C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Konica Mermaid is a waterproof 35mm compact camera introduced by Konica in 1991, designed for underwater and wet-environment photography. It is a fully automatic program-AE camera with autofocus and a fixed lens, sealed against water to a specified depth rating. The Mermaid sits in the category of purpose-built waterproof compacts that became commercially popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s alongside similar offerings from Nikon (Action Touch), Minolta (Weathermatic), and Olympus (Stylus Epic Zoom). It targets casual users wanting to take 35mm film photography at the beach, in rain, or at shallow underwater depths without investing in a dedicated underwater housing.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Konica's 1991 waterproof point-and-shoot compact, rated for underwater use.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm film (36 exposures) |
| Lens | ~ fixed lens (focal length unverified) |
| Focus | Autofocus |
| Exposure | Programmed AE |
| Water resistance | ~ (depth rating unverified) |
| Flash | Built-in |
| Film advance | Motorized |
| Battery | ~ |
The late 1980s saw the introduction of dedicated waterproof compacts as a commercial category, driven by manufacturers recognizing that beach and holiday photography was a large volume use case where traditional cameras were vulnerable to water damage. Konica, which had developed expertise in robust compact cameras through the Big Mini and C35 lines, introduced the Mermaid as its entry in this segment in 1991. The name is an explicit consumer-marketing signal for underwater capability. Konica's waterproof compact line is less extensively documented than Olympus's or Nikon's in this segment, and production history details for the Mermaid specifically are sparse in English-language camera literature.
The Konica Mermaid is a minor product in Konica's 35mm compact history, of primary interest as a period artifact of the waterproof-compact boom of the early 1990s and as a curiosity for collectors assembling Konica compact lines. It is not associated with any significant photographic work or cultural moment. The camera does demonstrate Konica's range in the point-and-shoot category during a period when the company was producing an unusually wide variety of compact form factors -- from the premium Hexar AF to the novelty Tomato and the weather-resistant Genba Kantoku. As functional gear for contemporary film shooters, it offers a straightforward entry into waterproof film photography at a modest price point, with the caveat that 30-year-old rubber seals should always be inspected before trusting any water rating.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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