Kodak Brownie Bull’s-Eye

(1954-1960) The Brownie Bull’s-Eye was a sturdy Bakelite box camera made by Kodak between 1954 and 1960. It shot eight 6x9 cm photos on 620 film and was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey—the same guy behind the popular Brownie Hawkeye and Star series. His design style is easy to recognize if you’re familiar with Kodaks from that era.

There were two color versions: black with light grey controls (1954–1958) and a beige “gold” with black controls (1957–1960). It often came in a kit with a small “Midget” flashgun that used AA batteries and M-type flashbulbs—same flash as the Hawkeye Flash.

The Bull’s-Eye was a step up from the Hawkeye. It had a more solid build, a two-element “Twindar” lens with zone focusing (from 4 ft to infinity), and a few design upgrades like a metal faceplate and a film-advance system that locks the shutter after each shot—helping avoid accidental double exposures. A red lightning-bolt symbol in the viewfinder tells you when it's time to wind.

Controls are all on the right side, with a "Long"/"Instant" exposure switch near the lens and flash contacts on the left. It has strap lugs, a tripod mount, and can use trimmed 120 film spools—but not full-sized ones like the Hawkeye can.

In short, the Bull’s-Eye was a more advanced, heavier-duty sibling to the Hawkeye, built for casual photographers who wanted something just a bit better.