C41
Kodak Gold 200
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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The Univex Iris is a miniature Bakelite camera introduced by the Universal Camera Corporation of New York around 1938. It was designed to use Univex No. 00 roll film - a proprietary format specific to Universal's camera line, not compatible with 35mm or any standard format. The Iris is a genuinely small camera, meant to fit in a coat pocket, with a simple fixed-focus lens, a basic leaf shutter, and no exposure meter. Universal Camera Corporation sold cameras at aggressively low prices and made its margins on proprietary film sales, a business model that constrained the Univex line's longevity once supply chains were disrupted by World War II.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
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
A tiny 1938 American Bakelite miniature camera using proprietary Univex roll film.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | Univex No. 00 roll film (proprietary) |
| Frame size | ~28mm (approximate, small format) |
| Lens | Fixed-focus meniscus, ~28mm equivalent |
| Shutter | Single-speed leaf, speed unverified |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Fixed |
| Battery | None |
| Body | Bakelite |
| Viewfinder | Optical direct-vision |
Universal Camera Corporation was founded in New York in the early 1930s and built its business on inexpensive Bakelite cameras sold through department stores and dime stores at prices below competing American and imported cameras. The company's strategy centered on proprietary film formats (Univex No. 00 film) which created a recurring revenue stream from consumables.
The Iris appeared in 1938 as part of Universal's effort to offer a stylish, compact miniature camera to the growing market of American consumers who wanted something smaller and more pocketable than the standard roll-film box cameras of the period. The name "Iris" referred to its small, iris-like aperture and the general aesthetic ambition of the product - it was marketed as a fashionable accessory as much as a photographic instrument.
Universal Camera Corporation's production was severely disrupted by World War II. The company converted to war production, and its consumer camera lines - including the Iris - appear to have been discontinued by the early 1940s. The reliance on proprietary Univex film meant that when film production stopped, the cameras became unfunctional without re-spooling improvised film stock.
The Univex Iris represents the American market for miniature novelty cameras in the late 1930s - a period when "miniature camera" photography was fashionable and camera manufacturers competed to offer the smallest, most pocketable designs at accessible prices. Universal Camera Corporation occupied a distinct niche below even the bargain-tier Argus products, targeting consumers who wanted the idea of a camera as much as a functional photographic tool.
The proprietary Univex film format is the camera's most significant historical footnote: it illustrates the risks of building a camera ecosystem around proprietary consumables. When Universal's wartime production disrupted film manufacturing, the cameras became functionally obsolete far more completely than competitors using standard formats. The Iris survives today primarily as a display piece; shooting with one requires creative improvisation with respooled film stock.
The camera also contributes to the broader design history of Bakelite miniatures. Its compact, streamlined shape reflects the American industrial design aesthetics of the late 1930s - influenced by streamlining, shaped by cost constraints, and intended to read as modern rather than utilitarian.
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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 Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Universal Camera Corporation Iris
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