Kodak Brownie Starluxe (1961)
The Kodak Brownie Starluxe is a compact viewfinder camera introduced in 1961 and made by Kodak France. It belongs to the Brownie Star series, a line that sold over ten million units from 1957 into the late 1960s. The original design is credited to Arthur H. Crapsey. The Starluxe is basically the French-built sibling of the Brownie Starmite. The Starluxe II is documented as identical to the Starmite II apart from where it was made.
Surviving documentation on the base Starluxe is thin. The Starluxe II is better recorded. It used 127 roll film and had a moulded plastic body, an optical direct vision finder, and a built-in flash gun with a rectangular reflector for AG1 bulbs. The aperture markings under the lens referenced the EV system, roughly 13 = f/11 and 14 = f/16. The Starluxe II retailed for $12.00 and was produced from 1960 to 1963. One surviving example, in a worn original box, came with instructions in French, which fits the French production.
One listing for a Starluxe II in white, described as made in France, was offered at €49.00. The seller noted the camera showed no cracks and the finder was bright. No original price is documented for the base Starluxe. No specifications for lens focal length, shutter speeds, or dimensions have surfaced.
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