Made to be shown to Kodak dealers, this longform commercials for the Kodak Ektra and Kodak Instant cameras dates to 1978, when the cameras were introduced. The first ad for the Ekta line features actor Michael Landon and appears to have been filmed in Marina Del Rey, California. The Ektra cameras used the 110 film format, an easy-to-use cartridge system which was innovative at the time. The cameras were produced in Germany and boasted a Kodar lens F:25mm, sunny/cloudy exposure settings, a bright-line viewfinder, and a built-in flash. The Kodak Tele-Ektra 2 offered four focusing zones, and had both normal and “tele” mode, and used disposable flipflash, but an electronic flash unit was also available. Kodacolor 110 film is also shown in the commercial (2:00).
The second ad for the Kodak Instant cameras, including the “Kodak Handle” camera (8:00), features actor Dick Van Dyke. The Kodak products were not as successful as their Polaroid rivals, and Polaroid filed a patent infringement suit against Kodak in 1976. In spite of some crucial differences in Kodak’s approach to instant film and instant cameras, Kodak lost the case in 1985, and all Kodak Instant photo products were discontinued.
The 110 cartridge film system was created by Kodak as a result of long-standing consumer frustration about the complications involved with loading and unloading roll film cameras. The first were Kodak’s 126 cartridge “Instamatic” cameras, with 110 film cartridges introduced in 1972. The 110 system took advantage of improvements in film stock which permitted smaller, and therefore lower cost, negatives. The 110 cartridge size film was equivalent to 16mm width, and as a result the pictures were often substandard and could not be blown up to large sizes without showing technical limitations.
Note: the Ektra product name was used by Kodak as early as 1941, when it branded a high end 35mm still camera.
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