Click on the camera for a larger view.
Marcy's Kodak Motormatic 35 Camera Review:
The Motormatic is one mean machine. It actually does some pretty cool stuff for a camera of its vintage (1960 - 62). Kodak must have had a fetish for these clock mechanism motor drives. Ive got an Instamatic that uses a two foot long metal tab which pulls out to charge the motor drive. The Motormatic has a big knob on the bottom. You turn it, and its just like winding a clock. Then, as you release the shutter the motor drive hums, advancing the film to the next exposure. The camera is big ( 3 3/4" tall and about 4 3/4" wide) and heavy. There are five shutter settings. Flash, 40, 80, 125 and 250. What? No "b". You set the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the lens aperture, which ranges from f2.8 - f32 and is indicated by a needle on top of the lens assembly. You can set the f stops manually by sliding a knob next to the viewfinder and turning a dial below it. I didnt figure this out until after Id put a roll of film through it. The dial around the lens has a flash setting and a daylight setting. During focusing of the lens, stops can be felt. These stops cause the indicator in the viewfinder to change from "close" to "group" to "scene". I know! This aint no amercher camera! I got mine for four bucks after a snowshoe trip that didnt pan out. I put a roll of film, which Id found on the floor at some event, through it. The film was called Turo or Tura, I forget now. But it was 400 speed black and white and I guessed on the development. Turned out not too bad, if I may say so myself.
The problem: after I bought the camera, which looks like new, I noticed a small plastic bag taped to the bottom that said "Olympus lens cap" on it. Well, it turned out to contain the parts that go inside the winder knob. I disassembled it and put the parts in the way it appeared that they should go. The film advance will hold tension after I wind it, but as I release the shutter and the film advances, the winder keeps humming...like its loosing its charge. The film is advanced, each image being evenly spaced. I just dont think its supposed to continue to make that humming noise after the film has stopped moving. So, I might not have the parts inserted correctly.
Even more info is available in this interesting article to be found at the Collector's Cafe.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Inside the guts of the power winder. I'm not sure that I've got the parts put back together correctly. The winder makes noise after it's been wound, but seems to work correctly. |
![]()
| Junk Store Cameras· | Home · | Email · | Gallery · | Personal Info · | Merrill Studios Info |
Each image on this site is protected by copyright. Permission to use any image on this site for any purpose whatsoever must be obtained in advance in writing to avoid possible violation of federal law on copyright. Any unauthorized use constitutes an infringement.