Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1983 to 1985.
Index of rarity in France: Frequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 426

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Kodak

In 1976, Kodak aimed to grab a share of the instant photography market, which Polaroid nearly monopolized.
Kodak relied on a new in-house film, the PR10, presented in packs of 10 photos sized 7 x 9 cm. The operation mode of Kodak's cameras closely resembled that of the competitor. Polaroid saw it as plagiarism, without regard for patents, and sued Kodak. The trial lasted more than 10 years, and in the meantime, Kodak released numerous models accompanied by intense advertising campaigns:

Kodak instant photography was introduced in France on May 23, 1977, although it was available in North America as early as 1976. The first range available in France consisted of the EK4, EK6, and EK8.

	Year	American name	Made in	Film

EK4	1976-78		USA	Kodamatic PR 144/10 (160 ISO)	Manual photo ejection
EK6	1976-78		USA		Automatic photo ejection
EK8	1977-79		Germany
EK2	1977-78	The Handle	USA/UK
	1978-79	Happy Times (Coca-Cola)	USA		Promotional version of the EK2
	1977-82	Pleaser	USA		Promotional version of the EK2
EK100	1978-80	Colorburst 100	USA		like EK6
EK200	1978-80	Colorburst 200	USA/Canada		like EK100, with a protective flap
EK300	1978-80	Colorburst 300	USA		like EK100, with an electronic flash
EK20	1979-81	The Handle 2	USA		like EK2, with an extended sepped range
EK160	1979-82	Colorburst 50	USA
	1980-82	Partytime (Tupperware)	USA		Advertising camera, like the EK 160
EK160 Subito	1982-		USA		like EK160
EK160-EF	1980-82	Colorburst 250	USA		like EK160, with an electronic flash
	1980-82	Partyflash			like Colorburst 250
EK160-EF Subito	1982-				like EK160-EF
EK260-EF Subito	1982-	Colorburst 350	USA		like EK160-EF, with a close-up lens
	1982-84	Partytime II	USA		like Champ
	1982-84	Partyflash II Kodamatic	USA	Kodamatic HS 144/1 (320 ISO)	like Colorburst 250
Kodamatic 920	1982-84	Kodamatic Champ	USA
Kodamatic 930	1982-84		Germany
Kodamatic 940	1983-84		USA
Kodamatic 950	1983-85		Germany		like Kodamatic 930, with an electronic flash
Kodamatic 960	1982-86		USA
Kodamatic 970L	1982-86		USA		like Kodamatic 960, with a close-up lens
Kodamatic 980L	1982-86		USA		like Kodamatic 960, autofocus
	1982-85	Pleaser II Kodamatic	USA
	1983-84	Party Star (Tupperware)	USA		Advertising camera, like the Kodamatic 960
	1984-86	Party Star Trimprint (Tupperware)	USA	Trimprint (320 ISO). Il est possible de séparer le négatif.	Advertising camera, like the Kodamatic 960
	1984-86	Trimprint	USA		Pleaser II modified for Trimprint film
	1984-86	Trimpint 920	USA		Kodamatic 920 modified for Trimprint film
	1984-86	Trimpint 940	USA		Kodamatic 940 modified for Trimprint film

Polaroid vs Kodak

Upon the release of Kodak's instant film and cameras, Polaroid filed a lawsuit alleging that 12 patents were infringed. The legal action lasted for 10 years. Polaroid estimated the damages at 12 billion dollars.
In 1985, the court ruled in favor of Polaroid regarding the violation of 7 patents and compelled Kodak to cease instant photography.

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

The legal action continued until 1991, and Kodak ultimately had to pay $909 million to Polaroid. Additionally, Kodak was compelled to compensate its customers who were no longer able to use the purchased cameras.

Consequences

As Kodak was required to compensate its customers, it implemented a partial refund system. To prove ownership of a Kodak instant camera and to prevent fraud, customers had to provide the identification plate located on the front face. This explains why many Kodak instant cameras found at flea markets are mutilated.

Fujifilm, which had signed an agreement with Kodak for the use of its patents, was also sued by Polaroid. Fujifilm managed to reach an agreement with Polaroid to continue using instant photography technologies. In return, the Japanese manufacturer had to share its research on magnetic media recording.

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The Kodamatic 950 is a true folding camera because, unlike other instant development cameras (most of them), there is no mirror between the lens and the film. As a result, the camera is bulky when in use. To set it up, you need to unlock the folding door, which supports the lens upon its return. The folding door takes on a specific angle that brings the lens to the center of the film plane. An internal stiffener rigidifies the bellows.

The electronic flash triggers with each shot.