the tiny SIDA minicam from the late 1930s
Toronto. In the late 1930s, the ‘minicam’ revolution was well under way. The craze centred on cameras using 35mm ‘movie film’ or similar sized paper backed roll film. An enlarger was a ‘must’ for even pocket sized prints.
A small German company got into the act with its Sida line. Basically a tiny box camera, the Sida produced one inch square frames (bigger than half frame but smaller than a Leica image). The earliest versions were made in Germany with a metal casting. Later models were plastic in various colours, made in various countries. The camera arrived on the eve of WW2 which perhaps sparked the manufacture in other European countries.
The camera took 8 exposures on a custom roll of film. It used an f/8 35mm meniscus lens and a primitive T (time) and I (instantaneous of unknown speed) shutter.
One of our late members acquired an early metal German-made model. You can read the background of this particular camera in our journal, Photographic Canadiana, issue 30-2 which is on the DVD disk given to all members (the lens is mis-stated as f/1.8 since the lens marking is 1:8 for f/8). Join today (see right hand side-bar) and read about this tiny marvel back in the day when film was king.
Pop down to our spring fair on the 26th of May – you may even spot one – or another goodie – for your collection!
