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Kodak Instamatic 56X: manual and user guide

A Kodak that takes 126 cartridges and Magicube flashes, no battery needed. Its original manual, then the essentials for using it.

Original manual kept by Collection Appareils, Sylvain Halgand’s collector’s site. The link opens its page, where you can read it online.

Getting started

Film It takes Kodak film in 126 cartridges. The manual mentions Kodacolor II for colour, Verichrome Pan for black and white, and Kodachrome-X or Ektachrome-X for slides.
Loading Open the camera, put in the cartridge and close it. Keeping your fingers away from the shutter button, push the advance lever all the way, several times, without stopping at the click, until it locks: about 12 times.
Your first photo Don’t let the sun shine directly on the lens, and stay at least 1.20 m from your subject. Hold the camera right up to your eye, frame with a margin around the subject and press the shutter button without moving.
Next frame Keeping your fingers away from the shutter button, push the lever until it locks, a little more than one stroke, ignoring the click. The numbers in the window are only there to count the frames.
Unloading After the last frame, work the lever until all the yellow paper has gone past the window. Take out the cartridge and send it off for developing.

It only takes type X Magicubes: other flashcubes can’t be used. No battery is needed.
Stand between 1.20 m and 2.70 m from your subject, frame in the viewfinder and take the picture. A Magicube gives 4 flash shots, then you take it off and throw it away.
The cube turns when you work the advance lever. By hand, only turn it anticlockwise, as the arrow shows.
A partly used cube can be used again later. If a spent bulb is facing forwards, a signal appears in the viewfinder: turn the cube by hand to a fresh bulb.

The manual suggests a few test shots, outdoors and then with the flash indoors, to get used to the camera before taking important photos.
With the lever, never stop at the click: go all the way until it locks, both when loading and between frames.
The manual recommends a Kodak bag to protect the camera.

Format: 126 film in Kodak cartridges
Films mentioned: Kodacolor II (colour), Verichrome Pan (black and white), Kodachrome-X and Ektachrome-X (slides)
Shooting distance: at least 1.20 m, with flash from 1.20 m to 2.70 m
Flash: type X Magicube only, 4 flashes per cube, spent-bulb signal in the viewfinder
Film advance: lever, frame counter in a window
Power: no battery