Instamatic M6 help

[Noah Wilson]

Earlier today I purchased a Kodak Instamatic M6 Super movie camera. It is missing the battery and the cover for the meter, and I am unsure of what battery it runs. I put 3 batteries into the pack on the bottom, and put a cartridge of film on it, and as dumb as it sounds, I have no idea how to turn it on. I tried pressing the trigger, but nothing happens. Is it because I do not have a battery in the meter? And if so, what is the battery I need for it?

[Martin Baumgarten]

Sadly, the KODAK Instamatic M6 suffers from the same problem as most of their Super 8mm cameras (with the exception of the M2 and M4 models) and Carousel slide projectors do, the darn neoprene drive gear.....it just crumbles to crud after a couple decades or more. So even if the camera will run, it generally won't transport a complete cartridge before the gear falls apart now with it being more than 40 years old. The meter batteries only run the built in light meter, and aren't needed to run the main camera. There is an on switch, and then the trigger. Also, common is light corrosion on the electrical contacts due to severe age on these also preventing them from running. I had considered getting custom gears made for the better model KODAK cameras, and now with 3D printers it might be lower cost and easier. However, there is still the labor issue of tearing a camera down and building it back together and servicing anything else needed while in there. The cost is too high, and better spent on the nice variety of higher end Super 8mm cameras that are more usable.