your picture-taking fun.

Guarantee

Within a year after purchase, any repairs necessary to this Brownie Starflash Camera due to a defect in materials or workmanship will be made or, at our option, the camera will be replaced without charge. No other warranty or guarantee, express or implied, shall be applicable to this equipment. Nor are we responsible for loss of film, for other expenses or inconveniences, or for any consequential damages occasioned by the equipment.

In case of unsatisfactory operation, the camera should be sent directly or through a Kodak dealer to Eastman Kodak Company or a repair firm authorized by us to make such repairs. It should be accompanied by a description of the trouble encountered and other available information regarding the camera, including the date and place of purchase.

EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
Rochester, New York

Camera Features

Film: Kodak 127 roll film. Negative size – 1⅝ x 1⅝ inches. 12 snapshots per roll. Standard enlarged color and black-and-white prints – 3½ x 3½ inches. Color slides – 2 x 2 inches.
Lens: Dakon – factory focused from 5 feet and beyond. Two lens openings – (13) for Kodak color films; (14) for Kodak Verichrome Pan Film. These are exposure-value numbers.
Shutter: Instantaneous, with double-exposure prevention.
Finder: Eye-level – optical.
Flash: Built-in – uses M-2 lamps only.
Neck Strap: Adjustable – supplied with camera.
Photo Aids: Kodak Close-Up Attachment, No. 6A; Kodak Cloud Filter, No. 6A; Kodaslide Pocket Viewer – Kodak Illuminator, Model 1 (for Kodaslide Pocket Viewer); Kodaslide Dial-Lite Viewer (Model A); Kodak 300 Projector.

EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, Rochester 4, N. Y.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Small printer-code characters are indistinct in this source copy.