Updated July 7, 2026
MY FAVORITE FEATURES OF THE KODAK BROWNIE HAWKEYE
SHOOTING 620 FILM IN 2026
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Over the years, I’ve somehow acquired quite a few Brownie and box cameras. One of my favorite things about being a photographer is that people just (literally) drop old cameras off at my doorstep because they don’t know what to do with them. My camera collection is so large now that I’m contemplating building shelves in every room in my house just to display them! Last time I checked I had over 100!
Specifically, the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash Model has always stood out to me because the one I received is in great condition (you should be able to find one on eBay or Etsy if you’re on the hunt for one)! It almost looked like a new camera, even though it’s from the 1950s! The inside of the camera didn’t even have a single speck of dust! So for years, it was calling my name to try it out. I’m not going to lie though, it was intimidating. I thought there was no way I’d be able to figure out how to use it. It turns out, it’s one of the EASIEST cameras to use EVER. It’s essentially a pinhole camera mixed with a Holga. There aren’t any crazy settings or knobs and buttons to deal with. You just look down into the viewfinder, compose your shot, hold as still as possible and click the shutter. It’s that easy. However, there is a lever that you can pull up if you’d like to use the “bulb” setting. Personally, I don’t feel there is a reason to use the bulb setting because the shutter is already quite slow, around 1/30th to 1/60th of a second. That’s why it’s so important to hold the camera as still as possible when taking your photo to avoid motion blur. If you’re interested in shooting in lower light situations, you could always add the flash, which I haven’t tried yet but plan to!
The first time I used my Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, I was headed to Kauai for vacation and decided to just toss it in my bag and try it out when I got there. I purchased two rolls of 620 film on our 2-day stopover in Portland, Oregon from Blue Moon Camera. I watched a quick YouTube video on how to load the film and then just went for it. The film was actually surprisingly easy to load because the inside of the camera has guide-marks for loading. I nervously shot my first roll of film, feeling like there was NO way the images were turning out because of how easy it seemed to just point and shoot. After I returned home, I mailed my film off to my film lab, Citizens Photo, and was SO EXCITED when my film came back, perfectly exposed and beautiful. There is truly no better feeling than getting my film back in the mail.
Recently, I purchased a few more rolls of 620 film from The Film Photography Project and Film For Classics (it’s not cheap, just FYI) and took the film with me to Italy and France! I even used it to capture a few photos on the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I actually have a full blog post about our day at the Amalfi Coast here or you can watch a video about it on my YouTube channel! I’m obsessed with the vintage, foggy style of the images from the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye and I can’t wait to take it with me on my next trip. Lately, I’ve been craving images that are less than perfect and the Hawkeye helps to quench that thirst. If you have a Hawkeye lying around, try it out! It’s so fun. I definitely plan on trying it out with the flash next. :)
MY FAVORITE FEATURES OF THE KODAK BROWNIE HAWKEYE
There are so many things I loved about using the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. I have a handful of stipulations that I’m always looking for in a camera and this one surprisingly covered most of them! I love cameras that can do multiple exposures, and it’s incredibly easy to do with the Brownie Hawkeye. You can read more about multiple exposures and double exposures on my blog here, but essentially it’s just two or more images taken over top of each other. The result is usually a dreamy, surreal photograph with beautiful layers. With the Hawkeye, you just simply take two (or more) images before advancing the film to the next frame. It couldn’t be easier, honestly!
I also love how small and lightweight the camera is because I typically travel with at least 5 or 6 cameras. My camera bag gets incredibly heavy very quickly but the Hawkeye hardly weighs a thing! It’s basically just a hollow plastic shell. It’s also not bulky or oddly shaped, it’s just a simple square and slides right in between my other cameras easily.
While it’s not the sharpest camera out there, I just find it so fun to test out those old vintage cameras and create images that look like they’re from another time period. I like keeping vintage cameras alive and seeing what kind of magic they can create. I also recently tested out a similar camera, the Kodak Duaflex 620, and that one is quite a bit sharper if you’re looking for something with more detail in the images. However, I kind of love the fogginess to the images, it makes them truly feel like they were taken in the 1950s!
I also personally love cameras that take square photos, so the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye just hits so many marks for me! If you’ve been following my work, you know I love the Holga GCFN camera, which also takes square photographs. You’ll only get 12 images per roll, which doesn’t seem like much, but you’d be surprised how much more thoughtful you are about the photos you’re taking. It forces you to slow down and really pay attention to the moment in front of you.
Lastly, I tend to prefer a camera with a flash, and while I haven’t tested a flash out with the Hawkeye yet, I do plan to do that soon! It would definitely help a bit with motion blur and might work a little better on cloudy days.
I’ve included some of my favorite images below that I’ve taken with the Hawkeye so far. You can also check out my full YouTube video about the camera here! It’s hard to say how much longer you’ll be able to readily find 620 film, so make sure to try it out while you can! I feel lucky to live in a time period where I can still try out these old vintage cameras.
If you’re interested in reading more about vintage film cameras, make sure to check out my blog post, 10 Best Film Cameras for Beginner Photographers. :)
WHERE TO BUY A KODAK BROWNIE HAWKEYE CAMERA
SHOP Etsy
SHOP eBay
SHOP Amazon
WHERE TO BUY 620 FILM
SHOP B&H Photo
SHOP Etsy (for vintage 620 film & cameras)
SHOP eBay (for vintage 620 film & cameras)
If you found this post helpful in any way, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing.
If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my B&H Photo storefront & Amazon Storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!
<3 Myles Katherine
