Minox

Walter Zapp, a Latvian inventor based in Germany, invented Minox cameras in 1937. He created his first model with a small format film size of only 8x11mm, hence the name "Minox" (short for "minimum"). Despite being much smaller than traditional cameras at the time, it still had advanced features such as interchangeable lenses and shutter speeds of up to 1/500th of a second.

Minox became popular as a spy camera among US intelligence agencies in the 1950s. Because it was so small, spies could easily conceal it from their person and take photographs without drawing attention to themselves. The CIA even developed special film cartridges for Minox cameras so that agents could take secret photos without having to reload film.

Despite the fact that sales of the small cameras began to decline in the late 1970s due to competition from larger-format point-and-shoot cameras, they are still popular among collectors today. Many vintage models can be found on sites like eBay or Etsy, and new Minox models are also available. Over the years, the company has continued to innovate, releasing digital versions with Wi-Fi capability and GPS tags in 2016.

Website: https://www.minox.com/en/outdoor/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MINOX.Optics
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MINOXWebCasts