Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
35mm Still-Picture Photography: It began with scale focusing cameras!
Back To Basics. Part 1, From the first ones to half-frame 35s of then and now.
By Jason Schneider
Back in the 1890s the only 35mm cameras were motion picture cameras, mostly hand-crank contraptions that provided an 18 x 24mm format on double perforated 35mm film. The actual width of the raw (unperforated) film is (surprise, surprise!) 35mm, and this was not determined by some mythical event like Geoge Eastman or Thomas Edison indicating the dimension by holding out his thumb and forefinger. It was arrived at by simply cutting the 70mm film used in the original Kodak camera of 1888 in half, creating two equal strips, each 35mm wide. How the 50mm lens came to be the standard for 18 x 24mm -format still and movie cameras as well as the “full frame”24 x 36mm still picture format is a bit more complicated. Since the diagonal of the 18 x 24mm format (which defines the image circle) is 30mm, a 50mm lens would be roughly equivalent to a 75mm lens on the 18 x 24mm format, a moderate telephoto. Since most early motion pictures were essentially stage productions set forth on a proscenium stage, a longer lens would make it easier for the cinematographer to fill the frame with the action on stage and crop out any distracting elements on the sides. Also, it was easier to design high-performance lenses with a somewhat narrower acceptance angle given the limitations of glass types and optical designs (Paul Rudolph didn’t create the Zeiss Tessar until 1902!). Finally, it’s heartwarming to note the crucial role played by Americans and U.S companies in the emergence of 35mm as the dominant photographic system of the 20th century.
Honors for designing and constructing the first 35mm motion picture camera are generally accorded to Auguste and Louis Lumière, who created the Lumière Cinématographe, introduced in March 1895. While Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope of 1893 used 35mm film for viewing motion pictures, it wasn’t a motion picture camera capable of capturing projectible moving images. Edison did make and patent a 35mm movie camera, the Kinetograph, but no known example exists. The Cinématographe was actually a “convertible” camera, printer, and projector that used the same 35mm film as Edison and employed the 18 x 24mm format that was destined to become the world standard for 35mm motion pictures. It's noteworthy that while many early hand crank motion picture cameras could capture individual frames, none of them was primarily intended or used as a still picture camera so they’re not included in this category.
Although small, batches and prototypes of 35mm still picture cameras were being made as far back as 1905 (e.g. a bricklike 24 x 60mm format camera by Jens Poul Andersen of Denmark, and a plunger-advance 45 x 30mm format camera by Ambrosio Torino of Italy), the first 35mm camera to be offered for sale (albeit none too successfully) was probably Le Cent Vue, an award-winning, 18 x24mm format camera of 1909 made in France by Mollier & Demaison.
Le Cent Vues from France was probably the first 35mm still picture camera offered for sale, but few were sold. This is the elegant 2nd version with rounded ends. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The Tourist Multiple: The first widely successful 35mm still camera
The Tourist Multiple, introduced in 1913 by Herbert & Huesgen’s “New Ideas Mfg. Co.” of New York, NY was the first 35mm still camera to be sold in significant numbers—a total of about 1,000 units. Designed for the “carriage trade,” mostly well-to-do Americans who could afford to take summer tours in Europe, it was extravagantly priced at either $125 or $175 per copy (depending on the date and the source of the data). Bear in mind that even $125 in 1914 is equivalent to a whopping $3,945 in 2025 dollars!
Tourist Multiple: The first widely marketed 35mm still picture camera was this U.S.-made half-frame classic. About 1,000 were made. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum,
The beautifully crafted and finished, leather-clad Tourist Multiple is a vertically oriented camera that was loaded with a 50-foot magazine of double perforated 35mm film, sufficient for 750 half frame exposures, each measuring 18x24mm. its shutter is a proprietary all- metal self-capping focal plane type providing speeds from 1/40 to 1/200 sec and it's cocked by a single lever that doubles as the film-advance lever. Its superb 50mm f/3.5 Bausch & Lomb Zeiss Tessar lens focuses down to 2 feet and is mounted in a rising and falling lens board that can correct for perspective distortion (e.g. converging verticals), and a Projection Lantern was available at $100 if purchased separately or about $75 if purchased with the camera. Certainly, the Tourist Multiple was a revolutionary camera that was ahead of its time, but World War I greatly affected the market for a camera designed for international tourism and sadly production, which had ceased during the war, was never resumed afterward. Current auction prices for a Tourist Multiple camera and lens run about $5,300 for one in average condition to $12,000 and up for a “museum piece” in mint condition.
The Simplex: Most advanced U.S. 35mm still picture camera of its era!
The Multi-Speed Shutter Company was established c.1908 by Gustav Dietz and located in Morris Park, Long Island. The firm initially designed and patented shutter mechanisms that provided amazingly fast speeds up to 1/2000 sec, bettering most focal plane shutters of the day. Its main products, the High-Speed shutter and the subsequent Junior shutter, were followed up with professional shutters, and other variants. In 1912, the company officially entered the camera manufacturing business, enlarged their factory at Morris Park and relocated their New York office several times during the company’s existence.
The Multi-Speed Shutter Company began manufacturing the Simplex camera, and then the Precision camera, both of which delivered cutting edge technology. The Simplex is claimed by many experts to be the first 35mm still picture camera marketed in the U.S., just beating out the Tourist Multiple. In keeping with its new product mix, The Multi-Speed Shutter Co. merged with several other entities to form the Simplex Photo Products company, which marketed 40 distinct products, all under the trade name "Simplex." The company survived into the 1920s but went out of business sometime before the great stock market crash of October 1929.
Simplex Multi Exposure Model B was the first still picture 35mm camera to offer a choice of 18 x 24mm and 24 x 36mm formats. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The most renowned and technologically audacious Simplex product ever made was the Multi-Exposure Simplex Camera that was announced in 1914 when the company was still operating as the Multi-Speed Shutter Company. Capable of capturing 800 half frame (18 x 24mm) or 400 full frame exposures (24 x 36mm) per 50-foot cartridge of Eastman standard perforated (35mm) motion picture film, it was said to be the first production camera in the world to offer a choice of 24 x 36mm and 18 x 24mm formats on 35mm film. It was daylight loading and the exposed portion of film could be removed at any time. The camera is constructed of high-grade aluminum alloy, brass and nickel steel, covered in leather, with the exposed metal parts finished in black. It was fitted with a Type1c 50mm f/f3.5 Tessar anastigmat lens in a No. 00 Compound leaf shutter. Other features: a direct view finder, manual focusing scale, ¼ x 20 tripod sockets, and an exposure counter. The camera is reasonably compact, measuring 7 x 2 x 3 inches. Originally priced at a hefty $50.00 only 50 Simplex cameras (all 4 types, including the scaled-down “economy” Multi-Exposure Simplex Model B shown here) were ever made. That’s why any Simplex qualifies as an ultra-rare collector’s prize or a bona fide museum piece. Estimated auction price of a Multi-Exposure Simplex Model B: $25K and up.
Historical background:
The Multi Exposure Simplex was designed by Alfred Huger Moses Jr, aka Al, a noted silent movie cinematographer. He is credited with shooting 38 movies from 1912 to 1919. Forgotten today, he was a man of considerable accomplishments including graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in in “Electrics,” working on fitting out the battleship USS Maine in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Al used his cine experience in designing the Simplexes, which had a form factor resembling cine cameras, perhaps to their sales detriment. However, the “small camera big print” concept pioneered by Oskar Barnack eventually won the day and that propelled the Leica to worldwide success more than any other identifiable factor.
The Leica I (Model A) and its rangefinder-less scale-focusing successors
Contrary to persistently popular myths and some decades-old Leica ads, the first Leica camera, the Leica I (Model A) was not the first 35mm still picture camera, dd not pioneer the 24 x 36mm format, and was not the first 35mm still picture camera to be successfully marketed. However, Oskar Barnack’s masterpiece did establish the basic form factor for 35mm still cameras going forward and according to Leica-Wiki, Leitz Wetzlar turned out 58,486 units between 1924 and 1930, including 870 fitted with the ultra-rare 5-element, 3-group Leitz Anastigmat or Elmax lenses. If you include the Compur shutter Leica I (Model B) and the super-rare gold-plated limited-edition Leica Luxus, the total increases to a claimed 60, 586 units, an impressive figure for that era.
An ultra-rasre museum piece: Leica I (Model A) No. 199 with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
The Leica I (Model A) of 1925 is an elemental, pocket sized, precision miniature, full frame (24 x 36 mm format) 35mm camera with a collapsible, non-interchangeable, scale focusing 50mm f/3.5 lens (most commonly a 4-element, 3-group Elmar) , a simple optical viewfinder, and a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1/20-1/500 sec plus Z (Zeit or time exposure). Its most advanced features: combined film wind, shutter cocking and frame spacing by turning a single knob, and a manually zeroed automatic frame counter. All these seemingly simple features combine to virtually eliminate unintentional blank and double exposures. Oskar Barnack’s masterpiece measures 133 x 39 x 65 mm or 5.24 x 1.54 x 2.60 inches (L x W x H) with the lens collapsed and originally sold for a princely $75.00 (equal about $1,384.49 in 2025 dollars). You can snag a clean standard issue Leica I (Model A) (not a 3- or 4-digit model!) for about $2,000 to $2,500) but one with an Elmax lens will set you back $30K or more.
