Kodak Brownie Pliant Six-16 (c. 1934)
The Kodak Brownie Pliant Six-16 is a folding rollfilm camera that appears to have been aimed at the French market. "Pliant" is the French word for folding. It came out in 1934 and was essentially a version of the Six-16 Folding Hawk-Eye sold in the United States from 1933 through 1934, but with a simpler finish. It belongs to Kodak's Six series, known for compact, portable design, and is closely related to the Kodak Junior Six-16.
Documentation on this model is thin, and even its production dates are uncertain. Sources variously suggest 1930, 1932-1936, or "around 1934," and two independent references corroborate the 1934 introduction. Some things are consistent across the record. It uses 616 rollfilm (no longer manufactured except as expired stock), takes 2½ × 4¼-inch pictures on 6.5 × 11 cm negatives, and has a No. 1 Kodal single-speed shutter. The lens is described as a meniscus, with one source noting a "single meniscus rear lens and a zero power protective front glass." A Catawiki listing instead claims an achromatic aplanatic lens at 1:4.5, f=6.3cm, and the sources don't reconcile the two. A Flickr user describes it as having fixed focus with a choice of four apertures, though the specific values aren't recorded.
One enthusiast describes the camera as "similar to the Kodak Six-16 Folding Hawkeye and Kodak Junior Six-16 camera, but with simpler finish." A French forum user reported their example was in very good condition given its age (80+ years) and worked correctly. There is a single current market data point: one example listed at €89 negotiable on OLX Portugal.
Known Specs
- Film: 616 rollfilm (discontinued; only expired stock remains)
- Picture size: 2½ × 4¼ inches (6.5 × 11 cm)
- Lens: Meniscus (one source: achromatic aplanatic 1:4.5 f=6.3cm)
- Shutter: No. 1 Kodal, single speed
- Type: Folding rollfilm camera
- Manufactured: Kodak Rochester, USA
Original price, production numbers, weight, dimensions, specific aperture values and discontinuation date all remain unrecorded in the available sources.
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