Subminiature Cameras

Subminiature Cameras

Typical Subminiature Camera Traits

Construction: metal / plastic
   
Lens Quality: low to high
   
User Controls: minimal to moderate

Subminiature Camera Characteristics

Unlike other classifications, subminiature cameras are idenitified solely by the physical size of individual exposures that they made. Back in the early days of photography, full-frame 35mm film was already considered ‘miniature’ so when even smaller film formats eventually came to market, they received the designation of “subminiature.” Since these subminiature films naturally lacked the image quality of larger formats, they were generally considered to be only for casual photography. Because of this, most subminiature cameras were designed to be more affordable and user-friendly than anything else.

Although subminiatures first came on the market during the 1930s in the form of cameras such as the Coronet Midget and the original Minox spy camera, they wouldn’t become truly popular until after the end of the Second World War. The most famous subminiature is arguably post-war Japan’s Toyoca Hit and the many variants and clones that it spawned. These simple, tiny cameras (which were made for 17.5mm film and typically featured a fixed focus lens, single aperture setting, and primitive shutter) proved to be immensely popular in the United States where they were treated as novelty toys and even Christmas tree decorations.

After a year or so, the trend of Hit-type cameras began wearing off as 16mm film took over as the format of choice. Photographers began turning to companies like Minolta, Mamiya, and Rollei for well-made “spy cameras” designed for their own proprietary 16mm film cassettes with painfully unoriginal names like the Minolta-16, Mamiya-16, and Rollei-16. Then, in 1972, Kodak changed the rules by introducing the wildly popular 110 film cartidge which quickly became the standard 16mm film for still cameras. With all the different manufacturers adopting 110 film, more and more subminiatures began arriving on the market. While most of them were cheap, basic models like those in the Kodak Pocket Instamatic line, some of them—like the Rollei A110 and Minox 110S—were of exceptional quality. Another popular and noteworthy class of subminiature included larger cameras like the Yashica Rapide which used regular 35mm film but only exposed half of each frame at a time. However, these “half-frame” cameras were typically more expensive and didn’t have the same mass appeal as the physically smaller 16mm cameras.

As the years went on, the appeal of subminiatures began to fade as full-frame 35mm cameras became smaller and more affordable. With differences in size and price becoming negligible, more and more consumers were lured away by the vastly superior image quality of 35mm film. Kodak attempted to revive the market in 1982 by debuting disc film (a thin cartridge containing a rotating piece of film that could accommodate 15 8x11mm frames) as well as disc cameras such as the Kodak Disc 6100. While slim and convenient, poor sales due to lackluster image quality put an end to the disc format. By the mid 1990s, most major manufacturers (including Kodak itself) had ceased production of subminiature cameras entirely.

While many subminiatures like the Kiev 30 are essentially pocket cameras shaped like tiny bricks, others take on all sorts of forms and functions. The Pentax Auto 110 is basically a scaled-down 35mm SLR complete with a system of interchangeable lenses and accessories, the Tasco 8000 is permanently attached to a pair of binoculars, the Secam Stylophot is vaguely shaped like a pen, and the Concava Tessina had a watchband accessory so you can wear it on your wrist. During the Cold War, KGB operatives regularly concealed the KMZ F-21 Ajax using specially-designed coat buttons, belt buckles, cigarette packs, briefcases, purses, and other seemingly everyday items.

Interested in starting or growing your own collection of subminiature cameras?
Check eBay to see what’s available.
References:

McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 2001-2002. (Grantsburg, WI, USA: Centennial Photo Service, 2001), p 73, 152, 161, 314, 337, 357, 386-387, 446-447, 471-473, 585-586, 606, 630, 639, 706.

“Hit-type cameras,” Camerapedia, http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Hit-type_cameras

“Disc film,” Camerapedia, http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Disc_film

“110 film,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_film

Other Camera Types

Rollei A110

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Rollei A110

The Rollei A110 is a high-end subminiature camera introduced by Rollei in 1974. After nearly ten years of the Rollei-16, which used the company’s own proprietary 16mm film cassette, Rollei decided to abandon the ultimately unsuccessful format and tasked legendary designer Heinz Waaske (who designed other innovative and groundbreaking models such as the as the Rollei 35, Rollei A26, and Rolleimatic) to create the A110 as the first of a new generation of subminiatures to use Kodak’s vastly more popular 110 film cartridge instead.

