Italy 1946 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Elettra 2 was released by Sirio, a small Italian firm from Florence in 1946, succeeding the very simple Elettra 1 that had been out for only a few months. It is one of the Italian attempts to produce Leica type cameras in the immediate post … Read moreSirio
Elettra 2
Italy 1947 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. Ferrania, was formerly known as SIPE and had been manufacturing dynamite since 1882. In 1917 they started producing celluloid and in 1947 the first european color film. In 1947, they signed an agreement with the renowned optics manufacturer, Officine Galileo, to produce the Condor, their first … Read moreFerrania
Condor 1
France 1945 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. The Lynx II is 127 film camera made from 1945 by the French maker Pontiac (previously known as MFAP, an acronym for Manufacture Française d’Appareils Photographiques). It is a unique and gorgeous device, its cast aluminum body showing an intricate machining made to remind of rows of woven … Read morePontiac
Lynx II – 89/99
Japan 1948 – Subminiature – 16 mm – Rare. The Tone Micro was manufactured by Toko in 1948 At the time, a lot of Japanese manufacturers were producing micro cameras which were mainly intended as toys. The most common production was the Hit type, with which it was hardly possible to take any picture. They … Read moreToko
Tone Micro
France 1945 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. The Derlux is a French camera produced by Gallus immediately after world war II, in 1945. This very peculiar camera belongs to a very peculiar time in French history, following the liberation from German occupation. The entire unit is built in polished aluminum, without any paint … Read moreGallus
Derlux – 84/99
Germany 1940 – Compact – 35 mm – Very rare. The Praktiflex, launched by Kamera-Werkstatten (a.k.a. KW), made its debut at the 1939 Leipzig Fair and would generate excitement almost immediately. Demand for the new Praktiflex was so great, that the company had to quickly relocate into a former candy factory in Niedersedlitz in the … Read moreKamera Werkstatten
Praktiflex – 80/99
Japan 1948 – Spy Camera – Custom film – Very rare. The Petal is an incredible device. It was the smallest subminiature camera in the world, produced by Sakura Seiki in Japan in 1948. It has a round (or octagonal) main body the size of a coin and was intended for inconspicuous photography as it … Read moreSakura Seiki
Petal – 65/99
Private eye camera
Switzerland 1942 – Compact – 35 mm – Very Rare. Like most Swiss high-quality cameras, the Alpa Reflex has common roots with the watchmaking industry. It was designed by Pignons SA, a Swiss precision mechanical manufacturer that decided to diversify their product range in the late 1930s. Prototype production began in 1939 with test series … Read moreAlpa
Reflex – 63/99
Germany 1948 – Spy Camera – Custom film – Very Rare. The ABC Wristwatch camera, designed by Austrian Chemist Rudolph Steineck was first introduced in 1948 and was produced for 3 years. This fancy looking wristwatch is in reality a disguised sub-miniature camera allowing to take discreet photographs while pretending to check for the time. … Read moreSteineck
ABC Wristwatch – 61/99
Japan 1947 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. Produced in Japan by Tōa Kōki Seisakusho (Far-East Optical Works, usually called Toakoki) for about 15 years from 1936, the Gelto DIII was a desirable camera that definitely stood out on the shelves of the camera shops. The Gelto is indeed a striking device with very … Read moreToakoki
Gelto DIII – 59/99
Jewel camera
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