 The Compass, which was launched in 1937, was probably the most complicated miniature camera ever made. With its lens retracted on a telescopic tube, the camera measured no more 6.5 x 2.5 x 5.5 cm. But into those trim dimensions, it packed a multitude of features never seen before or since all together in one camera. They included a focusing f/3.5 lens, shutter speeds from 4.5 – 1/500 second, an adjustable depth of field scale, a built-in extinction meter, right-angled viewfinder, spirit level, panoramic head and stereoscopic head. The camera took pictures on 24x36mm cut film, or on special rollfilm that could be loaded via a detachable rollfilm back. The Compass was designed by an Englishman named Noel Pemberton-Billing and built for him by a Swiss watchmaker called Le Coultre et Cie. It wasn’t a great success. To read a more detailed article about this camera, click here Return to home page |