Flash needed for Thomas camera

[Fionn]

A friend boughr ds a Thomas camera for his birthday. I assumed it had a built-in flash, but it doesn't. I remember flash cubes in the 1970s and thought this would work, but received blank looks in Boots and Dixons when I asked for them. Jessops suggested an £8 flash thing (you can tell photographic terms are not my speciality!) but I thought that seemed pricey as the camera probably only cost that. Can anyone help? Thank.

I think those flash cubes only fitted on Instamatics, Fionn, and they don't make them any more (they had a special hole on top that the cubes clicked into).

Does the camera even have a place to put a flash thing? If not you can only really use it out of doors, or indoors in bright light if you get that 400 film. (Why do manufacturers do things like this? Where do they think kids are going to take pictures?)

It does have a slot for a flash cube - ds had same camera for his birthday. I assume therefore that you can still get the cubes somewhere - but I have searched without luck since September.

snugs, when you say a slot, does it have a tiny runner each side or just a little hole? If it has the runners then it will take a flash gun (that's what they're called, it just came to me!).

Sounds a bit complicated for a Thomas aged child though.

janh - its the runners. I presume a flash gun is what Jessops offered to Fionn but as she said it is pricey in comparison to the cost of the camera, plus I doubt it would really get used enough.

Luckily for me, ds seems quite happy that 'Thomas' only works outside.

Sorry Fionn, we haven't helped much.

A belated thank you for your comments. At least I know it's not just me. Problem is I never remember to take the camera out on a sunny day so ds always asks for it when we're inside and it's raining!

Fionn, I think you need the £8 flash thing....