Kodak Brownie Reflex 20 (1959–1966)

The Brownie Reflex 20 is a molded plastic box camera. Kodak introduced it in April 1959 and discontinued it in January 1966, at an original price of $17.00. It uses a twin-lens reflex layout, but it isn't a true TLR. The top lens is part of the viewfinder only and does not aid focusing. The body is black molded plastic with a large, bright brilliant finder fitted with a hood. It has pin-and-screw flash contacts for an accessory Brownie Flasholder.

The camera takes twelve 6×6 cm images on Kodak 620 roll film - a format that would soon be phased out. It may even have been the last 620-film camera Kodak produced. The lens is a simple meniscus, a single element, with three aperture settings and a single, quite slow shutter speed. The Science Museum Group Collection describes it as having a "simple lens, plate with three apertures EV 13/14/15." Focusing is rudimentary but works, with three distance settings. The viewfinder is large and bright, and the camera makes sharp, sizable images for a snapshot camera of its class.

Kodak's own marketing pitched it as "a good all-round snapshot camera for colour and black-and-white at a modest price," and brownie-camera.com calls it "a fun camera to use." The 620 film it requires is still available from selected photographic outlets. It can also be respooled from 120 film in a changing bag, as one Flickr user documents doing. The camera is sometimes available for prop hire, and eBay listings for the model appear from time to time.

Introduced April 1959; discontinued January 1966
Original price: $17.00
Film: 620 roll film, twelve 6×6 cm exposures
Lens: single-element meniscus, three apertures (EV 13/14/15)
Shutter: single speed (slow)
Body: black molded plastic, twin-lens reflex style
Flash: pin-and-screw contacts for Brownie Flasholder