Kamachi 2000N: A Plastic Bomber from Japan

Some time ago I visited a clear market in my hometown. The camera selection didn’t satisfy me at first, but then I found something special: The Kamachi 2000N!

Credits: dopa

The Kamachi 2000N is a plastic camera from Japan, created around the year 2000. The manufacturer Ouyama sold the camera via brand of Kamachi (かまち) first on the Japanese market and later also on the German market. Nearly the same cameras were available around the turn of the millennium for less than 10DM under names such as Nippon AR 4392F, Ouyama 2000N or PEARL P-1. In the set with Flash, I got the apparently unused camera for €5. You can find unused sets on the Internet with camera, flash, strap and stand under the name “Professional Camera-Set” for about €10.

I noticed the light weight of the camera the first time I held it. Although the camera makes a solid impression, I quickly realized that every part of it is plastic. The 50mm fixed-focus or “Focus-free” lens consists of 100% plastic like the aperture, the film transport and everything else.

The camera has the aperture f/6.3 (cloudy), f/8 (partly cloudy), f/11(mostly sunny) and f/16 (sunny), which can be adjusted by turning the lens. Four different, colored pictograms represent the settings. A small plaque shows the recommended setting for a 100 and 400 ISO film. If the light is not sufficient, you can use either flash from the set or any other hotshoe flash to illuminate your subject. Unfortunately, the coupling of the film transport and shutter prevents planned multiple exposures.

I made the first test shots on a slightly cloudy day in our neighborhood. Here, I used a Kodak Ektar 100 and consistently had the aperture to f/8.

Credits: dopa

The Kamachi 2000N is a nice low-budget supplement for anyone who is looking for company for his toy cameras such as the Diana or “Holga”: http://shop.lomography.com/cameras/holga-cameras. If it gets enough light, it can make beautiful lomographic pictures in which another image error creeps in from time to time.

written by dopa on 2013-12-06 #gear #review #japan #plastikkamera #kamachi #kamachi-2000n
translated by dopa

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