Kodak Duaflex II Video Manual

Kodak's Duaflex camera were the prototypical toy camera. They were simple to use, fun, and could still take images worth sharing and enjoying. Great for taking photos of scenery and learning basic photographic principles, the Duaflex II and its limited functions take most of the worry and thought out of photography, leaving the photographer to focus on composition and artistic creation.

Index:
Skip the Intro: 0:07
Camera Overview: 0:20
Camera Features – Front: 3:54
Camera Features – Back: 4:27
Camera Features – Bottom: 4:43
Camera Features – Sides: 4:53
Camera Features – Top: 5:29
Camera Features – Inside: 5:49
Loading Film: 6:53
How to Take Photo (and Double Exposures) with the Kodak Duaflex: 9:19
Notes: 10:44
Camera Don’ts: 14:30
Invitation to Like and Subscribe: 16:30

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[alexcasaresOracleAZ]

If you take finger nail clippers and clip off the edges of a 120 spol it will fit in the camera and work. Have fun keep on shooting 👍📸👍

[BrooksMartin]

I used this camera with instax film! I just made my room a darkroom and took a sheet of film out of the pack and put it in the duaflex. Then after I took the photo I put it back in the film pack and ran it through the rollers in my Instax Mini 8! It looks amazing! I'll make a video on how to do this.

[zachclark]

I just got a Duaflex II from my grandpa's collection and I'm excited to try to use it. Thanks for the video!

[SchellMusic]

Really great, comprehensive video. I just got my Mom's old Duraflex IV and this really helped me get ready to shoot it for the first time in 50 years. Thank you!

[ScottMarshall]

David - so here we are in 2021 your video is 5 years old and we are in the tail end of the Pandemic. I have a really fine Excellent++ example of this Duaflex II - Fixed Lens made in England version. Which was my inheritance/family memory of my Gran who was born in 1913 and died in 1999. It is still in it's case and I have several photographs taken by the camera probably around 1966/1967 of me as a baby and other family images. In turn I became a professional photographer and ended up collecting film cameras myself. My knowledge has grown over the years but i have not looked at my family keepsake like I do my own collection. So your video has been incredibly helpful. To think this camera was shooting at 1/30th of a Sec is mad - you are correct sunny days only - but it also demonstrates the latitude of film versus the modern day digital equivalent. Monetary value is low but family heirloom is value is rather special and indeed priceless. I may well try and run a 120 roll through it or even see if I can find an out of date roll. Real Lomo. BTW my heirloom is pristine in comparison to your YouTube model. Thank you for this video it is so relevant even today. Regards Scott

[alyssar]

This was really helpful! I am super excited to start taking pics

[StormSpotterMike]

Thank You for making this video! I just found and bought a Kodak Duaflex II at a garage sale for $5. Your video was very helpful in showing how to use and load the film into the camera. Hopefully the one I just got still works, it appears to. All the parts are there. Just need to get the film. Which I did see that B&H seel 620 film for $14.

[Jolene]

Thank you for this. I have one in my possesion and was totally daft on how to use it. Those stills you took are beautiful. Again, thanks for sharing.

[sethm]

Very nice to have this level of information on such an old camera. I found one at an antique store for $9 and the thing that really drew me to it was the viewfinder. Looks like I got a pretty early one, it just says “Kodak Duaflex Camera, Kodet Lens.” Never planned on using it but after seeing your video I think I’ll give it a “shot.” This thing is almost in mint condition and would probably take some beautiful photos. The only problem I’m having with it right now is that the mirror inside the viewfinder appears dirty/dusty. Is this worth trying to clean? I don’t want to damage it, and honestly I’m not even sure how it got so dirty inside. Thanks again for the video!

[tennyoAMV]

Awesome video! I have the Duaflex II with the focusable Kodar lens. I've never actually tried to use it, it's just sat on my shelf for decoration. I'll have to see if I can get some film!

[Liam_Mac]

Great video! Just picked one of these up at a thrift for $10 never heard of it before but it looked interesting. Learned lots about it from this video! I have the one with the “L” marking instead of bulb, was trying to figure out what it meant so thanks for that

[chrishedlund]

Thanks for this posting. I used my Duaflex II 25 years ago and the pictures were cool. I use to shoot 35mm long ago. Going to use my Dualflex Ii again. Needed this info,

[jeffd]

Thanks for posting! I picked up a Duaflex IV outfit brand new in the box with a Kodalite. Can’t wait to try it out. I think it may have been used to shoot the one roll of film that came with the camera. This was also left in the box. I’m wondering if it might be worth the effort to have it processed.

[bhadghuy]

Thanks for this excelent video. Please, what are the shutter speeds ? like.

[DavidSdeLis]

Nice video. I just got an L model with painted Kodak logo in a rather good shape, straps and tripod shoe included. It's a gift for my father, who has several medium and large format cameras... With luck, he has some 120 rolls around, or he can make his own 620 and have some fun with this... :-) Cheers!

[adrielrowley]

Thank you David for putting this out there. Nice seeing the kind of images it can produce, shot a roll of Velvia, life happened, and now labs are no longer developing C6. Nothing important, though saving up for the C6 kit and do it at home (also have a 135 roll Dad shot in the 1980s that some reason didn't get developed). Hopefully keep selling the developer, love the look of Ektachrome (Fuji is pulling out of film so no point falling in love with a film that will soon be gone).

Going to slightly disagree, if don't mind? This is a TLR, though not a full TLR with focusing ability which is connected to both the lenses. In the UK, they had a single lens point and shoot with a fake view lens, so strange. Also, not sure a 620 camera can be called a toy, 127 or 135 be less cost. My Great Aunt used hers as an everyday camera until some point ended up in the closet. Then she heard I was interested in photography, pulled it out, packed it on the long trip to see her sister, and gave it to me on arrival. Dad was a Physicist and used it to show me how lenses and cameras worked. Back then, 620 film was no longer sold and the easy days of the internet mentioned how to use 120 film, later, my High School teacher didn't either. Eventually, found out about sanding down the spools, though yes, re-winding be the best option.

[saraih]

very nice clear video ! love it been looking into getting one of these for a while

[mkshffr]

Somewhere I have one of these with the adjustable f-stop and flash holder. To use an electronic flash one should be able to rig up an electronic delay circuit fairly cheaply. Some day I hope to get the time to play around with it.

[LaceyCecilia]

I just inherited one of these and had no idea where to start... thank you! Would you recommend a 35mm to 620 spool adapter? I’m finding those all over the internet but not sure how I feel about it without hearing a review from someone!

[martyjoseph]

I grew up using one of these. After we got a new Instamatic 110 it just sat for the last 45 years, with its flash bulbs and an original Polaroid