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
Japan 1948 – Lighter – Lighter fluid – Rare. The K.K.W. Camera Lighter is very well known to camera collectors as it is often the first non-camera item to join their collection. The K.K.W. Lighter is a beautiful example of Japanese craftsmanship. It was first manufactured in 1948 in Occupied Japan as a wick lighter … Read moreK.K.W.
Camera Lighter
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
Japan 1949 – Subminiature – 14 mm – Very Rare. The Gemflex is an incredible subminiature camera. It was produced by Showa in occupied Japan in 1949. The Gemflex not only resembles a miniature version of the well known Rolleiflex 6×6 twin lens reflex, but is operated like one. It is one of the smallest … Read more39 Showa Kogaku
Gemflex
Twin Lens miniature
Japan 1947 – Subminiature – 16 mm – Very Rare. The Steky is a beautiful subminiature camera produced by the Asahi Musen Company starting 1947. It was then taken over by the Riken Optical Company (Ricoh) in 1950. At the time, film and processing costs were expensive so 16 mm cameras were very popular. But … Read more37 Asahi Musen
Steky (Mod. 1)
Japan 1940 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. Created in 1930, in the Kanga district of Tokyo, the Tougodo brand was named to honor Admiral Tougo who had defeated the Russian fleet in the Baltic during the battle of Tsushima in 1905. Notably, Tougodo was recognized for its innovative camera creations and participated to … Read more34 Tougodo
Meikai No.1
Japan 1949 – Subminiature – 17.5 mm – Rare. Konishiroku stands as one of Japan’s oldest photographic enterprises, with its origins tracing back to 1873 – a history predating even that of Kodak, which officially began in 1881. The company was established by Rokusaburo Sugiura, a pharmacist who embarked on selling photographic merchandise from Tokyo’s … Read more29 Konishiroku
Snappy
Police pocket camera
Japan 1956 – Subminiature – 16 mm – Rare. The Kiku 16, measuring under 6 cm, stands as one among the myriad of subminiature cameras that emerged from Japan in the mid-1950s. What sets the Kiku 16 apart is its remarkably refined craftsmanship, seemingly crafted to emulate a miniature version of a Leica. A button … Read more27 Morita
Kiku 16 (mod. 2)
Japan 1963 – Compact – 35 mm – Infrequent. The Olympus Pen F was the world’s first half-frame reflex camera. The origins of the Pen F trace back to a 1959 challenge posed by Olympus to one of its young engineers, Yoshihisa Maitani. Tasked with creating a compact reflex camera that could retail for under … Read more20 Olympus
Olympus Pen F
Japan 1951 – Compact – 35 mm – Rare. After World War II, Canon embarked on the production of rangefinder cameras and continually released updated versions with consistent innovations. The IIIA, emerging in the early 1950s, was among the initial models mass-produced and introduced several novel features, notably the compatibility of its mount with Leica … Read more19 Canon
Canon IIIA
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