Kodak Star 535 (1992–1993)

The Kodak Star 535 is a simple, focus-free 35mm point-and-shoot from the early 1990s. It was the kind of camera sold cheap at drugstores and department counters. It was made in Mexico, and one Flickr forum post recalls it being bought new at London Drugs for $14.99. Nobody bought it as a prestige instrument. It was an everyday snapshot camera.

The record shows a fixed-focus camera with automatic flash, motorized film advance, and ISO 100/200/400 film support. It runs on two AA batteries. One owner describes it as "small and heavy and it is black," with flash and red buttons. The Lomography community has sample photos taken with one in Jakarta, Indonesia, shot on Kodak Gold 200, so the lens could still deliver decent images decades later. The Russian-language listings call it a "симпатичная плёночная мыльница" - a nice film point-and-shoot - and one seller on TikTok pitched it as ideal for beginners and retro-style lovers.

Beyond that, the documentation is thin. There is no lens focal length or aperture, no shutter speed range, no flash range, and no dimensions or weight beyond the qualitative "small and heavy." Production year is given as 1992 by one source and 1993 by another. One Flickr user notes their unit no longer works, but that is one aging camera, not evidence of a systemic defect. Another Etsy seller offered a CLA'd, tested example "ready for another life of photo taking." Current asking prices for used examples range from about 1,660₽ to 3,500₽ (roughly $20 - $40 USD).

Known specs: