Viva 126

Manufactured: 1970 Lens: Shutter: 1/60, 1/100 Quantity Made: Original List Price: Country of Origin: France Gilles Moreau's No. 101

A slide switch on the front of the Viva 126 selects between two shutter speeds, marked with "sunny" and "flash" symbols. Flash is provided by flashcubes powered by 2 AA batteries. Note that, as on the Mondika XM, the viewfinder is simply a window with no magnification. There were at least 15 different minor variants of this camera, differing mainly in the color of the faceplate, the placement of the name, and the color of the "sunny" and "flash" symbols (red, as on this example, or chrome). One variant had a lens mount threaded for 22 mm filters. The Viva was used as a premium by several companies, including Michelin and Avon. Fex-Indo also sold a belt allowing one to carry a Viva 126, 2 126 film cartridges, 3 flashcubes, and two AA batteries.