Leica I (Model A) with ETRIN case, FODIS rangefinder, and lens cap. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
The rangefinder-less, scale-focusing Leica I series proved to have staying power and Leice produced screw-mount models up until the Leica Ig was phased out in 1960. This gorgeously minimalist series began with the early Leica I (C) of 1930 with non-standardized screw mount, the later standardized versions (with a zero stamped on the lens mount and lens), and the Leica E (Standard) with a standardized lens mount and a smaller rewind knob that was made for nearly 2 decades from 1932 to 1950 with a total production of 35,706 units in black or chrome.
A pair of Leica Standard (Model E) cameras, black (top) and chrome, with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lenses. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
It was followed by the Leica Ic (1949-1950), the Leica If (in black and red flash sync scale versions) introduced in 1952 and the Ig (1957-1960). The screw-mount rangefinder-less models were succeeded by the Leica M1 of 1959 (with M-bayonet mount and parallax-compensating frame lines for 35mm and 50mm lenses, the Leica MD of 1964 with no viewfinder or rangefinder, the Leica MDa of 1966, which added a canted rewind crank, and the Leica MD2 of 1977 (based on the M4-2 and made in Canada). The last 3 models were basically lab cameras, often used with an auxiliary viewfinder such as a Visoflex or a Reprovit. Fitted with a 35mm lens and, if needed, a35mm viewfinder, any of these scale-focusing models is an excellent walk-around street camera.
Leca Ic of c.1949-50 with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens and SBOOI 50mm finder. Note blanked out slow speed dial. Photo courtesy James Lager.
Half Frame 35mm cameras: A treasure trove of scale-focusing gems
The Ansco Memo is an American made (in Binghamton, NY) 35mm half-frame camera known for its compact size and unique features. It was introduced around 1927 and produced in various configurations, including models with different lenses and body styles. Lens options included the f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat, f/6.3 Ilex-Ansco Cinemat, and f/3.5 Bausch & Lomb Anastigmatic, among others. Some models had fixed focus, while others were adjustable. Body finishes range from plain wood to leather-covered and there was a special olive-drab Boy Scout model. Later versions also included a shutter release guard and metal cassettes.
Ansco Memo of 1927 was the most successful American half frame 35 of its era. This is the basic version with fixed ficus f/6.3 Ilex-Ansco lens. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The Ansco Memo uses standard 35mm cine film loaded into proprietary cassettes and provides a horizontally oriented half frame 18 x 24mm format with the camera held vertically. Film is advanced via a sliding tab on the back which operates an internal cine-like claw mechanism that advances the film vertically and moves the front-mounted frame counter. The Memo (all types) proved very popular, are widely regarded as the first successful high-production American made 35mm still cameras and were a major revenue source for Ansco.
A classic example of the best-selling Memo was the original model that debuted in 1927. It featured a fixed focus f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat lens and weighed in at 84 grams (13.5 ounces)/.
It's worth noting that an Agfa Memo was released in 1939 after Agfa and Ansco merged, using a similar half-frame format but with major differences in the specs and form factor. The GAF Ansco Memo II was a entirely different half frame compact 35 made by Ricoh in Japan. .
Key Specifications:
Film Format: 35mm half-frame (18mm x 24mm).
Lens: Typically, an f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat or an Ilex-Ansco Cinemat lens, with some models featuring focusing f/3.5 lenses.
Focus: Fixed focus at around 8 feet to infinity, though some models offered focusing adjustments.
Shutter: Ansco leaf with speeds of T, B, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 sec.
Viewfinder: Inverse Galilean optical viewfinder.
Film Loading: Uses special Ansco or Agfa Karat cassettes.
Models and Variations:
Ansco Memo (1927) The original model with a fixed focus f/6.3 lens
Ansco Memo with f/3.5 lens: Some models were equipped with a faster f/3.5 lens, offering improved low-light performance.
Boy Scout Model: A specific version with a wood olive-drab body, likely designed for the Boy Scouts of America.
Focusing and Non-Focusing Models: Variations existed with and without focusing lenses.
Body Styles: Some models had plain, uncovered wood bodies, while others were covered in leather.
Later Models: Later models were labeled as "Memo" and featured a shutter release guard.
Other Noteworthy Features:
Automatic Frame Counter: A counter on the front of the camera indicates the number of exposures taken.
Metal Handle: Many models included a metal handle for easy carrying.
Tripod Socket: Equipped with a standard 1/4 x 20 tripod socket.
Special Film Cassettes: Uses proprietary Ansco or Agfa Karat film cassettes, which were introduced before Kodak released the standard 35mm cartridge in 1934.
The original U.S.-made Ansco Memo (any model) is a great user collectible that’s capable of surprisingly good imaging performance. It’s generally easy to find on the leading online auction sites and typically fetches prices in the $50 to $150 range; higher for special edition models, and examples in mint condition and/or fitted with the focusing f/3.5 lens. If you want to shoot pictures with an Ansco or Agfa Memo, make sure it comes with the correct cartridges, which are easy to reload with bulk 35mm film in a darkroom or changing bag.
The Magnificent Mercury: America's most advanced scale-focusing 35 was a weird half-frame camera with a high-speed rotary shutter!
Universal Camera Corp. of New York, NY made everything from simple point and shoots to 8mm movie cameras to 35mm scale focusing and rangefinder cameras, to folding roll film cameras, to twin lens reflexes, to enlargers, projectors, and even radios. But perhaps the company’s wisest decision was hiring George Kende as Chief Design Engineer in 1935. Kende was a brilliant and innovative engineer who had a remarkable facility for creating sophisticated designs for cameras and photographic equipment that provided advanced features yet could be produced at moderate cost by unskilled or semi-skilled labor. His crowning achievements were Universal Camera Corp.’s Mercury I and Mercury II, both half-frame 35s with rotary shutters, that were among the few American-made cameras to successfully challenge European dominance in the immediate pre-war and post-WWII eras
The Mercury I, officially dubbed the Model CC, debuted in 1938, and its design is a tribute to George Kende’s out-of-the-box thinking and engineering brilliance. The centerpiece of the design is a full rotary sector focal plane shutter derived from those used in Univex 8mm movie cameras that had been introduced in 1936. The shutter consists of 2 interconnected round metal discs with its central pivot point positioned just above the top edge of the 35mm film. By varying the pie-slice opening between the two discs that pass in front of the film to make the exposure, timed shutter speeds of 1/20-1/1000 sec (plus B and T) were obtainable. The shutter used simple modular components which were easy to assemble and only a single spindle was required rather than up to 4 spindles used in conventional focal plane shutters. Because the opening and closing blades were rigidly geared together and driven by a single spring there is no “fading,” uneven exposures due to variations in first and second curtain speeds. And since the disk traveled though half a rotation before the exposure was made it acted as flywheel to stabilize its speed, resulting in more uniform exposures. Indeed, tests conducted at the Harvard Observatory indicated that the Mercury I’s shutter was more accurate than those in the Contax and the Leica, quite an achievement for an upstart American company that produced cheap cameras for the masses!
The major downside to the shutters in all Mercury cameras is that the full disk rotary shutter does not fit the form factor of a conventional 35mm camera—it requires a “hump” along the back plane to accommodate the large circular blades. Also, this shutter system can only cover the (vertical) half frame (18 x 24mm) format. A full frame (24 x 36 mm) version of the Mercury would require building a camera bigger than a comparable medium-format camera! Despite its funky looking hump, the Mercury (any version) is reasonably small and light compared to others in its class, measuring 5-1/4 x 3-3.8 x 1-3/8 inches (W x H x D) and weighing in at 18.7 ounces, and (like the Leica) its rounded ends enhance its impression of sleekness. Because of the shutter design, the film wind and shutter speed setting knobs had to be on the front of the camera, but Universal turned that to their advantage, touting the benefits of having a “control center” on the front of the camera.
The whole enchilada: Mercury I with rare 35mm f/2 Hexar lens, rapid winder, extinction meter, and uncoupled rangefinder.
For the record, the Mercury CC (retrospectively called the Mercury I) launched in 1938 was constructed of unfinished aluminum alloy castings covered in leather, has a small somewhat squinty Galilean optical finder with parallax adjustment markings, and a recessed shutter release on top. It used proprietary Univex #200 film, 65 exposures of standard 35mm film wound on special spools to fit the camera. The Mercury I was also the world’s first camera to incorporate a hot shoe, a flash contact (for F sync bulbs) built into the accessory shoe! Available lenses included the 35mm f/2.7 Tricor and 35mm f/3.5 Tricor (both triplets) and the 35mm f/2 Hexar Anastigmat (most often found on the rare model CC-1500 with 1/1500 sec top shutter speed introduced in 1939). These cameras depended on modular design and simplified construction to enable them to be assembled largely with unskilled labor, and they lacked such refinements as a coupled rangefinder, slow shutter speeds and built-in light meters which were becoming popular by the late ‘30s. Universal rose to the challenge by building two side by side accessory shoes into the top of the camera and offering clip-on “system” accessories including an extinction type light meter and an uncoupled rangefinder.
