France 1955 – Spy Camera – 16 mm – Infrequent. The Stylophot is a pocketable mini camera which makes 10x10mm images on 16mm film. It was produced in France in 1955 and presented as a “pen” camera, due to its resemblance to a fountain pen with the pen clip attached to the side. “Stylo” being the … Read more93 Secam
Stylophot
Private eye camera
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 1960 – Submarine – 35 mm – Very Rare. First sold in France in 1960, the Calypso was the world’s first fully capable underwater camera. This groundbreaking camera was developed in collaboration with renowned French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, who had envisioned the ideal underwater camera for years. Not only was it the most compact … Read more88 Spirotechnique
Calypso
First underwater
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
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
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
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
Monaco 1958 – Compact – 35 mm – Very Rare. The Mecaflex was originally produced in 1953 by Metz in Germany and was the brainchild of Heinz Kilfitt, who would later create the Robot cameras. German production was interrupted after just 1800 cameras were produced, only to be restarted in 1958 in Monaco by SEROA. … Read more26 Seroa
Mecaflex
France 1904 – Plate Camera – Plates – Rare. The Gaumont Block-Notes is a folding klapp camera distinguished by its elegant simplicity in design. With an exterior entirely coated in lacquered black paint, this camera boasted ease of use and was often classified as a “woman’s camera” during its era. The Tessar-Zeiss lens is situated … Read more15 Gaumont
Block-Notes
France 1952 – Compact – 120 film – Very Rare. Produced in 1952, the Cyclope camera from Alsaphot is a truly incredible device. To reduce the size of a camera using 120 film, Lucien Dodin designed an innovative process where the image undergoes 2 successive reflexions before reaching the film. This unique architecture allows the Cyclope to … Read more11 Alsaphot
Cyclope
2000 produced
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