Kodak Brownie Pliants Six-20 and Six-16English via OCR and translate User manual

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR
 Folding "Brownie" Cameras


      Six-20 and Six-16
         Translated via OCR and Google
             Only took 2 ½ hours !

Brownie Folding Cameras
                   Six-20 and Six-16
                      Kodak-Pathé S.A.F. 39,
            Avenue Montaigne and 17, Rue François-1er
                                    Paris

Retail Stores:

LYON: 26, rue de la République. -
NICE: 13, avenue de la Victoire. -
MARSEILLE: 37, rue Saint-Ferréol.
CANNES: 1, rue du Maréchal-Foch. -
BORDEAUX: 2, Place de Tourny.
ALGIERS: 48, rue d'Isly.

Kodak Limited 43, Stassart Street, BRUSSELS
Retail Stores: SS, Neuve Street, 21,
Avenue de la Toison d'Or BRUSSELS

Kodak S.A., LAUSANNE. '! 1, r. of the Confederacy.
GENEVA f.' Kodak (Egypt) S.A., :!0,
Maghraby Sharia And CAIRE.

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         The "Brownie" Folding Six-20





                                        Digitally signed by Mike ButkusMike                DN: cn=Mike Butkus, o,
                                  ou=Butkus.org,
                                 email=mike@butkus.org, c=US
                                   Date: 2025.12.23 19:56:26 -05'00'Butkus





1. Back lock.                                5. Objective lens.
2. Closing hook on the support.          G. Viseur.
3. Small board.                             7. Tripod mounting screw.
4. Shutter.                                  8. Support arm.
                                             9. Winding key.


A - Speed indicator.
B - Disc controlling the diaphragms.
C - Shutter exposure lever.

Important Before loading the camera and taking photographs, carefully read the
following instructions. Pay particular attention to the shutter operation. During
loading and unloading, carefully keep the protective paper tightly wrapped around
the film spool to protect it from light.

The camera can be loaded or unloaded in daylight. However, these operations
should be performed in dim light, not in direct sunlight.

LOADING

Use spool No. 620 for the "Brownie"
Folding Six-20 and spool No. 616 for the
"Brownie" Folding.

Push the locking button in the direction
of the arrow. Open the back of the
device.



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Lift the nearest reel holder from the hinged back of the camera and place the
blank film reel inside.
Ensure that The word "TOP" printed on the paper is located on the opposite side
to the winding key. Tear off the adhesive label that surrounds the spool and pass
the protective paper over the two rollers. Insert the end of the paper as far as
possible into the longer side of the slot in the empty spool's axle.





                                                                                  PG 4

Give the key one or two turns to wrap a little paper around it and
make sure it engages properly.





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To close the back: press it until the spring-loaded lock closes by itself with a slight
click.
After pushing the small disc located on the back of the

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the device, turn the winding key, while carefully observing the window in the back.





PG 6

After a few turns, a hand appears. Then turn more slowly.





Continue until number 1 is centered in the window.
The film is now in place for the first exposure.
After each exposure, be sure to wind the film.





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PG 7

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After a few turns, red appears. Then turn more with one hand slowly





Continue until number 1 is exactly in the center of the window.
The film is now in place for the first exposure.
After each exposure, be sure to wind the film.
(This is correct if using 620 film. A 616 camera uses a larger image size, so
the 120 film number on that kind of camera does not align correctly.

There are YouTube or classic camera sites that can advise you how to
get decent framing with 616 film’s larger negative.

The film advances and brings the next number into position.
This prevents two images from being superimposed on each other.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

concerning Kodak

panchromatic films





                                     Pg8


The small disc shown in the engraving below, and bearing the inscription "Open
only while winding", is intended for

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Protect the "Kodak" "SuperSensitive Panchromatic" film and the
"Kodak" "Panatomic" film from any light leakage through the red
window.

It must be kept constantly closed . . .





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This applies except during the time required to set a number. To
reveal the window, rotate the dial in the direction of the arrow, as
indicated in the engraving above, and without touching the upper
button.

To open the camera:

Release the locking lever and lower the front panel, as shown in the illustration on
page [page number], until it locks into place.
This brings the lens and shutter into position.
The "Kodo" shutter of the "Brownie" Folding Six-20





A - Index for instantaneous or time exposures.
B - Aperture diaphragm disc.
C - Exposure lever.
Instantaneous – standard picture (I would assume 1/30 sec)

Place index finger A on "I". Rotate disc B by its serrated edge to bring the opening
into position.
(Using ASA 25 film speed apertures are around f/12.5, f/16, f/22, f/32
Any smartphone can get a free or cheap light meter app.
Shutter is 1/30 sec or so. Using the ASA / film speed trick in bright
sunlight, ASA 25 film should be 1/25 sec shutter at F/16.
You still need 616 film (if that is the camera) or 120 onto a 620 roll or other
tricks. A 120 roll can be “sized” to fit a 620 camera.
There are adapters that say they work on 616 but the numbers
on the 120 film will not match in the red window.)