The designers also took advantage of the front-mounted wind lever to design an accessory vertical rapid wind lever that could be operated like a trigger with the right middle finger while pressing the shutter release with the index finger, achieving one frame per sec or even faster! Note: Early versions of the Mercury had a plain leather covering on the rear of the shutter disc extension atop the camera; later versions replaced the leather with an additional depth of field chart covering f/2.0 and f/2.7 lenses, to supplement the DOF chart on the front that begins at f/3.5. All but the earliest Mercurys also provide a film movement indicator (it looks like a slotted screw) on the bottom. Whatever you may think of the idiosyncratic styling of the Mercury I or II they sure look like “serious” cameras, and that was the point.
One of the Mercury I’s biggest selling points was, of course, its top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec, unusual for a camera in its moderate price class—it sold for a paltry $25 in 1938 while German-made cameras from Leitz and Zeiss were selling for hundreds of dollars. However, the Contax II and III boasted a top shutter speed of 1/1250 sec and that rankled the patriotic Americans at Universal Camera Corp. As a result, management tasked the engineering department with devising a faster version of the Mercury’s rotary shutter in a bid to capture the coveted title of “fastest” (still) camera in the world”. Since the camera’s rotary shutter turns at a more-or-less constant speed, the best way of achieving a faster shutter speed would be narrowing the angle of the pie-shaped slit that scans the film. However, this would have entailed a redesign of the shutter, a costly and time-consuming procedure, so they were ordered to simply increase the spring tension, causing the shutter discs to run faster at all shutter speeds. The new top shutter speed was 1/1500, the fastest in the world, the shutter speed knob was suitably reconfigured, and the back plate of the “hump” was marked “Model CC-1500.” What Chief Engineer George Kende thought of this has not come down to us, but he must have been irked by what he knew to be a “cheap and dirty” solution to producing a higher-speed shutter that seriously impaired its long-term reliability. Indeed, the CC-1500 was afflicted with springs that break, become fatigued, or lose their temper and it’s unusual to find a fully functional example today.
Postwar Mercury II was larger and heavier than the Mercury I, but it's a better choice for shooters since it takes standard 35mm cartridges.
The good news for collectors: the Mercury CC-1500 now qualifies as a rare find. Indeed, only an estimated 3,000 were manufactured, all in 1939, compared to approximately 45,000 of the standard Mercury Model CC. With a Wollensak-made 35mm f/3.5 Tricor lens, the CC-1500 sold new in 1939 for $29.75. The camera was also available with the Wollensak-made 35mm f/2.0 Hexar Anastigmat lens, a rare option that more than doubled the price of the outfit to a breathtaking $65! Contrary to some speculation, the 35mm f/2 Hexar was not vaporware—it was a real product, not merely a catalog entry, and they occasionally show up in auction listings. There were supposedly 75mm and 125mm telephoto lenses offered as well but few if any have surfaced. Today you can occasionally snag a nice CC-1500 for a few hundred bucks, but some go for crazy prices. As a user-collectible you’re much better off with a standard CC (aka Mercury I) or better yet a Mercury II (Model CX) that takes (glory be!) standard 35mm cartridges.
Patent application for Mercury II rotary shutter mechanism dated 1942. It used the same principle as the Mercury I shutter with minor tweaks.
Like many U.S. companies, Universal Camera Corp. ceased normal operations during WWII and switched to producing items for the armed forces, such as Universal branded binoculars, which are said to be well made and of good quality. By the time Universal resumed camera production in 1945 they had decided to reconfigure the popular Mercury I or CC to accept standard 35mm cartridges. New aluminum/magnesium die castings were required and as a result the Mercury II (officially called the CX) was ¼-inch taller and wider than the Mercury I (CC). The new Mercury II (CX) measures 5.71 x 3.74 x 2.36 inches (W x H x D) and it weighs in at 21.2 ounces—substantially larger and noticeably heavier than the Mercury I but still relatively compact.
In other respects, the new model, which was widely advertised as “The Camera for Color,” had the same general specs as the original: a rotary metal focal plane shutter with speeds from 1/20-1/1000 sec, plus T and B, F sync via the hot shoe, and a squinty inverse Galilean optical finder with parallax compensation markings. It does have a redesigned film counter dial, larger wind and shutter speed knobs, a synthetic textured covering in place of leather, and no neck strap lugs like its predecessor. It took the same array of screw mount lenses cited above, but its aluminum/magnesium alloy body castings tend to oxidize and become funky, unlike the aluminum bodied Mercury I, which retains its luster..
The Mercury II (model CX) camera was produced all through the ‘40s and into the ‘50s—it was offered at the discount price of $54.40 with 35mm f/2.7 Tricor lens in 1948.
Universal Camera Corp. became insolvent in 1952 but somehow managed to soldier on until 1964. Today you can snag a clean Mercury I or II with 35mm f/2.7 or f/3.5 Tricor lens for about $60-$100 at online auction sites, but any Mercury camera (model I, II or CC-1500) with the coveted 35mm f/2.0 Hexar lens will fetch upwards of a few hundred bucks. In general, Mercury cameras are reliable, fun to shoot with and a great way to amaze your friends. They can all take sharp pictures, but re-rolling 35mm film to fit a Mercury I will only appeal to fanatics and masochists, and lots of luck getting any broken Mercury repaired. Still, they’re something only those crazy Americans could’ve come up with, and that accounts for much of their enduring charm.
The half-frame craze of the ‘60s. It all began with the Olympus Pen!
The original Olympus Pen announced in1959 is an elegant, pocketable, scale-focusing half-frame (18x24mm format) 35mm camera designed by the legendary Y. Maitani, then chief camera designer at Olympus. The engaging little Pen, which slid into a leather pouch case, soon became a cult classic that sparked the half-frame camera craze that peaked in the ‘60’s and continued into the mid ‘70s. This modest camera also sired several generations of scale-focusing Olympus Pens, culminating in the Pen D3 of ’65-’69 with 32mm f/1.7 Zuiko lens and 1/500 sec shutter, the motorized Pen EM, autoexposure Pen EE series, rare scale focusing wide-angle Pen W with 25mm f/2.8 lens, and of course the Pen SLRs, the F, FT, and FV. Japanese makers who entered the half-frame fray include Canon, Ricoh, Minolta, Petri, and Fuji. The original Pen featured thumbwheel film advance (as did most scale-focusing Pens), a 4-element 28mm f/3.5 Zuiko lens with stops to f/22, a Copal X shutter with speeds of 1/15-1/200 sec. plus B, and an illuminated frame line finder with parallax-compensation marks. It originally sold for a paltry $29.95, but a mint one currently brings about $150-200 as a user-collectible.
The original Olympus Pen of 1959. It's an elegant minimalist classic, and now a coveted collectible. Note single strap lug on left-hand end.
10 more great vintage scale-focusing half frame 35mm cameras
Canon Demi: Known for its precision, reliability and attractive design this early ‘60s classic features match-needle selenium cell metering, a sharp 5-element, 3-group 28mm /2.8 Canon SH lens, shutter speeds to 1/250 sec and lever wind. Canon also offered the Demi EE 2.8, which had the same lens and added autoexposure.
Ricoh Auto Half: Introduced in the ‘60s, its signature features are a built-in spring motor winder good for 25-30 shits per wind, selenium metering, a sharp 4-element, 3-group 25mm f/2.8 Ricoh lens, and a cold shoe. Other variants: the Ricoh Auto Half SL (with 35mm f/1.7 lens, CdS light metering, and shutter speeds of 1/30-1.250sec), the E2, and EF.
Agfa Parat series: Made by the renowned German film manufacturer, the basic mid 60s Parat I features a nice 3-element 30mm f/2.8 Color-Apotar lens, a Prontor leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/125 sec plus B, a bright frame viewfinder, a hot shoe, and esthetic styling.
Minolta Repo: This elegant early ‘60s half framer has a sharp 30mm f/2.8 lens, selenium metering, a Citizen leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/250, and a compact, elegant form factor. The later Repo-S has a different lens, the Rokkor-PF 32mm f/1.8, a 6 element in 5 group design and is considered a user-collectible prize that fetches $350-$400.
Fujica Half series: These ‘60s classics have long been favorites among half frame travel shooters due to their svelte form factors, and high quality 28mm f/2.8 Fujinon lenses. They feature selenium meters and have built-in lens covers, and one model the Fuji Drive, offers spring motor film advance. The most desirable model for user collectors is the Fujifilm Fujica Half 1.9, introduced in 1963 which has a superb 33mm f/1.9 Fujinon lens, shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/500 sec plus B, manual focus using a tab on the lens with distance scale and focusing symbols in the viewfinder, a front-mounted aperture scale, and a selenium meter with film speed settings from ASA 25-400. Unfortunately, this model is hard to find an often quite expensive--$200 ad up. One additional choice: the adorble and affordable bare bones Fujica Mini
Konica Eye: Konshiroku’s most impressive scale-focusing half-framer is theKonica Eye, a 35mm half-frame camera acclaimed for its compact size, easy operation, and its outstanding 6-element, 5-group, 30mm f/1.9 Hexanon lens. It offers automatic exposure control with a selenium light meter and a Copal leaf shutter that provides speeds from 1/30s to 1/800s. The camera has ISO 10-400 film speed settings and provides manual focus, with distance settings visible in the viewfinder and on the lens. Some versions feature a 32mm f/1.8 Hexanon lens, that performs on apar with the 30mm f/1.9. Current used price range in clean working condition: $150-$200.
