Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Modify A Kodak Pony 135

It is possible to adjust the look of your images simply by using a different film stock.


The Kodak Pony 135 is a film-based, still-image camera that came on the market in the 1950s. It is not an SLR (single reflex lens) camera. It comes with a lens that is capable of zooming in and out, similar to modern digital cameras with an expendable zoom feature. Although the camera does not have the same modification options available on newer cameras, it is possible to adjust some of the settings and features on the device.


Instructions








1. Purchase different film stocks. There are stocks with different speeds (the number printed on the packaging). The faster the speed, the less light the camera needs to capture the image and the faster the image can be moving (typically used for low light and sporting events). However, the film does appear more grainy, which might be a desirable effect. Experiment with the film until you find a suitable format.


2. Direct a hand-held flash toward dark objects. There is no flash mount on the camera, but hand-held flashes are available at most camera stores. When the flash is fired, you press the "Capture" button on the camera. This takes the picture with the image fully exposed. Using a hand-held flash only works when the desired content is a few feet in front of you (it does not work for landscapes or objects several hundred feet away).


3. Place different colored filters over the open lens. There is an absence of grooves to hold the filter into place, so you need to either hold the filters on or tape the filters down. Filters offer different effects to the image, such as adding slight hues of red and blue or giving star-burst effects (where a light, such as a candle or lamp, has a cross section over the light).








4. Insert a tripod into the circular opening on the bottom of the camera. Tripod heads have a small screw that sticks up. This screw slides into the bottom of the Kodak Pony 135, and tightens into place after rotating the screw (just like a standard house hold screw). Using a tripod helps reduce blurred images as the camera is no longer shaking when taking the pictures.

Tags: Kodak Pony, different film, hand-held flash, into place, possible adjust