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 Robot Royal 18 is a West German 35mm camera produced by Otto Berning & Co. of Dusseldorf, introduced around 1955 as part of the Robot Royal series. Like all Robot cameras, its defining feature is an internal clockwork spring motor that automatically advances the film and re-tensions the shutter after each exposure, enabling rapid sequential shooting without manual lever or knob operation between frames.
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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About this camera
A spring-motor German 35mm camera from 1955, shooting 18x24mm or 24x24mm square frames with rapid sequential capability.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm, ~18x24mm or 24x24mm square frames |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Schneider Xenar 38mm f/2.8 (or similar) |
| Year introduced | ~1955 |
| Shutter | Leaf: 1s - 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | ~ |
| Meter | None |
| Film advance | Spring-motor automatic, ~12 frames per wind |
| Viewfinder | Optical direct-vision |
| Battery | None |
Otto Berning & Co. introduced the first Robot camera in 1934, creating a new category: the spring-motor 35mm camera capable of rapid sequential exposures. Early Robot models used a 24x24mm square format to maximise frame count on standard 35mm stock.
The Robot Royal series, introduced in the early 1950s, represented a significant upmarket step from the Robot II and Robot Star lines. The Royal incorporated a more refined body design and was offered in two frame-size variants: the Royal 18 (smaller frame, higher frame count) and the Royal 36 (24x36mm full frame).
By 1955, Robot cameras had established a strong reputation in scientific photography, industrial inspection, surveillance, and as press cameras in situations requiring rapid sequential coverage. The Dusseldorf police and several German government agencies were known users of Robot equipment in the postwar period.
A successor Royal 36 eventually became the dominant variant as the full 24x36mm frame became standard for professional 35mm work.
The Robot Royal 18 belongs to a line of cameras that essentially invented rapid-sequence amateur and professional 35mm photography. The spring-motor concept -- wind once, shoot a burst -- anticipates the motor drives that Nikon, Canon, and others would not attach to SLR bodies until the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1955, no other compact camera offered comparable sequential capability.
The square 18x24mm or 24x24mm frame format has acquired renewed interest among film photographers attracted to square composition without the bulk of a medium-format TLR. Robot cameras produce a distinctive square image that requires no cropping and fills the frame symmetrically regardless of camera orientation.
The Berning Robot line was also adopted by the West German Bundeswehr and by scientific institutions for data recording and aerial reconnaissance applications, giving it a practical pedigree beyond the enthusiast market. This institutional use drove continued production refinements through the 1960s.
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.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Otto Berning & Co. Royal 18
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