Tony Kemplen On The...Kodak Brownie Starmatic

This Brownie was not only simplistic, but it was also the first model to feature auto exposure

Kodak first used the name Brownie in 1900, and in the decades that followed, vast numbers of different models were made and sold in Britain and the USA. For the most part the Brownies were ultra simple, but there were a few exceptions to this rule. With the increasing popularity and affordability of colour film in the post-war years, accurate exposure became more important. I suspect that disappointment with muddy, underexposed photos was a regular occurrence, and Kodak sought to address this by adding an element of exposure control.

Simplistic, yes; simple, no