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 more89 Pontiac
Lynx II
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 more84 Gallus
Derlux
USSR 1953 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Kiev rangefinders were produced for over 50 years in Ukraine (USSR) and carry an extraordinary history. It all began with one model : tthe Kiev II At the end of World War II, the victorious Red Army captured and “relocated” the still-standing Dresden Zeiss factories … Read more83 Kiev
Kiev II
Germany 1935 – Compact – 34 mm – Very Rare. Produced from 1932, Zeiss Ikon’s Contax was designed to be the brand’s challenger to Leitz Leica. Aware of the Leica’s growing success, Zeiss Ikon decided to produce a competitor designed to be superior in every way using the same perforated 35 mm film. The name … Read more82 Zeiss Ikon
Contax “Chrome Face”
Few 100s produced
France 1955 – Compact – 35 mm – Very Rare. Created in the mid-50s by Paul Lachaize near Lyon, France, the Mecilux is a remarkable device. Lachaize, a skilled artisan, ventured into industrial production using emerging precision plastic injection techniques. What sets the Mecilux apart is its focus on accessibility and user-friendliness. Lachaize devised an … Read more81 Lachaize
Mecilux
1500 produced
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 more80 Kamera Werkstatten
Praktiflex
Italy 1954 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. The Rectaflex is a 35mm SLR camera developed in Italy by the eponymous company. It was presented for the first time at the Milan fair in april 1948. It was the world’s first SLR equipped with a solid Pentaprism that allowed a vertically corrected view. The … Read more79 Rectaflex
Rectaflex
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
Japan 1958 – Compact – 35 mm – Very rare. The Honor S1 (or Honor 35) is a Japanese Leica III copy, made from 1956 to 1959 by Zuiho Kōgaku. It seems that it was first developed by Daiichi Kōgaku as the Ichicon-35 though no original document has yet been found to confirm this. The … Read more77 Zuiho
Honor S1
Italy 1954 – Compact – 35 mm – Very rare. Starting in 1949, Domenico Chinaglia of Belluno in north-west Italy started producing the Kristall Cameras, Italian copies of the Leica II. Chinaglia was an incredible character and produced cameras in various locations. He collaborated with several other entrepreneurs of the times ultimately giving birth to … Read more74 Domenico Chinaglia
Kristall R
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