Welta Penti II

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Welta Penti II

The Welta Penti II is a flamboyantly styled 35mm half-frame camera originally manufactured by Welta in the German town of Freital and, after the company became part of Pentacon, in their factory in the nearby city of Dresden. Confusingly, the Penti II has a cheaper, near-identical twin called the Penti I (with the only difference being the absence of the II’s selenium light meter) and both of them are successors to the original Welta Penti (which, to avoid confusion, may also referred to as the “Penti 0”). Like its siblings, the Penti II is designed for Agfa‘s Karat film cartridge as opposed to conventional 35mm film and also comes in a variety of colors including cream, teal, and maroon. As its glitzy appearance may suggest, these cameras were marketed primarily towards women with promotional materials depicting the shimmering Penti II alongside a set of jewelry and a pocketbook.

Minox 110 S

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Minox 110 S

The Minox 110 S is a subminiature 110 format camera introduced in 1975. This slim little camera was first presented to the public alongside the revolutionary Minox 35 EL at Photokina 1974 which unfortunately meant that it was pretty much completely overshadowed by its bigger brother. Produced by Balda on behalf of Minox, the 110 S also had an alternate life as the Balda 1000 but with different lenses. In an ocean of inexpensive 110 cameras like Eastman Kodak‘s Pocket Instamatic line, the Minox 110 S is of surprisingly high quality. Despite its plastic construction, there’s nothing about it that feels flimsy or cheap.

Taron Chic

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Taron Chic

The Taron Chic is a vertically oriented 35mm half-frame camera introduced by Taron in 1961. The only other camera that I’m aware of that bears any resemblance to the Chic is the Yashica Rapide. However, since they were both introduced in 1961, it’s unclear as to who copied whose vertical design or if there was indeed any copying done at all.

Agfa Parat-I

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The Agfa Parat-I is a fixed-lens half-frame 35mm cameras introduced by Agfa in 1963. There are a total of three nearly visually identical cameras released in 1963 that use the Parat name with a few key differences: the Parat-I (no meter), the Paramat (fixed shutter speed, automatic aperture control), and the Optima-Parat (automatic exposure system, different lens options).

Ansco Memo

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The Ansco Memo is an unusual 35mm half-frame box camera introduced in 1927 by Ansco. The “Memo” name has been used by Ansco and Agfa Ansco on several different 35mm models (for example the Memo II Automatic) over the years which can sometimes lead to confusion. To combat this, collectors will usually differentiate these models by including the year of introduction to avoid confusion. This particular model—which was the very first camera to bear the name—can also be referred to as the “Ansco Memo (1927 Type).”

Toyoca Hit

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The Toyoca Hit is a family of subminiature novelty cameras introduced by the company commonly known as “Toyoca,” a contraction of “Toyohashi” (the city in which they were based at the time) and “camera.” These tiny, inexpensive cameras became extremely popular in post-war Japan and abroad, causing dozens upon dozens of models to be manufactured by a wide variety of companies. One of the most successful of these was the Hit.

Yashica Rapide

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The Yashica Rapide (also sold as the “Rapid”) is a vertically oriented 35mm half-frame camera introduced by Yashica in 1961. The launch of the unusually styled Rapide completed Yashica’s entrance into all segments of that era’s consumer camera market with the exception of medium format SLRs. The only other camera that I know of that looks like the Rapide is the Taron Chic. However, since they were both introduced in 1961, it’s unclear as to who copied who or if there was indeed any intentional copying at all.

Welta Penti

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Yashica Rapide (three-quarter view)

The Welta Penti is a stylish compact 35mm half-frame camera introduced by VEB Welta Kamera-Werke in the Dresden suburb of Freital, East Germany for use with Agfa‘s Karat film cartridge. Sometimes referred to as the Penti 0, this particular camera is the first of several Penti models made by Welta and—after Welta merged with other manufacturers like Zeiss Ikon and Altissa to form it—Pentacon. Like the vast majority of camera manufacturers based in Dresden, Welta became a state-run company after World War II as Germany split apart.

PowerShovel Demekin Fisheye

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The PowerShovel Demekin Fisheye is a tiny, fisheye lens-equipped camera designed by PowerShovel, Ltd. for the 110 film cartridge. PowerShovel, also known as SuperHeadz was founded in the year 2000 by Hideki Omori after he successfully introduced plastic Russian cameras to Japan. Such cameras were cheaply made and often technically flawed but, much like the Lomography movement that swept through the Western world at roughly the same time, these “toy cameras” gained popularity in Japan through the interesting and unusual effects that their plastic lenses and light leaks often had on images.

