Our collection of vintage and antique cameras is growing. We tend to collect the everyday cameras that the average person would own and use … the ones that created those cool looking pre-70s shots. We do occasionally shoot with these cameras, but due to film availability and expense, that is limited. Click here for a guide to film formats in vintage cameras.
Sorted by Release Year
Kodak Baby Brownie Special Bakelite
The Kodak Baby Brownie Special was issued during the main part of the Art Deco period … and it shows in look and design. The unit takes 127 film, which was one of the standard at the time. Occasionally the Film Photography Project has film for these cameras.
- Fixed view finder
- Fixed 60mm lens
- Fixed aperture of f/16
- Ranges of 5th to inifinity
- Rotary shutter
- Release Year: 1939
- Added to collection:2017
- Click here for more info – art deco cameras – camerapedia – manual pdf
Univex Mercury II (CX)
The Mercury II camera came out at the end of WW2. It was basically a reproduction of the original camera as normal camera manufacturing was suspended for most of the war. It was modified for the newer 35mm films as opposed to sticking with the companies proprietary film for the original version.
- View finder accessories were available
- Uses 35mm film to accommodate new standards
- Multiple lenses were available
- Rotary focal plane shutter
- Shutter range is 1/20 to 1/1000 sec
- Made of aluminum/magnesium alloy
- Release Year: 1945
- Added to collection:2018
- Click here for more info – camera wiki – mike eckman – manual pdf
Metropolitan Clix-O-Flex
The Metropolitan Clix-O-Flex was actually produced after the art deco period, even with it’s looks maybe indicating otherwise. The camera is a bakelite build with a waist shooting design. Two variations of the unit exist.
- Pseudo TLR View Finder
- Used standard 127 film – occasionally available from the Film Photography Project
- Bakelite construction – the 1940s standard
- Fixed focus lens – 6ft to infinity
- Shutter is 1/50 second
- Aperture is fixed at f/14
- Release Year: 1947
- Added to collection:2018
- Click for more info – art deco cameras – camera wiki
Spartus Full-Vue
The Spartus Full-Vue was a camera manufactured by The Spartus Camera Company from Chicago. It was created and manufactured in the 1940s. The camera was fixed focus TLR based and designed for waist high shooting.
- TLR View Finder
- Used standard 120 film
- 12 6×6 shots on a standard roll
- Fixed focus lens
- Shutter is 1/60 second
- Aperture is approx f/11 to f/16
- Release Year: 1948
- Added to collection: 2018
- Click here for more info – aperture preview – art deco cameras – camera wiki – manual pdf
Argus C3
The C3 is a minor upgrade to the Argus C2 (flash port, etc). The C3 quickly acquired the nickname of “the brick”. It is bakelite surrounded by metal framing. The lens is fixed, and it takes 35mm film. All manual, not batteries needed,
- Uncoupled rangefinder view finder
- 50mm 1:3.5 Cintar lens
- Three blad leaf shutter
- 35mm film
- Max Shutter is 1/300 second
- Aperture is approx f/2.8 to f/22
- Release Year: 1939
- Added to collection: 2015
- Click here for more info – camera wiki – photo jottings – manual pdf
Argus C4
The C4 is a fixed lens range-finder style camera and an upgrade to the C3 (otherwise known as “the brick”). A very durable but with a limitation of a max shutter speed of 1/200.
- Superimposed Coupled Rangefinder view finder
- 50mm f/2.8 Cintar lens
- 35mm film
- Max Shutter is 1/200 second
- Aperture is approx f/2.8 to f/22
- Release Year: 1951
- Added to collection: 2015
- Click here for more info – camera wiki – matt’s classic cameras – manual pdf
Minox B (or BL) Spy Camera
Designed and built by Minox in Germany, the camera affectionately known as the “Bond spy camera” as it was seen in many movies of that era snapping classified documents. The unit is a high quality sub-miniature camera that fits easily in your hand and, honestly puts the size of even utra-compact digital cameras to shame. It has a very high quality lens and could take up to 50 shots. And believe it or not, you can still find places that sell the film – click here.
- Sub-miniature camera
- Takes up to 50 shots for espionage
- Shutter range was 1/2 to 1/1000 sec
- Fame size of 8×11 mm
- B/W film has the highest amount of detail
- Film speed and focusing dials
- Flash attachment was available
- Release Year: 1958
- Added to collection: 2006
- Click here for more info – crypto museum – casualphotophile – manual pdf – film
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