I don’t know for sure, because I wasn’t there. But I’ll bet that when Kodak introduced its VR35 line of 35mm point-and-shoot cameras in 1986, it was after someone in the Eastman Kodak board room said, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Point-and-shoot 35mm cameras had come on the scene, and they were eating into Kodak’s Instamatic business. Kodak turned to Japanese cameramaker Chinon for manufacturing help. Out came a capable, if chunky, line of cameras. The Kodak VR35 K12 was the second best camera in the series.

Kodak VR35 K12

At the top of the line was the VR35 K14, which offered only a date back over the K12. Mike Eckman reviewed that camera at length on his site; see it here. This is a well-specified point-and-shoot camera with a 35mm f/2.8 four-element Tessar-design lens at its centerpiece. You can’t go wrong with a Tessar! It also features auto exposure, infrared auto focus, a popup flash with fill and night modes, and a motor drive. This point-and-shoot ain’t messing around.

Kodak VR35 K12

The lens cover doubles as the flash, and because it opens so wide it separates the flash from the body for better results. It does look strange when open, though.

Kodak VR35 K12

This camera is large, as point-and-shoots go. Its body is about the same size as an SLR, minus the pentaprism. But it’s far lighter than an average SLR. It’s also obviously far less complicated to use: just frame and press the button on the top plate. The camera does the rest.

Kodak VR35 K12

The camera even winds the film for you with its loud winder. Loud winders were typical of the genre in the 35mm point-and-shoot’s early days. The VR35 K12 even does most of the work of loading the film: insert the cartridge and pull the leader across to the yellow mark, close the door, and lift up the lens cover. After a cacophony of whirs and clicks, you’re ready to go. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when the green FILM RUN light blinks. When you reach the end of the roll, the VR35 K12 rewinds the film for you.

The VR35 K12 reads the DX code on your film, but recognizes only films that consumers commonly used in those days: ISO 100, 200, 400, and 1000. If there’s no DX code, or the DX code is for a speed the camera can’t recognize, the camera uses ISO 100. You can’t adjust ISO or exposure.

Autofocus appears to operate in three zones: portrait, group, and landscape. I don’t know what distances those zones represent. Press the shutter button down halfway to focus and the rest of the way to fire the shutter. The camera focuses within the frame marks just above the center of the viewfinder. If your subject is not within those frame marks, place it there and press the shutter button down halfway to focus. Then holding that button down, compose your shot as you want and press the button the rest of the way. Also, in a rare and very nice feature, if the subject is too close the portrait symbol blinks in the viewfinder. I can’t tell you how many point-and-shoot cameras don’t have a feature like this and you are left to guess distance when shooting close.

If you press and hold the shutter button, the camera fires every two seconds.

The flash fires whenever the camera thinks flash is needed, and you can’t turn it off. I found its flash sensor to be pretty decent, only once firing the flash in a situation where I wouldn’t want it. There’s also a manual fill flash feature. When your subject is darker than the background, slide and hold the Fill Flash switch on the camera’s front while you press the shutter button.

The VR35 K12 doesn’t work without a battery. The camera was intended to use Kodak’s proprietary Ultralite battery, which is out of production. Fortunately, it also runs on a standard 9-volt battery. I had one in the fridge that I bought a couple years ago that was still well within its best-by date, but my VR35 K12 didn’t work with it. I bought a fresh battery and all was well.

By the way, if you like compact 35mm point-and-shoot cameras, check out my reviews of the Kodak VR35 K40, the Canon Snappy 50, the Canon AF35ML, the Yashica T2, the Olympus Stylus, the Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80, and the Minolta AF-Sv. You can also have a look at every camera I’ve ever reviewed here.

These cameras are meant for consumer color films, but I shot black-and-white in it anyway. I have some 12-exposure rolls of Ultrafine Extreme 400 that I use when I’m not fully sure of a camera’s functioning, because the film was inexpensive and I don’t feel like I’ve lost much if a roll doesn’t work out. I’m not sure why I felt hinky about this camera, but I did. I shouldn’t have worried. Here’s my wife and our granddaughter. Notice how the flash lights the scene evenly, even this close.

Bubbles

A few photos on the roll (that I’m not showing you) suffered from mild camera shake. I found the shutter button sometimes stiff, which probably caused the shake. Here’s an alleyway in Lebanon, Indiana.

As seen in an alleyway

The winder shrieks as it advances frames. That’s typical of point-and-shoots of this era but it sure is a jarring sound. Here’s the fountain in front of the library in Thorntown, Indiana. I developed this film in Ilford ID-11, by the way.

