Kodak Instamatic X-90

[agi]

I just bought one on ebay and was wondering if anyone knows how to use the darn thing. Does it need a battery? I placed a roll of 126 film in it and know how to wind it but not sure if the shot was exposed correctly.

I couldn't find anything on google.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[charjohncarter]

Post a picture of it. I had a bunch of these (126 but I can't remember the numbers) over the 60's and early 70's. Maybe someone or me will recognize it, and have some memory of how it works. Back then just to be clever I took the cheapest 126 that had been thrown across the room by my friends girlfriend. I cut the lens and shutter out and made a snap-on plastic housing that just mounted on the film cartridge. It worked but winding and light leaks were always fun. BUT it was small.

 

[agi]

Thanks for the reply...

It's this brick of a thing 🙂.

 

[pshinkaw]

I have one of those!

At one time it was the top-of-the line for US made Instamatics.

I see that you have the instruction manual too! cool!

There is a battery compartment on the bottom. Since it has a CdS exposure meter, it requires the battery to operate the automatic exposure. The "X" means that it uses the X Cube flash system so that batteries are not required to trigger the flash. It is shutter speed preferred exposure.

When a flash cube is inserted (even a used one), the aperture settings are keyed to the distance focusing of the lens. Thus, it is possible to vary the F settings based upon the distance settings. However, I think that inserting the flash cube also sets a default shutter speed, probably of 1/30 sec.

It has an Ektar lens, which is Kodak's version of the Zeiss Tessar and the front of the lens ring is actually a Series V filter holder. It unscrews. Should take great pictures, even though the film selection these days is extremely limited.

-Paul

 

[agi]

I actually don't have the manual for it. Just took that pic from a google search as I'm not at home to take a photo of it. I figured there's a battery for it and tried to pry it off the bottom. Seems that mine had a battery leak and I can't seem to open the compartment. I'll have to try again when I get home.

I purchased about 20 rolls of expired 126 film from a local lab that was unfortunately closing. They wanted a buck for each roll and figured it would be fun to play with it so I bought a cheap x-90 from ebay. Little did I know the battery compartment was messed up (I should have asked). I also have a Kodak Instamatic 104 that my mom used for the longest time as a backup.

I also have a Yashica EZ-Matic on the way so hopefully that one will work.

Too many cameras so little time!!

 

[rbiemer]

With some black matt board and some glue, you can make a pretty decent pinhole camera--I'll need to find it again but there are some instructions/plans on-line somewhere--the 126 cartridges have a groove around the opening that the matt board will fit into. Basically you build a small box with one side open that fits into the groove, and hold it onto the 126 cartridge with a couple of rubber bands.
I remember my folks using one of the higher end Kodak Instamatics for a while back in the late 60's/early 70's.
Rob