Erwin Adloff Nova

The Nova is a rare subminiature camera introduced around 1938, generally attributed to the Berlin manufacturer Erwin Adloff Apparatebau. Very little documentation about the company survives, and the camera appears to have been produced in small quantities shortly before the Second World War. Because of this limited production and the scarcity of surviving examples, the Nova is considered a rare and desirable piece among collectors of miniature cameras.

The camera features a cast-metal body and a distinctive telescoping lens mechanism. When the lens is pulled forward, a small cubed bellows structure extends from the body, allowing the camera to remain extremely compact when closed. This unusual mechanical design reflects the experimentation in miniaturizing cameras during the late 1930s.

The Nova used special cassettes of 35 mm film, producing images of roughly 3 × 4 cm. It was typically fitted with an Anastigmat f/4.5 lens and a shutter offering speeds from 1/25 to 1/100 second, plus a bulb setting. Today it is mainly appreciated by collectors for its rarity, inventive construction, and distinctive pre-war design.