Petri Half: is an attractive half-frame 35mm viewfinder camera produced by Kuribayashi (later Petri) starting in 1960. It features an excellent 28mm f/2.8 lens (Tessar type) and a shutter with speeds from 1/15 to 1/250 second, plus B. It has a unique stubby, below-the-lens, film advance/shutter cocking lever that works very well and it was available in either black or silver finish. Other features: manual focusing with distances cale and focusing symbols, no built-n meter, cold flash shoe, PC contact, tripod socket, and cable release connection. The Petri Half is a fine fun shooter and a coveted collectible. Current used price n clean working condition: $50 to $150 in silver, higher in black. Alternative models: Petri 7 Half with selenium cell around the lens.
Yashica Half series: Models include the Half 17, Half 17 Rapid, Half 14, and Half 17 EE Rapid. These cameras typically feature a fixed 32mm lens (an f/1.7 or f/1.4), automatic exposure systems, and various shutters. Models designated “17” feature a Yashinon 32mm f/1.7 lens; those labeled “14 have a Yashinon32mm f/1.4 lens, both offering a standard field of view and good low-light performance. “Rapid” models are designed for Agfa Rapid film cartridges instead of standard 35mm cartridges, The Half 17 employs a selenium meter system; the Half 14 incorporates a CdS meter. All models employ a Copal leaf shutter with speeds ranging from 1.30 to 1/500 sec or faster depending in the model. All feature zone or scale focusing (meters/feet). The Autohalf was the first Yashica half-frame camera with an electronic autoexposure system All models are noted for their sturdy construction, ease of use, and impressive on-film performance.
Yashica Rapide and Sequelle: The Yashica Rapide (not to be confused with the Yashica Half Rapid models) is a 35mm scale focusing half-frame camera with a distinctive vertical form factor produced around 1961. It features a n excellent 2.8cm (28mm) f/2.8 Yashinon lens (with apertures to f/22) in a Copal SV shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/500 sec plus B, and includes a built-in selenium light meter and a self-timer. It focuses manually from 1, to 5 meters, and infinity, with "C" (close-up) and "P" (portrait) settings, provides M and X sync, and measures 7.5 x 13.5 x 5.rcm (W x H x D). Perhaps because of its eye-catching shape, good handling, and impressive in-film performance, a clean functional Yashica Rapide commands prices in the $200-$300 range on the used market.
Yashica Sequelleis: The signature features of this unique, battery-powered, half-frame 35mm camera are its motorized electric film advance and the fact that it resembles a motion picture camera. It features a 28mm f/2.8 Yashinon lens (a superb, coated 4-element, 3-group Trssar type), zone focusing, and an uncoupled selenium exposure meter. Introduced in 1962, it was among the first cameras to utilize an electric motor (it’s powered by 3 AA batteries) for film transport. Other features include zone focusing with focus icons, rather than a traditional focusing scale, uncoupled selenium exposure meter that reads out in EV numbers, a Seikosha-L leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/250 sec plus B, and a unique lens shade and a selenium meter cap, which effectively turns the meter off. The Sequelle was designed to be user-friendly, appealing to novice photographers with its simple controls and zone focusing system, and it includes a tripod socket, cable release socket, and PC contact. A rare version with a 4.5cm f/4 lens was made for law enforcement use. A clean working Yashiuca Sequelle currently fetches about $165 t $250 on the used market, and $500 on up for a mint exam0ple with all the original packing, etc.
Agat 18k: Made in the USSR between 1988 and 1997, this perky plastic-bodied half frame 35mm camera has a metal film compartment, and is known for its compact size, light weight (a mere 4.2 ounces!) and fun form factor Its coated, 4-element, 28mm f/2.8 Industar-104 lens focuses down to 3 feet and performs remarkably well, its 2-bladed metal leaf shutter provides speeds from 1/65 to 1/540 sec, and exposures are set using what is euphemistically called a "mechanical program mode"—the photographer sets the ISO and uses weather symbols to indicate the desired aperture and shutter speed. The frame counter resets automatically when the camera is opened to load film, there’s a hidden hot shoe for flash, and the tripod socket also serves as a wrist strap mount. Although primarily aimed at novices wanting to learn the basics if photography on the cheap, the proletarian Agat 18k is a nice walkaround camera even for serious shooters who want to try something different without breaking the bank. You can glom onto one if these beauties online for a paltry $40-$75, but make sure the seller accepts returns because repairs are virtually impossible.
Penti and Penti II: These East German half-frame 35mm film cameras capture 18x24mm images in a vertical orientation. The Penti) was produced by VEB Welta Kamera-Werke, later by Pentacon, the company that made the Penti II. The latter added a built-in selenium light meter with a match-needle readout in the finder. The Penti incorporates a30mm f/3.5 Meyer-Optik Domiplan lens that focuses down to 1 meter, has shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/125 plus B, and a unique plunger type e film advance mechanism that retracts after advancing the film. The metal bodied camera measures 10.7 x 7 x 4.5 cm ( W x H x D) and weighs 261 grams (9.2 oz.
The Pentacon Penti II is a half-frame camera manufactured by VEB Welta-Kamera-Werke (later VEB Pentacon) in East Germany from 1961 to 1977. It features a Meyer-Optik Domiplan V 30mm f/3.5 lens (3-elements), a 2-bladed metal leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30, 1/60, and 1/125 sec plus B. uses 35mm film in Agfa Rapid/SL cassettes, has a coupled selenium cell with a viewfinder match needle, and manual zone focus from 1 meter to infinity. The Penti II measures 105 x 75 x 48 mm (W x H x D)) and weighs in at 285g (10.1 oz.
Penti cameras are known for their unique film advance mechanism, and were praised for their sturdy, well-built design using materials like anodized aluminum and coated optical glass. However, the use of Agfa Rapid/SL cartridges is a drawback since it requires reloading or finding pre-loaded expired film. Both the Penti and Penti II cameras are readily available at online auction sites at prices ranging from about $40 to $80, but fair warning, repairs are well-nigh impossible.
Three 35mm half-frame scale-focusing cameras you can buy brand new!
The Pentax PE 17: Introduced in 2024, the Pentax PE 17 is an all-new 35mm half-frame film camera that’s simple, elegant, functional, and fun to shoot with. Since the film runs horizontally, the 17 x 24mm images are captured in a vertical orientation with the camera held normally and you must hold it in “portrait orientation” to shoot horizontals. In keeping with its “sophisticated point & shoot” concept, it doesn’t provide traditional manual settings—you can only set the ISO (50-3200), the +/- 3-stop exposure compensation dial and decide whether to use flash or not. The camera has a high quality 3-element 25mm f/3.5 lens (37mm full frame equivalent) with 6-zone manual focus from 9.8 inches to infinity, shutter speeds from 4 to 1/350 sec plus B, a built-in flash that recycles in about 9 sec, a built-in mini hand grip, and an optical viewfinder. It measures a compact 5 x 3.1 x 2 inches (W x H x D) and weighs in at a portable 10.2 ounces without film or CR2 battery. Yes, it’s drop dead gorgeous and beautifully made but $496.95 seems a bit steep considering its modest feature set.
Pentax 17: Announced in 2024, this nicely proportioned half frame 35 is a great walk-around point & shoot, but at nearly $500, it's pricey!
$500The AgfaPhoto FF: This attractively Spartan half frame camera features as fixed focus 50mm f/5.6 lens, a 1/120s shutter speed, a built-in flash powered by one AAA battery, and uses standard 35mm film. Billed as a “reusable analog camera” that accommodates color and black & white films with speeds of ISO 200, 400, and 800, and features what is described as “a classic 1970s-inspired aesthetic. Price new: $99.00 complete with a roll of film, a neck strap, and a carrying bag. Cool!
Holga 135HC Half Frame Film Camera: Offered in attractive black and tan, this elemental plastic-bodied half frame beauty features a 47mm fixed-focus lens, and provides a single timed shutter speed of 1/100 sec shutter speed along with a B setting Compatible with standard 35mm cartridges and color negative or black and white films, it’s a lightweight compact snapshot camera that has a basic optical viewfinder, thumbwheel film advance, an auto-resetting frame counter, accepts a detachable shoe mount flash (the Holga 120 MINI,sold separately) and includes a tripod socket for low-light shooting in B mode. The Hoga 135HC measures 4.3 x 2,4 x 1.5 inches and weighs in at a ultra- light 3.5 ounces without film. New price: $49.99.
Back To Basics. Part 1, From the first ones to half-frame 35s of then and now.
