Kodak VR35 K14 (1986–1989)
The Kodak VR35 K14 is a fully automatic 35mm compact from the late 1980s. It marked Kodak's return to making 35mm cameras after a roughly 17-year hiatus. Chinon Industries built it in Japan for Eastman Kodak, and it's essentially a rebadged Chinon Auto 2001 with a few tweaks. In some markets the K14 also carried the name "Medalist". Production ran from 1986 to 1989, with a launch price of $239.95.
The main difference between the K14 and its sibling the K12 is the data back, which imprints the date onto your photos. It shares its optics and electronics with the Chinon Auto 2001, but Kodak added an extra sheet of glass over the lens assembly that the Chinon doesn't have. The controls are simple. A flash switch on the top right slides left or right to force the flash on or off, and the self-timer switch is a transparent orange slider.
One practical problem today: the K14 takes a Kodak proprietary battery that is no longer in production, so you'll need old stock or an adapter to power one. Mike Eckman's review of the camera notes the Chinon connection and confirms the 1986-1989 production window. He describes it as a well-built example of the era's Japanese-made point-and-shoots.
Documentation on this model is otherwise thin. The lens is a Kodak Ektanar 35mm. Sources conflict on the maximum aperture (f/3.5 vs. f/4.0), and they also disagree on whether the focusing system is true autofocus or fixed-focus. Those specifics are unconfirmed. What's solid: 35mm film, built-in flash, data back, self-timer, and Chinon-built construction. Current listings show tested, near-mint examples asking around $65.
Similar items on eBay
No exact Kodak VR35 K14 listings are live right now — these searches show current Kodak and similar vintage camera gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.