You don't hear the words "high end" and "126 camera" go together very often, but in the case of the Instamatic 804, that is exactly what you have! The Instamatic 804 is one of the best 126 cameras ever made by Kodak. First off, it is a fully-functioning rangefinder camera. That's right, you get to manually and critically focus with the aid of a built-in rangefinder. Second, Kodak put an excellent 38mm f/2.8 Ektanar lens in this camera. The lens is slightly radioactive... but all the best Kodak lenses seem to be. Third, the camera has a spring-driven film advance that is armed by pulling a drawstring on the bottom of the camera. It's kind of like starting a lawnmower. There is also a built-in selenium cell light meter that allows for shutter priority exposure control. Allowing the photographer to manually set the shutter speed between Bulb, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250, while the meter sets the correct aperture. There is an exposure compensation dial that allows you to adjust the exposure over and under. Finally, the Instamatic 804 uses the new-at-the-time flashcubes. These little cubes allowed four flash exposures via one cube. On the negative side, they require battery power to be triggered; but on the positive side, they are much easier to find than the battery-less Magicubes.
If you are planning to go in on a 126 camera, the Instamatic 804 ought to be on your short list.
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Kodak Instamatic 804
The Kodak Instamatic 804 hearkens back to a different time. It was an era when simpler, user-friendly cameras were exploding in popularity - having mom or dad record family vacations in photographic form was finally becoming commonplace. To address this growing market, Kodak introduced what would become their famous Instamatic line of cameras. Initially this name was used for 126 cameras, but later the Pocket Instamatics in 110 were also introduced, and "Instamatic" became synonymous with easy-to-use, often cartridge-loading, cameras.
The 804 is an impressive camera in an impressively long line of cameras. Manufactured between 1965 and 1970, the 804 was heavy duty; emphasis on heavy, the things weighs almost two pounds! The 804 features rangefinder focusing, paired with a 38mm f2.8 Ektanar lens, using radioactive thorium glass. The camera has manual shutter speed control and a selenium meter for adjusting aperture to the right exposure. Even more interesting, it has a spring-driven film advance. Pull out a cord in the base of the camera a couple of times, not unlike starting a lawn mower, to wind up the motor and away you can snap. Pop a flash cube atop the camera - batteries required - and you'd be ready for both indoor and outdoor use.
126 film has sadly gone the way of the Dodo, which is a shame because it means cameras like this now languish, mostly forgotten. However, all is not lost. We know that, for the moment at least, the folks at Film Photography Project have a re-loadable 126 cartridge that uses 35mm film. Snag one of those from their shop for $30 and you could have some fun with a camera like this 804.