Baby Brownie – A review of a quaint box camera

Years ago, I was enamoured by the Vest Pocket Kodak. The stories of soldiers carrying it during WW1 – what those cameras might have seen – it made my imagination run wild.

Often listed as an “ANZAC Camera” here, they tend to have huge markups compared to other Kodak folders of the era. I soon found out it used 127 film, which was seldom sold in Australia. Figuring it all too much trouble, I shrugged and moved on, trying out a 120 film European folder instead. Years later, browsing new listings of the cheapest film cameras on eBay, in search of fodder to tinker with and repair, I saw an odd-looking Bakelite box. It was only 25AUD (about €15 or £12, at time of writing.), and included the original, now mouldy packaging.

It was the Kodak Baby Brownie, a 127 film camera, like the VPK. I’d used a Brownie before, having always been fond of that *lo-fi* look in photography. Searching around, compared to years past, there was now a local retailer selling 127 film. Knowing this, I bought the camera, the film that cost more than it, and waited patiently for my packages. Three days later, AusPost had the camera and film at my door.

Considering its age, it was in alright condition. It’s fairly common for Bakelite cameras to have cracks, or chips, considering the brittle makeup of the material.

The only real problem was, the red window had fallen off, nothing a little contact cement couldn’t fix, though. A gentle touch up with some washing soda, and some hydrogen-peroxide for the lens, and it was looking pretty nice.

The film I’d gotten is apparently hand rolled, I figured it would be a good idea to cover up the red window because of this.

My go to these days isn’t the venerable electrical tape, but instead, a webcam cover. You can find these for a few bucks on AliExpress, just flip it up when you wind to see the numbers, then flip it back down. Even in the face of the Brisbane sun, this trick works fairly well, give it a try!

I think I’ve rambled long enough about preparing to shoot, so how is the shooting experience?

The shooting experience

Shockingly, it’s quite comfortable to hold, despite the smooth, almost slippery feeling in the hands. To properly carry it around (considering the lack of strap), cup your fingers under the body, with your thumbs resting on the top. When it’s time to shoot, place those thumbs on the back of the camera, and use your right index finger to trip the shutter. Holding it any other way is liable to get your fingers in frame, but it feels fairly natural.

After catching the train for a little while, I decided to hop off, and check out a car shop nearby. I asked the owner if I could photograph the very old, rusted vehicles in his yard. According to the manual, the sports finder must be held as close to the eye as possible. I didn’t have much faith in its farming abilities, nor the awkward pose I had to strike, but I fired away.

I moved around the small yard, photographing the well rusted vehicles, not knowing if these were even framed properly.

The sun was oppressive, and with a fixed (probably) f/11 aperture, and 1/50 shutter speed, the 400 speed film felt like a bit much in the moment.

I said bye to the owner, and crossed the bridge into the nearby suburb. The creek below caught my eye, I fired a shot from the hip and kept walking.

The camera is 4×6.5, so you only get 8 shots. With the roll having cost me $31.50, I’d already shot over fifteen dollars of photos. Ouch. I continued on, poorer, and photographed any houses that stood out to me.

I retired to a bakery, and let the lady behind the counter take a photo of me. I won’t be sharing that one, though! When I finally got home later in the day, i rolled up the film fully, and sent it off to Walkens Film Lab in Sydney. As far as I can tell, they are one of the very few labs in Australia that will process 127 film, charging their usual 120 rate.

Thoughts

I’m really pleased with how these turned out, I figured I was in for a muddy disaster. The photos are bright, sharp, and the overexposure thankfully wasn’t a large detriment at all. The softer corners and gentle contrast of the film lends itself to a very dreamy, pleasing aesthetic for the photos. At least to me!

I don’t like the creek photo much, but I think that’s just the fault of the light leak. The entire bottom and top edge of the film had very small light leaks, only on two photos were they big enough to show up in the photo. Potentially a user error, but it might just be the nature of re-rolled film.

Box cameras

Box cameras lend themselves to a different kind of photography. I’ve used the most high tech EOS film cameras, with all the options and tools you could ever need. Yet I keep finding myself returning to box cameras, with their the simple single shutter speeds, near non-existent viewfinders, and simple lens formulas. I think I make the most progress in learning framing, and improving my photography with them. There is nothing else to get wrong, all you can do is frame.

Try one out sometime, and if you run into camera that needs 127 film, it’s probably cheapest to buy straight from the manufacturer, rather than retailers. I’ve already picked up another 127 box camera since November when I used this, and I’ve already run a roll through it. But that’s a story for another day.

Thank you for reading, I haven’t set up my website, so, you can find my Flickr here!

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