Pg 10

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The "Kodak" shutter
of the "Brownie"
Folding Six-16





                       PG 11

Select the correct aperture setting. (See the section "Using the Diaphragms," pages
13 and 14.) The aperture settings are indicated by numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, and
these numbers appear in a circular opening when you rotate disk B.
To take the picture, press lever C once, either up or down. You should hear a slight
click at this point. Move the lever slowly to avoid shaking the camera.

(This camera has NO shutter speed, it is believed to by 1/25 or so) So you can only
adjust the aperture for different lighting. Inside lighting will be tricky with “T” and
either a tripod or on a firm surface.)

Exposure
Place the index mark A in front of the letter "T". Rotate disc B until No. 1, 2, 3, or 4
appears in the circular opening. See instructions on pages 13, 14, 25, 26, and 30.
Press lever C until you hear a slight click. This opens the shutter. Set the required
exposure time using a watch. Press lever C in the opposite direction. This closes
the shutter. You should never take exposures while holding the camera in your
hand.
IMPORTANT: Never oil the shutter. In case of malfunction, return the camera to
your supplier for repair.
Distance from the subject to the camera (this camera has no focus, it is set)
To obtain a sharp and clear image of the entire subject, the camera should not be
too close to the subject.
The distance between them varies depending on the aperture used (the smaller
the aperture, the shorter the distance).
The table below shows these distances:


 Aperture opening                 Distance to subject
No. 1                       2 m 40 cm and beyond
No. 2                       2 m 1 cm and beyond
No. 3                       1 m 65 cm and beyone
No. 4                       1 m 20cm and beyond





Pg 12

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The diagram below shows the relative exposure times required for the same
subject with different apertures.





(So No. 1 is the widest aperture… shorter DOF.
No. 4 has the smallest aperture but greater DOF (Depth of Field – more in focus)
Remember, the film speeds were ASA 20 at that time.
Use of diaphragms

The diaphragm openings (or, more simply, "the apertures") control the amount of
light that passes through the lens and strikes the film. The size of the openings is
increased or decreased by turning the toothed disc B, see page 10 or 11. Each
opening has an area equal to half the area of the next larger opening (indicated by
a lower number) and admits approximately half as much light. Opening No. 1 is the
largest.

No. 1. - Used for all ordinary outdoor scenes, such as close-up landscapes showing
little or no sky, groups and street scenes, and moving subjects, when the subject is
in bright sunlight and the shutter is set to instantaneous.





Pg 13

For indoor shots, see the tables on pages 25 and 26.

No. 2. - For ordinary landscapes with sky and a main subject in the foreground; for
all close-up scenes by the sea or on the water, with the shutter set to
instantaneous. For indoor shots whose exposure times are given in the table on
page 25.

No. 3. - For instantaneous photography of distant scenes, beach scenes, seascapes,
scenes without prominent or dark subjects in the foreground, and for
photographing clouds in bright sunlight. For indoor posed shots, see pages 25 and
26, and for outdoor posed shots in cloudy weather, see page 30. For outdoor
portraits, see page 28.

No. 4. - For indoor shots and for outdoor shots in cloudy weather, see pages 25, 26
and 30. Never use this aperture for instantaneous exposures. Failure will result if
you use aperture No. 4 for instantaneous exposures. The smaller the diaphragm
aperture used, the sharper the close-up objects will be.





Pg 14

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All exposure times given for outdoor subjects should be applied during the hours
between 2 1/2 hours after sunrise and 2 1/2 hours before sunset. If it is earlier or
later, a longer exposure is required. However, when using Kodak Verichrome film,
(differnet ASA 10-25) at that time good results can be obtained by shooting from
one hour after sunrise until one hour before sunset. For subjects in the shade,
under porches or trees, a longer exposure is necessary (see page 29). In this case,
place the camera on a tripod or other firm support. Never hold it in your hands.
The Viewfinder

The viewfinder shows, on a very reduced scale, the exact part of the scene being
photographed that will appear in the image. (that tiny box on the top). For
sideways shots [landscape], that viewfinder should turn)

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When taking snapshots, hold the camera firmly against your body,
as shown in the figure above. When pressing the shutter release,
hold your breath for a moment.
If the camera is moved during the exposure, the image will be
blurred.




Pg 16

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The viewfinder can be easily rotated and used for either vertical or
horizontal shots. Look through the viewfinder directly above its
center and frame the subject by turning slightly to the right or left:
see the illustration on page 16.

To take a vertical shot, hold the camera as shown in the figure on
page 15. Only the white part of the diagram opposite will appear in
the image.





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To take a horizontal shot, rotate the viewfinder and hold the
camera like this is shown in the previous figure. Only the white
part of the diagram shown opposite will appear in the final image.



Pg 17

Taking instant photographs
To take instant photographs, the subject, not the camera, must be
abundantly lit by the sun. The sun should be at a three-quarter
angle or behind the photographer. If it were in front of the lens,
the photograph would be overexposed, as the lighting would be
too intense.
Instructions regarding portraits are given on pages 27 to 29.





Hold the camera level. The Folding Brownie must be held level. If
it is impossible to include the entire subject in the viewfinder,
move back until, with the camera held level, the entire subject
appears in the viewfinder. If the subject is below the height





Pg 18