By Jason Schneider
Back in the 1890s the only 35mm cameras were motion picture cameras, mostly hand-crank contraptions that provided an 18 x 24mm format on double perforated 35mm film. The actual width of the raw (unperforated) film is (surprise, surprise!) 35mm, and this was not determined by some mythical event like Geoge Eastman or Thomas Edison indicating the dimension by holding out his thumb and forefinger. It was arrived at by simply cutting the 70mm film used in the original Kodak camera of 1888 in half, creating two equal strips, each 35mm wide. How the 50mm lens came to be the standard for 18 x 24mm -format still and movie cameras as well as the “full frame”24 x 36mm still picture format is a bit more complicated. Since the diagonal of the 18 x 24mm format (which defines the image circle) is 30mm, a 50mm lens would be roughly equivalent to a 75mm lens on the 18 x 24mm format, a moderate telephoto. Since most early motion pictures were essentially stage productions set forth on a proscenium stage, a longer lens would make it easier for the cinematographer to fill the frame with the action on stage and crop out any distracting elements on the sides. Also, it was easier to design high-performance lenses with a somewhat narrower acceptance angle given the limitations of glass types and optical designs (Paul Rudolph didn’t create the Zeiss Tessar until 1902!). Finally, it’s heartwarming to note the crucial role played by Americans and U.S companies in the emergence of 35mm as the dominant photographic system of the 20th century.
Honors for designing and constructing the first 35mm motion picture camera are generally accorded to Auguste and Louis Lumière, who created the Lumière Cinématographe, introduced in March 1895. While Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope of 1893 used 35mm film for viewing motion pictures, it wasn’t a motion picture camera capable of capturing projectible moving images. Edison did make and patent a 35mm movie camera, the Kinetograph, but no known example exists. The Cinématographe was actually a “convertible” camera, printer, and projector that used the same 35mm film as Edison and employed the 18 x 24mm format that was destined to become the world standard for 35mm motion pictures. It's noteworthy that while many early hand crank motion picture cameras could capture individual frames, none of them was primarily intended or used as a still picture camera so they’re not included in this category.
Although small, batches and prototypes of 35mm still picture cameras were being made as far back as 1905 (e.g. a bricklike 24 x 60mm format camera by Jens Poul Andersen of Denmark, and a plunger-advance 45 x 30mm format camera by Ambrosio Torino of Italy), the first 35mm camera to be offered for sale (albeit none too successfully) was probably Le Cent Vue, an award-winning, 18 x24mm format camera of 1909 made in France by Mollier & Demaison.
Le Cent Vues from France was probably the first 35mm still picture camera offered for sale, but few were sold. This is the elegant 2nd version with rounded ends. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The Tourist Multiple: The first widely successful 35mm still camera
The Tourist Multiple, introduced in 1913 by Herbert & Huesgen’s “New Ideas Mfg. Co.” of New York, NY was the first 35mm still camera to be sold in significant numbers—a total of about 1,000 units. Designed for the “carriage trade,” mostly well-to-do Americans who could afford to take summer tours in Europe, it was extravagantly priced at either $125 or $175 per copy (depending on the date and the source of the data). Bear in mind that even $125 in 1914 is equivalent to a whopping $3,945 in 2025 dollars!
Tourist Multiple: The first widely marketed 35mm still picture camera was this U.S.-made half-frame classic. About 1,000 were made. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum,
The beautifully crafted and finished, leather-clad Tourist Multiple is a vertically oriented camera that was loaded with a 50-foot magazine of double perforated 35mm film, sufficient for 750 half frame exposures, each measuring 18x24mm. its shutter is a proprietary all- metal self-capping focal plane type providing speeds from 1/40 to 1/200 sec and it's cocked by a single lever that doubles as the film-advance lever. Its superb 50mm f/3.5 Bausch & Lomb Zeiss Tessar lens focuses down to 2 feet and is mounted in a rising and falling lens board that can correct for perspective distortion (e.g. converging verticals), and a Projection Lantern was available at $100 if purchased separately or about $75 if purchased with the camera. Certainly, the Tourist Multiple was a revolutionary camera that was ahead of its time, but World War I greatly affected the market for a camera designed for international tourism and sadly production, which had ceased during the war, was never resumed afterward. Current auction prices for a Tourist Multiple camera and lens run about $5,300 for one in average condition to $12,000 and up for a “museum piece” in mint condition.
The Simplex: Most advanced U.S. 35mm still picture camera of its era!
The Multi-Speed Shutter Company was established c.1908 by Gustav Dietz and located in Morris Park, Long Island. The firm initially designed and patented shutter mechanisms that provided amazingly fast speeds up to 1/2000 sec, bettering most focal plane shutters of the day. Its main products, the High-Speed shutter and the subsequent Junior shutter, were followed up with professional shutters, and other variants. In 1912, the company officially entered the camera manufacturing business, enlarged their factory at Morris Park and relocated their New York office several times during the company’s existence.
The Multi-Speed Shutter Company began manufacturing the Simplex camera, and then the Precision camera, both of which delivered cutting edge technology. The Simplex is claimed by many experts to be the first 35mm still picture camera marketed in the U.S., just beating out the Tourist Multiple. In keeping with its new product mix, The Multi-Speed Shutter Co. merged with several other entities to form the Simplex Photo Products company, which marketed 40 distinct products, all under the trade name "Simplex." The company survived into the 1920s but went out of business sometime before the great stock market crash of October 1929.
Simplex Multi Exposure Model B was the first still picture 35mm camera to offer a choice of 18 x 24mm and 24 x 36mm formats. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The most renowned and technologically audacious Simplex product ever made was the Multi-Exposure Simplex Camera that was announced in 1914 when the company was still operating as the Multi-Speed Shutter Company. Capable of capturing 800 half frame (18 x 24mm) or 400 full frame exposures (24 x 36mm) per 50-foot cartridge of Eastman standard perforated (35mm) motion picture film, it was said to be the first production camera in the world to offer a choice of 24 x 36mm and 18 x 24mm formats on 35mm film. It was daylight loading and the exposed portion of film could be removed at any time. The camera is constructed of high-grade aluminum alloy, brass and nickel steel, covered in leather, with the exposed metal parts finished in black. It was fitted with a Type1c 50mm f/f3.5 Tessar anastigmat lens in a No. 00 Compound leaf shutter. Other features: a direct view finder, manual focusing scale, ¼ x 20 tripod sockets, and an exposure counter. The camera is reasonably compact, measuring 7 x 2 x 3 inches. Originally priced at a hefty $50.00 only 50 Simplex cameras (all 4 types, including the scaled-down “economy” Multi-Exposure Simplex Model B shown here) were ever made. That’s why any Simplex qualifies as an ultra-rare collector’s prize or a bona fide museum piece. Estimated auction price of a Multi-Exposure Simplex Model B: $25K and up.
Historical background:
The Multi Exposure Simplex was designed by Alfred Huger Moses Jr, aka Al, a noted silent movie cinematographer. He is credited with shooting 38 movies from 1912 to 1919. Forgotten today, he was a man of considerable accomplishments including graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in in “Electrics,” working on fitting out the battleship USS Maine in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Al used his cine experience in designing the Simplexes, which had a form factor resembling cine cameras, perhaps to their sales detriment. However, the “small camera big print” concept pioneered by Oskar Barnack eventually won the day and that propelled the Leica to worldwide success more than any other identifiable factor.
The Leica I (Model A) and its rangefinder-less scale-focusing successors
Contrary to persistently popular myths and some decades-old Leica ads, the first Leica camera, the Leica I (Model A) was not the first 35mm still picture camera, dd not pioneer the 24 x 36mm format, and was not the first 35mm still picture camera to be successfully marketed. However, Oskar Barnack’s masterpiece did establish the basic form factor for 35mm still cameras going forward and according to Leica-Wiki, Leitz Wetzlar turned out 58,486 units between 1924 and 1930, including 870 fitted with the ultra-rare 5-element, 3-group Leitz Anastigmat or Elmax lenses. If you include the Compur shutter Leica I (Model B) and the super-rare gold-plated limited-edition Leica Luxus, the total increases to a claimed 60, 586 units, an impressive figure for that era.
An ultra-rasre museum piece: Leica I (Model A) No. 199 with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
The Leica I (Model A) of 1925 is an elemental, pocket sized, precision miniature, full frame (24 x 36 mm format) 35mm camera with a collapsible, non-interchangeable, scale focusing 50mm f/3.5 lens (most commonly a 4-element, 3-group Elmar) , a simple optical viewfinder, and a horizontal cloth focal-plane shutter with speeds from 1/20-1/500 sec plus Z (Zeit or time exposure). Its most advanced features: combined film wind, shutter cocking and frame spacing by turning a single knob, and a manually zeroed automatic frame counter. All these seemingly simple features combine to virtually eliminate unintentional blank and double exposures. Oskar Barnack’s masterpiece measures 133 x 39 x 65 mm or 5.24 x 1.54 x 2.60 inches (L x W x H) with the lens collapsed and originally sold for a princely $75.00 (equal about $1,384.49 in 2025 dollars). You can snag a clean standard issue Leica I (Model A) (not a 3- or 4-digit model!) for about $2,000 to $2,500) but one with an Elmax lens will set you back $30K or more.
