Kodak Brownie Starmatic in a leather case. In it's day this was considered a high end camera.
The Starmatic was built between 1959 and 1961. Its successor was the slightly updated Brownie Starmatic II, which Kodak produced from 1961 until 1963.
The aperture maxed at f/8, the limit of its plastic Kodar lens, and the shutter has only one speed.
On top of the Starmatic are two dials, the smaller dial sets film speed, from 32 to 125 ASA (back in 1959 125 was considered pretty fast) and the larger dial sets exposure, or choose Auto to let the light meter do the work.
When you’re ready to snap a shot, look through the viewfinder. If a red flag appears inside, the light meter isn’t reading enough light and the photo will be underexposed. If the big dial is set to Auto, you’ll have to use a side mounted flash or change to a higher EV number.
• 12 for overcast
• 13 for cloudy but bright
• 14 for weak or hazy sun
• 15 for bright sun
• 16 for bright sun on sand or snow
On the back, the little red window shows the exposure the number on the film’s backing paper. The Starmatic takes 12 square photographs on size 127 rollfilm.
All of the Brownie Star series cameras feature a drop-out film loading and transport system. You flip a lever and the entire camera bottom slides out. The film winder is on the bottom plate as well. On the top of this film mechanism is the camerosity date code. Mine reads CCRT.
The camerosity date code works by replacing numbers with letters.
C A M E R O S I T Y
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
CCRT = Nov 1959
10 million are estimated to have been made. In 1959 the cost of this Starmatic camera was a whooping $34.50, equivalent to almost $260 today. This was when other cameras sold for as little as $6.
The camera measures approximately 3 1/4"w by 3 1/2"h by 2"d.