davidd's A Doll A Day 2019

[davidd]

And I love her camera - much nicer than the plastic one I have for the dolls.

I got tired of having cheap-looking cameras for my dollie crew, and I didn't want to spend $60 or more for a fancy 1/3 scale miniature Canon camera. Then I discovered these vintage "Speedex" cameras. They are real cameras, called "sub-miniature cameras" or sometimes "spy cameras," that were manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s and used film. These camera were marketed under a variety of brand names, including Speedex, Crystar, and HIT. The size works well for the 1:3 scale Smart Dolls and 1:4 scale dolls like Mauldynne. It takes some searching and some patience, but they do occasionally sell on eBay for between $10 and $15 USD. (Some sellers ask outrageous "rare and antique" prices, but I just found a Crystar on eBay for $4 USD plus $3 shipping.) 

For 1:6 scale dolls I have purchased a couple of Tammy doll cameras from the 1960s. They are made of metal and are very detailed, and work nicely for most 1:6 scale figures. eBay prices tend to run in the $10 to $20 USD range. Search for Tammy doll camera or IDEAL Tammy camera.

I have not yet found a camera that works particularly well with Pullip dolls. The Tammy camera comes close, but because Pullips have 1:6 scale bodies but heads that are closer to 1:4 or 1:3 (I put Pullip hats on Smart Dolls), it has been challenging finding a camera in a scale that looks right with Pullips.

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20 December – Kenna and Maudlynne discuss film photography