Leica I (Model A) with ETRIN case, FODIS rangefinder, and lens cap. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
The rangefinder-less, scale-focusing Leica I series proved to have staying power and Leice produced screw-mount models up until the Leica Ig was phased out in 1960. This gorgeously minimalist series began with the early Leica I (C) of 1930 with non-standardized screw mount, the later standardized versions (with a zero stamped on the lens mount and lens), and the Leica E (Standard) with a standardized lens mount and a smaller rewind knob that was made for nearly 2 decades from 1932 to 1950 with a total production of 35,706 units in black or chrome.
A pair of Leica Standard (Model E) cameras, black (top) and chrome, with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lenses. Photo courtesy of James Lager.
It was followed by the Leica Ic (1949-1950), the Leica If (in black and red flash sync scale versions) introduced in 1952 and the Ig (1957-1960). The screw-mount rangefinder-less models were succeeded by the Leica M1 of 1959 (with M-bayonet mount and parallax-compensating frame lines for 35mm and 50mm lenses, the Leica MD of 1964 with no viewfinder or rangefinder, the Leica MDa of 1966, which added a canted rewind crank, and the Leica MD2 of 1977 (based on the M4-2 and made in Canada). The last 3 models were basically lab cameras, often used with an auxiliary viewfinder such as a Visoflex or a Reprovit. Fitted with a 35mm lens and, if needed, a35mm viewfinder, any of these scale-focusing models is an excellent walk-around street camera.
Leca Ic of c.1949-50 with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens and SBOOI 50mm finder. Note blanked out slow speed dial. Photo courtesy James Lager.
Half Frame 35mm cameras: A treasure trove of scale-focusing gems
The Ansco Memo is an American made (in Binghamton, NY) 35mm half-frame camera known for its compact size and unique features. It was introduced around 1927 and produced in various configurations, including models with different lenses and body styles. Lens options included the f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat, f/6.3 Ilex-Ansco Cinemat, and f/3.5 Bausch & Lomb Anastigmatic, among others. Some models had fixed focus, while others were adjustable. Body finishes range from plain wood to leather-covered and there was a special olive-drab Boy Scout model. Later versions also included a shutter release guard and metal cassettes.
Ansco Memo of 1927 was the most successful American half frame 35 of its era. This is the basic version with fixed ficus f/6.3 Ilex-Ansco lens. Photo courtesy of the George Eastman Museum.
The Ansco Memo uses standard 35mm cine film loaded into proprietary cassettes and provides a horizontally oriented half frame 18 x 24mm format with the camera held vertically. Film is advanced via a sliding tab on the back which operates an internal cine-like claw mechanism that advances the film vertically and moves the front-mounted frame counter. The Memo (all types) proved very popular, are widely regarded as the first successful high-production American made 35mm still cameras and were a major revenue source for Ansco.
A classic example of the best-selling Memo was the original model that debuted in 1927. It featured a fixed focus f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat lens and weighed in at 84 grams (13.5 ounces)/.
It's worth noting that an Agfa Memo was released in 1939 after Agfa and Ansco merged, using a similar half-frame format but with major differences in the specs and form factor. The GAF Ansco Memo II was a entirely different half frame compact 35 made by Ricoh in Japan. .
Key Specifications:
Film Format: 35mm half-frame (18mm x 24mm).
Lens: Typically, an f/6.3 Wollensak Velostigmat or an Ilex-Ansco Cinemat lens, with some models featuring focusing f/3.5 lenses.
Focus: Fixed focus at around 8 feet to infinity, though some models offered focusing adjustments.
Shutter: Ansco leaf with speeds of T, B, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 sec.
Viewfinder: Inverse Galilean optical viewfinder.
Film Loading: Uses special Ansco or Agfa Karat cassettes.
Models and Variations:
Ansco Memo (1927) The original model with a fixed focus f/6.3 lens
Ansco Memo with f/3.5 lens: Some models were equipped with a faster f/3.5 lens, offering improved low-light performance.
Boy Scout Model: A specific version with a wood olive-drab body, likely designed for the Boy Scouts of America.
Focusing and Non-Focusing Models: Variations existed with and without focusing lenses.
Body Styles: Some models had plain, uncovered wood bodies, while others were covered in leather.
Later Models: Later models were labeled as "Memo" and featured a shutter release guard.
Other Noteworthy Features:
Automatic Frame Counter: A counter on the front of the camera indicates the number of exposures taken.
Metal Handle: Many models included a metal handle for easy carrying.
Tripod Socket: Equipped with a standard 1/4 x 20 tripod socket.
Special Film Cassettes: Uses proprietary Ansco or Agfa Karat film cassettes, which were introduced before Kodak released the standard 35mm cartridge in 1934.
The original U.S.-made Ansco Memo (any model) is a great user collectible that’s capable of surprisingly good imaging performance. It’s generally easy to find on the leading online auction sites and typically fetches prices in the $50 to $150 range; higher for special edition models, and examples in mint condition and/or fitted with the focusing f/3.5 lens. If you want to shoot pictures with an Ansco or Agfa Memo, make sure it comes with the correct cartridges, which are easy to reload with bulk 35mm film in a darkroom or changing bag.
The Magnificent Mercury: America's most advanced scale-focusing 35 was a weird half-frame camera with a high-speed rotary shutter!
Universal Camera Corp. of New York, NY made everything from simple point and shoots to 8mm movie cameras to 35mm scale focusing and rangefinder cameras, to folding roll film cameras, to twin lens reflexes, to enlargers, projectors, and even radios. But perhaps the company’s wisest decision was hiring George Kende as Chief Design Engineer in 1935. Kende was a brilliant and innovative engineer who had a remarkable facility for creating sophisticated designs for cameras and photographic equipment that provided advanced features yet could be produced at moderate cost by unskilled or semi-skilled labor. His crowning achievements were Universal Camera Corp.’s Mercury I and Mercury II, both half-frame 35s with rotary shutters, that were among the few American-made cameras to successfully challenge European dominance in the immediate pre-war and post-WWII eras
The Mercury I, officially dubbed the Model CC, debuted in 1938, and its design is a tribute to George Kende’s out-of-the-box thinking and engineering brilliance. The centerpiece of the design is a full rotary sector focal plane shutter derived from those used in Univex 8mm movie cameras that had been introduced in 1936. The shutter consists of 2 interconnected round metal discs with its central pivot point positioned just above the top edge of the 35mm film. By varying the pie-slice opening between the two discs that pass in front of the film to make the exposure, timed shutter speeds of 1/20-1/1000 sec (plus B and T) were obtainable. The shutter used simple modular components which were easy to assemble and only a single spindle was required rather than up to 4 spindles used in conventional focal plane shutters. Because the opening and closing blades were rigidly geared together and driven by a single spring there is no “fading,” uneven exposures due to variations in first and second curtain speeds. And since the disk traveled though half a rotation before the exposure was made it acted as flywheel to stabilize its speed, resulting in more uniform exposures. Indeed, tests conducted at the Harvard Observatory indicated that the Mercury I’s shutter was more accurate than those in the Contax and the Leica, quite an achievement for an upstart American company that produced cheap cameras for the masses!
The major downside to the shutters in all Mercury cameras is that the full disk rotary shutter does not fit the form factor of a conventional 35mm camera—it requires a “hump” along the back plane to accommodate the large circular blades. Also, this shutter system can only cover the (vertical) half frame (18 x 24mm) format. A full frame (24 x 36 mm) version of the Mercury would require building a camera bigger than a comparable medium-format camera! Despite its funky looking hump, the Mercury (any version) is reasonably small and light compared to others in its class, measuring 5-1/4 x 3-3.8 x 1-3/8 inches (W x H x D) and weighing in at 18.7 ounces, and (like the Leica) its rounded ends enhance its impression of sleekness. Because of the shutter design, the film wind and shutter speed setting knobs had to be on the front of the camera, but Universal turned that to their advantage, touting the benefits of having a “control center” on the front of the camera.
The whole enchilada: Mercury I with rare 35mm f/2 Hexar lens, rapid winder, extinction meter, and uncoupled rangefinder.
For the record, the Mercury CC (retrospectively called the Mercury I) launched in 1938 was constructed of unfinished aluminum alloy castings covered in leather, has a small somewhat squinty Galilean optical finder with parallax adjustment markings, and a recessed shutter release on top. It used proprietary Univex #200 film, 65 exposures of standard 35mm film wound on special spools to fit the camera. The Mercury I was also the world’s first camera to incorporate a hot shoe, a flash contact (for F sync bulbs) built into the accessory shoe! Available lenses included the 35mm f/2.7 Tricor and 35mm f/3.5 Tricor (both triplets) and the 35mm f/2 Hexar Anastigmat (most often found on the rare model CC-1500 with 1/1500 sec top shutter speed introduced in 1939). These cameras depended on modular design and simplified construction to enable them to be assembled largely with unskilled labor, and they lacked such refinements as a coupled rangefinder, slow shutter speeds and built-in light meters which were becoming popular by the late ‘30s. Universal rose to the challenge by building two side by side accessory shoes into the top of the camera and offering clip-on “system” accessories including an extinction type light meter and an uncoupled rangefinder.
