Germany 1934 – Folding – 35 mm – Rare. The Retina was manufactured starting 1934 by Kodak A.G. in what had previously been the Dr. August Nagel Camerawerk factory in Stuttgart. The business had been purchased by Kodak in 1931. It was Kodak’s first in the long-lasting Retina camera series. The Retina is the first … Read more70 Kodak
Retina 117
First 35mm cartridge
Germany 1933 – Subminiature – 16 mm – Rare. The Minifex was a groundbreaking subminiature camera introduced in 1932 by the German company Fotofex, founded by Fritz Kaftanski. At the time, it was considered the smallest camera in the world, using 16mm non-perforated film to capture 36 exposures in a 13x18mm format. Weighing only 185 … Read more53 Fotofex
Mini-fex
Smallest of its time
France 1937 – Subminiature – Custom film – Rare. The Eljy and Super-Eljy cameras were produced by Lumiere (from the Lumiere brothers) from 1937 and are among the most recognizable French miniature cameras. They were extremely popular cameras as they were built with almost no major evolution from 1937 to 1951 when they were replaced … Read more45 Lumiere
Super Eljy
Germany 1936 – Reflex TLR – 35 mm – Very Rare. Introduced in 1935 by Zeiss Ikon, the Contaflex was an innovative 35mm twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera that stood out for its advanced design and built-in photoelectric cell. At the time, it was a groundbreaking development that captured the attention of photographers, despite its steep … Read more44 Zeiss Ikon
Contaflex
6000 Produced
Germany 1936 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Zeiss Ikon Nettax, produced in 1936 was a very high-end device. It was a very expensive camera, making it a very desirable collectible today. It is beautifully built out of light chromed metal and sheathed in very soft black Saffiano veal leather. The objectives are interchangeable using … Read moreZeiss Ikon
Nettax
Germany 1936 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. The Gewirette is a small viewfinder-type camera made by Wirgin in Wiesbaden. The name Gewirette is derived from the company name Wirgin Brothers (GErrüder WIrgin). The Gewinette is a wonderfully crafted camera whose lens collapses into the body to make it more compact. To load and … Read more36 Wirgin
Gewirette
United States 1938 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Argus C might just be the most recognizable camera ever built. For obvious reasons, it is known as “the brick” and its most common version, the Argus C3, is one of the longest product lines ever. It was in production from 1939 to 1966 … Read more35 Argus
Argus C
The iconic “brick”
Germany 1933 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. Ihagee, a German camera manufacturer located in Dresden, achieved prominence through its notable range of single-lens reflex cameras marketed under the Exakta brand. The Exakta camera is instantly recognizable for its distinctive trapezoidal shape, setting it apart as more compact, smaller, and ergonomically designed compared to … Read more32 Ihagee
Exakta B
First Single Lens Reflex
Germany 1932 – Folding – 127 film – Very Rare. Plaubel is originally a German camera maker, founded in 1902. It became famous for the Makina series of press cameras, introduced as early as 1911. The Makinette foldable that was a pocket size camera and was produced for only one year in 1932, making it … Read more31 Plaubel
Makinette
England 1937 – Compact – 127 film – Rare. Certain designs possess such distinctive uniqueness that they can be attributed solely to British ingenuity. The Purma Special undeniably belongs to this remarkable category. Conceived by artist Tom Purvis and inventor Alfred Croger Mayo, the Purma Special (a fusion of PURvis and MAyo) stands as an … Read more28 Purma Cameras
Purma Special
Incredible British design
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