Thorntown Library statue

I kept going with a roll of Fujicolor 200. Check out that slightly blurred background when I focused on these potted flowers. This is about as close as you can get to a subject.

Potted flowers

Ellison Brewery is a two-minute walk from my Downtown Indianapolis office and makes for a nice, colorful subject.

Ellison's

I made this photo inside my company’s offices with no flash. The VR35 K12 handled this available-light situation just fine.

Paper lamp

My ideal walking-around point-and-shoot fits in the palm of my hand. That was so not the VR35 K12. Thankfully, its long strap let me sling it over my shoulder. It’s not heavy to carry. That’s my company’s building behind this Jeep Cherokee, which is always exactly right in this spot.

Cherokee

The lens delivers good sharpness and detail.

Kilroy's

To see more from this camera, check out my Kodak VR35 K12 gallery.

I didn’t love the Kodak VR35 K12. The Kodak VR35 K40 I used to own had a slower lens and was fixed focus, but was a little smaller and easier to hold. I preferred it. Yet the VR35 K12 returned plenty of interesting images for me. In 1986, this camera would have been a great choice. It’s still not a bad choice, especially given that you can buy these for 20 bucks.

If you like old film cameras, check out all of my reviews here!
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Comments

15 responses to “Kodak VR35 K12”

  1. J P Avatar

    I don’t remember these at all. It seems like Kodak should have owned the point-and-shoot market, but I can remember how these small 35s seemed more attractive with Japanese names.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      You’re right, Kodak should have owned this market! But the Japanese won that battle.

  2. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    Seems like a serviceable camera, but let’s face it, too little too late. Kodak tried to push those horrible disc cameras way too long when even amateur consumers had decided that 35mm was about as small as they wanted to go for quality! Physical size wise, it probably wasn’t that big for the era. I remember having a Nikon point-and-shoot in the late 80’s that would have been difficult if impossible to get into a pocket. Hard to believe, but the Olympus Stylist didn’t happen until the 90’s, and basically crushed it for size, quality, close-focus, and dependability. I still have two packed up somewhere…

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Kodak had its head pretty far up its butt in those days, to be sure.

      I just got done with a roll in my Olympus Stylus. It’s a lovely little camera.

    2. adventurepdx Avatar

      Don’t forget about the Olympus XA series, which preceded that (and the Kodak in this post). Yeah, it wasn’t auto focus and required an add-on flash, but there was already a very compact 35mm camera by the time the Kodak VR35 K12 came around.

  3. Joe shoots resurrected cameras Avatar

    They kept that basic design a while, when I was a kid I had a Kodak Cameo from the mid-’90s with the same layout, just more rounded.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Yes, I know the camera you’re talking about. The elevated flash looks weird but I’m sure it is helpful for lighting things more evenly.

      1. Andy Umbo Avatar
        Andy Umbo

        Actually, the flash that far away, eliminated “red-eye” problems! When the flash was too close to the lens, the flash actually went into the subjects eye and bounced around and lit them up “red”. Kodak solved that problem here!

  4. bodegabayf2 Avatar

    I know there are a lot of people who love these 35mm compact point and shoots, but I just can’t get excited about them. I give you credit for coaxing some pleasing images out of yours though!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I wouldn’t want to make a steady diet of these, but they’re fun to try.

  5. marcusterrypeddle Avatar

    I wouldn’t have guessed the flash went off in the first photograph. That’s impressive.

  6. tbm3fan Avatar
    tbm3fan

    Clunky is right. How something that ugly managed to get the Ok to be produced is beyond me. There is no reason why the camera had to emulate the boxy styling of the 1986 Crown Victoria.

  7. damiancoDamian Avatar
    damiancoDamian

    I have one of this in mint condition. My childhood photos were taken with the K12

  8. BigintheD Avatar
    BigintheD

    I had one of these in high school when they were introduced. Great little camera and I was a camera hog during this time and never had an issue with it. Someone stole it after a few months and I never replaced it. Would love to get another one and show my son(he’s into photography as well) but you really can’t buy film for it anymore can you? That’s my only hangup.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      You can totally buy film for it. It’s just 35mm film. Your local CVS might have some in the photo area. Color film is stupid expensive these days, however. You can buy film online, too; bhphotovideo.com is a good place. You can use online labs like The Darkroom, thedarkroom.com, to develop it.

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