Japan 1979 – Compact – 35 mm – Infrequent. The Canon A1 hit the market in 1978 and very quickly became legendary. The Canon A-1 is a historically significant camera and was the high technology standard bearer of the landmark Canon amateur level A-series SLRs (Started with the Canon AE-1 in 1976) It was the … Read more87 Canon
Canon A1
Germany 1960 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Contarex is an incredible machine. Commercialized in 1960 by Zeiss Ikon, it is probably one of the most identifiable cameras ever. It is popularly known as the Bullseye (or the Cyclops) for its oversized light captor above the objective. Some consider the design to be … Read more78 Zeiss Ikon
Contarex “Bullseye”
Legendary design
United States 1975 – Instant – SX-70 – Infrequent. If there is one device that marks the entry of Polaroid in everybody’s life, it is the SX-70. Launched in 1975 it was a revolution both inside Polaroid and for the entire photographic industry. Polaroid research and development budgets for this project were enormous. The production … Read more76 Polaroid
SX 70
The instant revolution
Sweden 1963 – Reflex SLR – 120 film – Infrequent. Few cameras can claim to be icons of generations more than the Swedish-born Hasselblad 500 C. With multiple prototypes in the works in 1953, the final Hasselblad 500 C was launched in 1957. Modified throughout the years, the 500 series cameras represent the pinnacle of … Read more68 Hasselblad
500 C
The Swedish revolution
Japan 1959 – Compact – 35 mm – Infrequent. The Pentax H2 (or S2), produced in 1959, was launched two years after the original Pentax and is by no means a rare camera. It is the direct descendent of the Asahi Asahiflex, the first Japanese SLR using 35 mm film (launched in 1952). The Pentax … Read more67 Asahi
Pentax H2
Germany 1966 – Reflex SLR – 120 film – Rare. The Rolleiflex SL66 is a legendary camera. It is Rollei’s first single lens 6×6 camera (SL66 stands for Single Lens 6×6). It entered the market in the fall of 1966 and has been the only Rollei model ever to stay in production for over 25 … Read more66 Rollei
Rolleiflex SL66
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 more63 Alpa
Reflex
Germany 1954 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The camera industry of the 20th century articulates itself around a certain number of super iconic cameras, many of them produced by Leica. The Leica M3, is definitely a major cornerstone in that regards. Introduced in 1954, the Leica M3 sets a new standard for rangefinders … Read more52 Leica
leica M3
Super iconic
Germany 1957 – Reflex TLR – 127 film – Rare. Descendant of the Rolleiflex Baby of 1931, this version popularly known as the “Grey Baby” Rolleiflex, was introduced in 1957, it was then replaced by a black version in 1963. This model helped kick-start a brief boom for 38 mm “super slides” whose slide mounts … Read more43 Rollei
Rolleiflex “grey baby”
Japan 1961 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Nikon F, introduced in April 1959, was Nikon’s first SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera and one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Camera of choice for most photojournalists across the globe, very few cameras scream adventure and travel as much as the Nikon … Read more40 Nikon
Nikon F
The legend
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