The designers also took advantage of the front-mounted wind lever to design an accessory vertical rapid wind lever that could be operated like a trigger with the right middle finger while pressing the shutter release with the index finger, achieving one frame per sec or even faster! Note: Early versions of the Mercury had a plain leather covering on the rear of the shutter disc extension atop the camera; later versions replaced the leather with an additional depth of field chart covering f/2.0 and f/2.7 lenses, to supplement the DOF chart on the front that begins at f/3.5. All but the earliest Mercurys also provide a film movement indicator (it looks like a slotted screw) on the bottom. Whatever you may think of the idiosyncratic styling of the Mercury I or II they sure look like “serious” cameras, and that was the point.
One of the Mercury I’s biggest selling points was, of course, its top shutter speed of 1/1000 sec, unusual for a camera in its moderate price class—it sold for a paltry $25 in 1938 while German-made cameras from Leitz and Zeiss were selling for hundreds of dollars. However, the Contax II and III boasted a top shutter speed of 1/1250 sec and that rankled the patriotic Americans at Universal Camera Corp. As a result, management tasked the engineering department with devising a faster version of the Mercury’s rotary shutter in a bid to capture the coveted title of “fastest” (still) camera in the world”. Since the camera’s rotary shutter turns at a more-or-less constant speed, the best way of achieving a faster shutter speed would be narrowing the angle of the pie-shaped slit that scans the film. However, this would have entailed a redesign of the shutter, a costly and time-consuming procedure, so they were ordered to simply increase the spring tension, causing the shutter discs to run faster at all shutter speeds. The new top shutter speed was 1/1500, the fastest in the world, the shutter speed knob was suitably reconfigured, and the back plate of the “hump” was marked “Model CC-1500.” What Chief Engineer George Kende thought of this has not come down to us, but he must have been irked by what he knew to be a “cheap and dirty” solution to producing a higher-speed shutter that seriously impaired its long-term reliability. Indeed, the CC-1500 was afflicted with springs that break, become fatigued, or lose their temper and it’s unusual to find a fully functional example today.
Postwar Mercury II was larger and heavier than the Mercury I, but it's a better choice for shooters since it takes standard 35mm cartridges.
The good news for collectors: the Mercury CC-1500 now qualifies as a rare find. Indeed, only an estimated 3,000 were manufactured, all in 1939, compared to approximately 45,000 of the standard Mercury Model CC. With a Wollensak-made 35mm f/3.5 Tricor lens, the CC-1500 sold new in 1939 for $29.75. The camera was also available with the Wollensak-made 35mm f/2.0 Hexar Anastigmat lens, a rare option that more than doubled the price of the outfit to a breathtaking $65! Contrary to some speculation, the 35mm f/2 Hexar was not vaporware—it was a real product, not merely a catalog entry, and they occasionally show up in auction listings. There were supposedly 75mm and 125mm telephoto lenses offered as well but few if any have surfaced. Today you can occasionally snag a nice CC-1500 for a few hundred bucks, but some go for crazy prices. As a user-collectible you’re much better off with a standard CC (aka Mercury I) or better yet a Mercury II (Model CX) that takes (glory be!) standard 35mm cartridges.
Patent application for Mercury II rotary shutter mechanism dated 1942. It used the same principle as the Mercury I shutter with minor tweaks.
Like many U.S. companies, Universal Camera Corp. ceased normal operations during WWII and switched to producing items for the armed forces, such as Universal branded binoculars, which are said to be well made and of good quality. By the time Universal resumed camera production in 1945 they had decided to reconfigure the popular Mercury I or CC to accept standard 35mm cartridges. New aluminum/magnesium die castings were required and as a result the Mercury II (officially called the CX) was ¼-inch taller and wider than the Mercury I (CC). The new Mercury II (CX) measures 5.71 x 3.74 x 2.36 inches (W x H x D) and it weighs in at 21.2 ounces—substantially larger and noticeably heavier than the Mercury I but still relatively compact.
In other respects, the new model, which was widely advertised as “The Camera for Color,” had the same general specs as the original: a rotary metal focal plane shutter with speeds from 1/20-1/1000 sec, plus T and B, F sync via the hot shoe, and a squinty inverse Galilean optical finder with parallax compensation markings. It does have a redesigned film counter dial, larger wind and shutter speed knobs, a synthetic textured covering in place of leather, and no neck strap lugs like its predecessor. It took the same array of screw mount lenses cited above, but its aluminum/magnesium alloy body castings tend to oxidize and become funky, unlike the aluminum bodied Mercury I, which retains its luster..
The Mercury II (model CX) camera was produced all through the ‘40s and into the ‘50s—it was offered at the discount price of $54.40 with 35mm f/2.7 Tricor lens in 1948.
Universal Camera Corp. became insolvent in 1952 but somehow managed to soldier on until 1964. Today you can snag a clean Mercury I or II with 35mm f/2.7 or f/3.5 Tricor lens for about $60-$100 at online auction sites, but any Mercury camera (model I, II or CC-1500) with the coveted 35mm f/2.0 Hexar lens will fetch upwards of a few hundred bucks. In general, Mercury cameras are reliable, fun to shoot with and a great way to amaze your friends. They can all take sharp pictures, but re-rolling 35mm film to fit a Mercury I will only appeal to fanatics and masochists, and lots of luck getting any broken Mercury repaired. Still, they’re something only those crazy Americans could’ve come up with, and that accounts for much of their enduring charm.
The half-frame craze of the ‘60s. It all began with the Olympus Pen!
The original Olympus Pen announced in1959 is an elegant, pocketable, scale-focusing half-frame (18x24mm format) 35mm camera designed by the legendary Y. Maitani, then chief camera designer at Olympus. The engaging little Pen, which slid into a leather pouch case, soon became a cult classic that sparked the half-frame camera craze that peaked in the ‘60’s and continued into the mid ‘70s. This modest camera also sired several generations of scale-focusing Olympus Pens, culminating in the Pen D3 of ’65-’69 with 32mm f/1.7 Zuiko lens and 1/500 sec shutter, the motorized Pen EM, autoexposure Pen EE series, rare scale focusing wide-angle Pen W with 25mm f/2.8 lens, and of course the Pen SLRs, the F, FT, and FV. Japanese makers who entered the half-frame fray include Canon, Ricoh, Minolta, Petri, and Fuji. The original Pen featured thumbwheel film advance (as did most scale-focusing Pens), a 4-element 28mm f/3.5 Zuiko lens with stops to f/22, a Copal X shutter with speeds of 1/15-1/200 sec. plus B, and an illuminated frame line finder with parallax-compensation marks. It originally sold for a paltry $29.95, but a mint one currently brings about $150-200 as a user-collectible.
The original Olympus Pen of 1959. It's an elegant minimalist classic, and now a coveted collectible. Note single strap lug on left-hand end.
10 more great vintage scale-focusing half frame 35mm cameras
Canon Demi: Known for its precision, reliability and attractive design this early ‘60s classic features match-needle selenium cell metering, a sharp 5-element, 3-group 28mm /2.8 Canon SH lens, shutter speeds to 1/250 sec and lever wind. Canon also offered the Demi EE 2.8, which had the same lens and added autoexposure.
Ricoh Auto Half: Introduced in the ‘60s, its signature features are a built-in spring motor winder good for 25-30 shits per wind, selenium metering, a sharp 4-element, 3-group 25mm f/2.8 Ricoh lens, and a cold shoe. Other variants: the Ricoh Auto Half SL (with 35mm f/1.7 lens, CdS light metering, and shutter speeds of 1/30-1.250sec), the E2, and EF.
Agfa Parat series: Made by the renowned German film manufacturer, the basic mid 60s Parat I features a nice 3-element 30mm f/2.8 Color-Apotar lens, a Prontor leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/125 sec plus B, a bright frame viewfinder, a hot shoe, and esthetic styling.
Minolta Repo: This elegant early ‘60s half framer has a sharp 30mm f/2.8 lens, selenium metering, a Citizen leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/250, and a compact, elegant form factor. The later Repo-S has a different lens, the Rokkor-PF 32mm f/1.8, a 6 element in 5 group design and is considered a user-collectible prize that fetches $350-$400.
Fujica Half series: These ‘60s classics have long been favorites among half frame travel shooters due to their svelte form factors, and high quality 28mm f/2.8 Fujinon lenses. They feature selenium meters and have built-in lens covers, and one model the Fuji Drive, offers spring motor film advance. The most desirable model for user collectors is the Fujifilm Fujica Half 1.9, introduced in 1963 which has a superb 33mm f/1.9 Fujinon lens, shutter speeds from 1/8 to 1/500 sec plus B, manual focus using a tab on the lens with distance scale and focusing symbols in the viewfinder, a front-mounted aperture scale, and a selenium meter with film speed settings from ASA 25-400. Unfortunately, this model is hard to find an often quite expensive--$200 ad up. One additional choice: the adorble and affordable bare bones Fujica Mini
Konica Eye: Konshiroku’s most impressive scale-focusing half-framer is theKonica Eye, a 35mm half-frame camera acclaimed for its compact size, easy operation, and its outstanding 6-element, 5-group, 30mm f/1.9 Hexanon lens. It offers automatic exposure control with a selenium light meter and a Copal leaf shutter that provides speeds from 1/30s to 1/800s. The camera has ISO 10-400 film speed settings and provides manual focus, with distance settings visible in the viewfinder and on the lens. Some versions feature a 32mm f/1.8 Hexanon lens, that performs on apar with the 30mm f/1.9. Current used price range in clean working condition: $150-$200.
