"Funny" camera, which confused the British auctioneers

The British auction house Aston's sold off a private collection of 25 rare Soviet cameras. Among them were spy specimens.

The most interesting lot was a camera, disguised as a mass-specular Zenit-E. The auctioneers had to contact the manufacturer to find out how it was arranged.

The case is made for "Zenith", and inside is built-in spy camera F-21 AJAX-12 with 21 mm film and a miniature 28mm F / 2.8 lens, hidden on the side of the case.

The possessor of the gadget could, while in a place where shooting is prohibited, quietly take pictures without giving himself away.

Outwardly it seems that the camera is turned off and packed in a leather case. But pressing a small button from the bottom raises the shutter, behind which the spy lens is hidden and hidden shooting is performed.

Photo consultant at the Aston's auction house Tim Goldsmith called this spy camera the most "amusing", adding that this is his favorite set of lots. And he admitted that for the first time in his career he could not figure out the device and had to call the manufacturer (Krasnogorsky Mechanical Plant).