Minolta-16 MG-S

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The Minolta-16 MG-S is a subminiature “spy” camera made for use with Minolta’s proprietary 16mm film cartridge and introduced by the Japanese camera company in 1970. Ten different Minolta-16 variants were made during its nearly 20 year (1955-1974) production run. The MG-S was the ninth model and widely considered to be the most advanced of them all.

Univex Mercury CC

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The Univex Mercury CC is a half-frame viewfinder camera introduced by the Universal Camera Corporation of New York shortly before the beginning of World War II. Founded by individuals with no experience whatsoever in the photography business, Universal created cameras that were innovative but still simple enough to efficiently mass produce. Because they were only usable with proprietary film cartridges, Universal sold their cameras at very low prices, causing the brand to become synonymous in the United States with quirkiness and affordability.

Ansco Memo II Automatic

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The Ansco Memo II Automatic is a 35mm half-frame camera introduced in 1967 by Ansco. The Memo II Automatic and the Ansco Memo Automatic from 1963 are actually the same exact camera, just re-released to reflect the name change from Ansco to General Aniline & Film (GAF). In turn, both cameras are rebadged versions of the Ricoh Auto Half and were manufactured by Ricoh for sale by Ansco. The Memo Automatic from 1963 is not to be confused with the original Ansco Memo, a 35mm half-frame box camera from 1927.

Kodak Disc 6100

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The Kodak Disc 6100 is a relatively high-end camera produced during Eastman Kodak’s foray into what they expected to be a revolutionary new product: disc film. Unlike the many different formats of the past, disc film was, as its name suggests, contained within a plastic diskette that users could easily load into their cameras. Within the cartridge was a circular piece of film upon which a total of 15 photographs could be exposed. Despite the supposed convenience and ease of use, disc film was a complete flop. Although the tiny negatives contained a fair amount of detail, graininess and lackluster image quality ultimately forced Kodak to quietly kill off the doomed format.

KMZ F-21 Ajax

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The KMZ F-21 Ajax is a subminiature spy camera produced during the Cold War by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works just outside Moscow. The F-21 was designed and manufactured specifically for the KGB and was highly favored by Soviet intelligence for its diminutive size and ease of use. During covert operations, the Ajax could be surreptitiously operated with a remote shutter cable and concealed within a number of specially made disguises including coat buttons, belt buckles, purses, and even full-sized camera cases. The F-21 Ajax is still illegal to own in some places due to its role as an espionage tool. In 2013, Ukrainian camera collector Alexandr Komarov was arrested for owning two of these and faced up to seven years in prison.

Pentax Auto 110

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The Pentax Auto 110 is the smallest single lens reflex camera ever made and the only camera with interchangeable lenses ever produced for the 110 film cartridge. A true camera system, the Auto 110 has six available lenses: 18mm, 24mm, 50mm, 70mm, 18mm fixed-focus, and 20-40mm zoom (all f/2.8), two external flashes, an electric film winder, and a slew of macro adapters, filters, diopters, and lens hoods. A third party 1.7x teleconverter was also produced by the German company Soligor.

Olympus Pen EED

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The Olympus Pen EED is a direct descendant of Japan’s very first half-frame camera: the original Olympus Pen. As it was one of the smallest available 35mm cameras at the time, the Pen was named as such because its portability could be compared to that of a (very oddly shaped, large, metal) pen. Seven years after the Olympus Pen debuted, the Germans launched the hallowed Rollei 35 which was just as small but could make normal 35mm frames and effectively heralded the end of Japanese half-frames. In defiance, this EED variant was released one year after that supposed end and, quite stubbornly, Olympus continued making Pens well into the 1980s and then revived the name in 2009 for its line of Micro Four Thirds cameras.

BelOMO Chaika-II Anniversary

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The BelOMO Chaika-II Anniversary is a special edition of the BelOMO Chaika-II that was produced by the Belarus Optical and Mechanical Enterprise in its Minsk factory to commemorate the 50th year of the Soviet Union. The Russian word chaika translates into “seagull” which was the call sign for Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman ever to go into space and the person who this line of cameras is named after.

Kodak Tele Disc

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In 1982, Kodak launched what they thought would be a revolutionary product: disc film. Instead of fumbling around with roll film or awkwardly shaped cartridges, consumers could now load their cameras by simply inserting a thin, sleek bit of plastic into the back.