Kodak Tele-Ektralite 40 (1979–1981)

The Kodak Tele-Ektralite 40 is a pocket 110 cartridge camera from the tail end of the 1970s, produced from 1979 until 1981. It was Kodak's answer to the growing demand for pocket cameras with a bit more flexibility than the fixed-focus Instamatics most people carried — a compact, focusable camera with two focal lengths built into one body.

The big feature is the dual lens: a 22mm normal lens and a 44mm tele lens, both at f/5.6. Switching between them also changes the magnification of the brightline viewfinder, which the Science Museum Group Collection notes as a design detail. Both lenses focus, with a focus scale visible in the viewfinder and parallax correction built in. Shutter speeds are limited to 1/100 and 1/500 seconds, and the camera has autoexposure. The built-in electronic flash is manually set and folds away into the body when not needed, which keeps the camera pocketable.

The original price was $92.50. That put it above the basic fixed-focus pocket models but well below Kodak's more elaborate 110 offerings. It was made in the USA and takes 110 cartridge film. The "Tele" in the name is what separates it from the single-lens Ektralite models in Kodak's lineup.

Documentation on this model is moderate but scattered. The Science Museum Group Collection holds one and describes it as a "pocket camera" with autoexposure and focusing on both lenses. Retrospekt sold a boxed example with flash and manuals, and describes it as a "nostalgic piece" that "will fit perfectly in your pocket." A note from kodak classics (mischa koning) adds that the flashgun stays folded away until needed. Lomography community members have posted photos taken with the Tele-Ektralite 40, though no reviews accompany them. No independent period reviews or detailed user commentary have surfaced in the available record.

One listing on Retrospekt was priced at $69 (sold out). No common failure points, battery specifications, or repair notes are documented in the available record. Most owners treated cameras of this era as disposable.

Known specs:

Film: 110 cartridge
Lens: 22mm normal / 44mm tele, f/5.6, both focusable
Shutter: 1/100 & 1/500 seconds
Exposure: Autoexposure
Flash: Built-in electronic, manually set, folds away
Viewfinder: Brightline with magnification change when switching lenses; focus scale visible; parallax correction
Original price: $92.50
Production: 1979–1981, made in USA