1960 / Anny 44 / Vintage Camera

The Anny 44 is an inexpensive Japanese camera made by Hōei around 1960 that takes 4×4 cm pictures on 127 film. Its body mimics a 35mm rangefinder camera with design elements inspired by Nikon models, including a fake rangefinder window that actually works as a shutter lock indicator. It features a fixed-focus lens marked HOEI LENS 1:8 F=5cm and has an aperture lever with settings from f/8 to f/22 tailored for different light conditions, but it has a single shutter speed with no speed control. The camera has a top right film advance knob, a red window for film frame counting covered by a sliding cover, an accessory shoe, and a PC synch connector for flash. Despite its toy-like build and basic optics, it produces surprisingly sharp photos at the center, making it a quirky collectible point-and-shoot with a nostalgic vintage charm.