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The Steineck ABC, designed to be worn like a wristwatch

1948: Steineck ABC

Although worn on the wrist like a watch, the ABC has no watch face and, unlike some disguised cameras, makes no pretence to be other than a camera. But, at first glance, it can be mistaken for a wristwatch, with a tiny Steinheil 12.5mm f/2.5 lens at the 12 o’clock position and a single speed shutter. Invented by Dr Rudolf Steineck, it is a precision instrument that shoots eight exposures, each one 5.5mm on a disc of film, cut from normal 35mm film, using a special punch supplied with the camera. At the time of its launch clip-on filters, close-up lenses and even a miniature enlarger were available.

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