History and use of the Estes AstroCam 110

Summary

UPDATE: MAY 2020--NEW PHOTOS ADDED THAT WERE RECENTLY FOUND IN MY LIBRARYAnyone younger than age 25 or 30 probably doesn't remember much about the chemical-photography days thanks to the proliferation of digital technology. Prior to digital cameras, a Polaroid camera was the only way to get an instant picture, but those prints cost several times that of a typical photo print. The biggest downside to traditional film was that you always had to wait a few days for processing. Prior to digital cameras, you could stand out in front of the Fotomat singing, "Someday, my prints will come." You younger folks can just be glad you don't know what a Fotomat is. Estes' first rocketry camera, the Camroc as it appeared in their 1970 catalog. Very bad things would happen if that second stage motor didn't ignite. The "Sensational" AstroCam 110 Aerial Camera makes its debut as Estes' feature product for 1979. That's a lot of aerial imaging technology for $15.00 in that period! The box for the original AstroCam 110 had a rainbow at the border to emphasize the brand-new use of color film. The previous Estes still-camera, the Camroc, only took black-and-white photos. While pursuing my rocketry and model building hobbies, I developed my own photography skills, eventually building a darkroom in our basement where I developed my own film and made my own prints. I was very interested in combining rocketry and photography by taking photos from my own rocket. In the early 1970's when I began in rocketry, Estes Industries made their Camroc, which could take one round black-and-white photo per flight. Or, you could buy the Cineroc, which could take a semi-slow motion movie of a rocket flight with Super-8 film! The Beta Series (second release) parts page from the instructions. The mirror housing was pre-assembled, and lens was installed. You had to do this yourself for the original release from 1979-1992. Estes debuted the Camroc in 1965, giving it a number of pages in the catalog. Its design r...