Petri Half: is an attractive half-frame 35mm viewfinder camera produced by Kuribayashi (later Petri) starting in 1960. It features an excellent 28mm f/2.8 lens (Tessar type) and a shutter with speeds from 1/15 to 1/250 second, plus B. It has a unique stubby, below-the-lens, film advance/shutter cocking lever that works very well and it was available in either black or silver finish. Other features: manual focusing with distances cale and focusing symbols, no built-n meter, cold flash shoe, PC contact, tripod socket, and cable release connection. The Petri Half is a fine fun shooter and a coveted collectible. Current used price n clean working condition: $50 to $150 in silver, higher in black. Alternative models: Petri 7 Half with selenium cell around the lens.
Yashica Half series: Models include the Half 17, Half 17 Rapid, Half 14, and Half 17 EE Rapid. These cameras typically feature a fixed 32mm lens (an f/1.7 or f/1.4), automatic exposure systems, and various shutters. Models designated “17” feature a Yashinon 32mm f/1.7 lens; those labeled “14 have a Yashinon32mm f/1.4 lens, both offering a standard field of view and good low-light performance. “Rapid” models are designed for Agfa Rapid film cartridges instead of standard 35mm cartridges, The Half 17 employs a selenium meter system; the Half 14 incorporates a CdS meter. All models employ a Copal leaf shutter with speeds ranging from 1.30 to 1/500 sec or faster depending in the model. All feature zone or scale focusing (meters/feet). The Autohalf was the first Yashica half-frame camera with an electronic autoexposure system All models are noted for their sturdy construction, ease of use, and impressive on-film performance.
Yashica Rapide and Sequelle: The Yashica Rapide (not to be confused with the Yashica Half Rapid models) is a 35mm scale focusing half-frame camera with a distinctive vertical form factor produced around 1961. It features a n excellent 2.8cm (28mm) f/2.8 Yashinon lens (with apertures to f/22) in a Copal SV shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/500 sec plus B, and includes a built-in selenium light meter and a self-timer. It focuses manually from 1, to 5 meters, and infinity, with "C" (close-up) and "P" (portrait) settings, provides M and X sync, and measures 7.5 x 13.5 x 5.rcm (W x H x D). Perhaps because of its eye-catching shape, good handling, and impressive in-film performance, a clean functional Yashica Rapide commands prices in the $200-$300 range on the used market.
Yashica Sequelleis: The signature features of this unique, battery-powered, half-frame 35mm camera are its motorized electric film advance and the fact that it resembles a motion picture camera. It features a 28mm f/2.8 Yashinon lens (a superb, coated 4-element, 3-group Trssar type), zone focusing, and an uncoupled selenium exposure meter. Introduced in 1962, it was among the first cameras to utilize an electric motor (it’s powered by 3 AA batteries) for film transport. Other features include zone focusing with focus icons, rather than a traditional focusing scale, uncoupled selenium exposure meter that reads out in EV numbers, a Seikosha-L leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30 to 1/250 sec plus B, and a unique lens shade and a selenium meter cap, which effectively turns the meter off. The Sequelle was designed to be user-friendly, appealing to novice photographers with its simple controls and zone focusing system, and it includes a tripod socket, cable release socket, and PC contact. A rare version with a 4.5cm f/4 lens was made for law enforcement use. A clean working Yashiuca Sequelle currently fetches about $165 t $250 on the used market, and $500 on up for a mint exam0ple with all the original packing, etc.
Agat 18k: Made in the USSR between 1988 and 1997, this perky plastic-bodied half frame 35mm camera has a metal film compartment, and is known for its compact size, light weight (a mere 4.2 ounces!) and fun form factor Its coated, 4-element, 28mm f/2.8 Industar-104 lens focuses down to 3 feet and performs remarkably well, its 2-bladed metal leaf shutter provides speeds from 1/65 to 1/540 sec, and exposures are set using what is euphemistically called a "mechanical program mode"—the photographer sets the ISO and uses weather symbols to indicate the desired aperture and shutter speed. The frame counter resets automatically when the camera is opened to load film, there’s a hidden hot shoe for flash, and the tripod socket also serves as a wrist strap mount. Although primarily aimed at novices wanting to learn the basics if photography on the cheap, the proletarian Agat 18k is a nice walkaround camera even for serious shooters who want to try something different without breaking the bank. You can glom onto one if these beauties online for a paltry $40-$75, but make sure the seller accepts returns because repairs are virtually impossible.
Penti and Penti II: These East German half-frame 35mm film cameras capture 18x24mm images in a vertical orientation. The Penti) was produced by VEB Welta Kamera-Werke, later by Pentacon, the company that made the Penti II. The latter added a built-in selenium light meter with a match-needle readout in the finder. The Penti incorporates a30mm f/3.5 Meyer-Optik Domiplan lens that focuses down to 1 meter, has shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/125 plus B, and a unique plunger type e film advance mechanism that retracts after advancing the film. The metal bodied camera measures 10.7 x 7 x 4.5 cm ( W x H x D) and weighs 261 grams (9.2 oz.
The Pentacon Penti II is a half-frame camera manufactured by VEB Welta-Kamera-Werke (later VEB Pentacon) in East Germany from 1961 to 1977. It features a Meyer-Optik Domiplan V 30mm f/3.5 lens (3-elements), a 2-bladed metal leaf shutter with speeds of 1/30, 1/60, and 1/125 sec plus B. uses 35mm film in Agfa Rapid/SL cassettes, has a coupled selenium cell with a viewfinder match needle, and manual zone focus from 1 meter to infinity. The Penti II measures 105 x 75 x 48 mm (W x H x D)) and weighs in at 285g (10.1 oz.
Penti cameras are known for their unique film advance mechanism, and were praised for their sturdy, well-built design using materials like anodized aluminum and coated optical glass. However, the use of Agfa Rapid/SL cartridges is a drawback since it requires reloading or finding pre-loaded expired film. Both the Penti and Penti II cameras are readily available at online auction sites at prices ranging from about $40 to $80, but fair warning, repairs are well-nigh impossible.
Three 35mm half-frame scale-focusing cameras you can buy brand new!
The Pentax PE 17: Introduced in 2024, the Pentax PE 17 is an all-new 35mm half-frame film camera that’s simple, elegant, functional, and fun to shoot with. Since the film runs horizontally, the 17 x 24mm images are captured in a vertical orientation with the camera held normally and you must hold it in “portrait orientation” to shoot horizontals. In keeping with its “sophisticated point & shoot” concept, it doesn’t provide traditional manual settings—you can only set the ISO (50-3200), the +/- 3-stop exposure compensation dial and decide whether to use flash or not. The camera has a high quality 3-element 25mm f/3.5 lens (37mm full frame equivalent) with 6-zone manual focus from 9.8 inches to infinity, shutter speeds from 4 to 1/350 sec plus B, a built-in flash that recycles in about 9 sec, a built-in mini hand grip, and an optical viewfinder. It measures a compact 5 x 3.1 x 2 inches (W x H x D) and weighs in at a portable 10.2 ounces without film or CR2 battery. Yes, it’s drop dead gorgeous and beautifully made but $496.95 seems a bit steep considering its modest feature set.
Pentax 17: Announced in 2024, this nicely proportioned half frame 35 is a great walk-around point & shoot, but at nearly $500, it's pricey!
$500The AgfaPhoto FF: This attractively Spartan half frame camera features as fixed focus 50mm f/5.6 lens, a 1/120s shutter speed, a built-in flash powered by one AAA battery, and uses standard 35mm film. Billed as a “reusable analog camera” that accommodates color and black & white films with speeds of ISO 200, 400, and 800, and features what is described as “a classic 1970s-inspired aesthetic. Price new: $99.00 complete with a roll of film, a neck strap, and a carrying bag. Cool!
Holga 135HC Half Frame Film Camera: Offered in attractive black and tan, this elemental plastic-bodied half frame beauty features a 47mm fixed-focus lens, and provides a single timed shutter speed of 1/100 sec shutter speed along with a B setting Compatible with standard 35mm cartridges and color negative or black and white films, it’s a lightweight compact snapshot camera that has a basic optical viewfinder, thumbwheel film advance, an auto-resetting frame counter, accepts a detachable shoe mount flash (the Holga 120 MINI,sold separately) and includes a tripod socket for low-light shooting in B mode. The Hoga 135HC measures 4.3 x 2,4 x 1.5 inches and weighs in at a ultra- light 3.5 ounces without film. New price: $49.99.
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