Flash Cubes: Say Cheese!

Photography flash cubes were innovative accessories for film cameras in the 1960s-1970s. Compact and user-friendly, these devices revolutionized low-light photography. With four synchronized bulbs, they emitted a burst of light, enhancing exposure. Despite their vintage charm, advances in technology have rendered them obsolete in the digital age.

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Flash Cube Specs

A photography flash is a brief burst of light, typically lasting 1⁄1000 to 1⁄200 of a second, with a color temperature of around 5,500 K. Its main purpose is to illuminate dark scenes, capture fast-moving objects, or alter light quality. Modern electronic flash units, integrated or external, are common in cameras, activated automatically in many cases. Professional setups use standalone units or studio strobes, synchronized via cables, radio signals, or light triggering. Flash technology has evolved from single-use flashbulbs to electronic units in contemporary cameras.

Eastman Kodak

In 1965, Eastman Kodak replaced early Instamatic camera flashbulbs with Sylvania Electric Products’ Flashcube. This module featured four expendable flashbulbs arranged at 90° angles, mounted atop the camera. After each exposure, the film advance rotated the flashcube to a fresh bulb, enabling four rapid-succession images before replacement.

General Electric’s later Magicube (X-Cube) retained the four-bulb format but didn’t require electrical power. Unlike the original Flashcube, Magicube used cocked wire springs to set off each bulb, with a fulminate-ignited primer tube. A key or paper clip could manually trigger it. Flashbar and Flipflash were other flashbulb-based devices providing multiple flashes. Flipflash, with bulbs in a vertical array, prevented red-eye and required flipping for continued use. In many Flipflash cameras, piezoelectric crystals generated electrical currents to ignite bulbs with a spring-loaded striker.

What Happened to Flashcubes?

Flash cubes became obsolete due to advancements in electronic flash technology. Modern cameras integrate electronic flash units, rendering the disposable flash cube’s limited functionality and environmental impact obsolete in the digital age.

Flash Cube Trivia

• Flash cubes were introduced in 1965 by Sylvania Electric Products for Kodak’s Instamatic cameras.
• Each cube had four flashbulbs mounted at 90° angles for synchronized bursts.
• Magicube by General Electric, a later version, didn’t require electrical power.
• Magicubes used cocked wire springs to ignite bulbs manually if needed.
• Flash cubes were not interchangeable with the later Magicube or X-Cube.
• Flipflash and Flashbar were alternatives, providing multiple flashes.
• Flipflash had to be flipped over to use the remaining bulbs.
• Flash cubes became obsolete with the rise of electronic flash technology.
• Modern cameras automatically activate integrated electronic flash units, eliminating the need for disposable flash cubes.
• Flipflash prevented red-eye by placing bulbs in a vertical array.

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