Germany 1948 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Casca camera, introduced in 1948, is widely regarded as one of the finest 35 mm designs of its era. However, production was abruptly halted after just one year due to a legal dispute with Leitz, the creators of the Leica. Although the lawsuit centered around … Read more71 Steinheil
Casca 1
2000 Produced
Japan 1956 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Nicca 3F rangefinder was produced by the Japanese company Nicca Camera Co. Ltd in 1956. Nicca was founded in 1952 by Kichiya Momose and was known for producing high-quality cameras that were popular with both amateur and professional photographers. The 3F was one of Nicca’s … Read more69 Nicca
Nicca 3-F
USSR 1950 – Compact – 35 mm – Common. Leicas are exclusive devices that forged the very concept of the modern camera through quality and innovation. For years a large part of the industry tried to produce alternatives (or imitations) with equivalent features at a much more accessible price point. Imitations range from cameras “inspired by … Read moreVarious USSR
Leica 2
Japan 1954 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Kyoei-Sha Company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo and was renamed Showa as a reference to the reign of the current Emperor Hirohito. After Canon, Showa was the oldest to start produce 35 mm cameras in Japan. They produced very nice copies of German cameras … Read more54 Showa Kogaku
Leotax (Mod. F)
USSR 1984 – Compact – 35 mm – Common. The Kiev rangefinders were produced for over 51 years by the Arsenal factory in Kiev (Ukraine, USSR) and carry an incredible history. At the end of World War II, the victorious Red Army captured and “relocated” the still-standing Dresden Zeiss factories to Ukraine to start a … Read moreKiev Arsenal
Kiev 4 A
Japan 1952 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Minolta-35 was launched in the spring of 1947. At the time, Minolta had to recover from the war with only three factories left. Photographic film was rare, reserved primarily for medical radiography. The 120 format being prohibited by the authorities, camera manufacturers turned to the … Read more51 Minolta
Minolta 35 F
Japan 1978 – Subminiature – 110 film – Infrequent. Launched in 1978, the Pentax Auto 110 was a very exciting camera, causing quite a stir among photography fans. It was indeed a (super cute) miniature version of a 35 mm interchangeable lens reflex. Pentax engineers were the first to release a 110 reflex, equipping it with … Read more46 Pentax
Auto 110
France 1949 – Compact – 35 mm – Infrequent. At a time when the first 35mm single lens reflex were beginning to appear, the most renowned cameras were the Leicas, with their high quality mechanics and lenses. But France had something to say with the appreciated Foca Universel. In 1938, the French government had limited … Read more42 Foca
Universel
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 more30 Sirio
Elettra 2
Germany 1939 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Contax II emerged as a pivotal element in Zeiss Ikon’s concerted effort to challenge Leica’s dominance during the 1930s. Manufactured starting from 1936, the Contax II’s innovative prowess is believed to have vaulted it a decade ahead of the Leica III. At its core, it … Read moreZeiss Ikon
Contax II
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