BEIRETTE VINTAGE PHOTO CAMERA, 35mm f2.9 Lens, GERMANY

Beirette was a name applied to a long sequence of compact 35mm viewfinder camera models, made from 1958 to the 1980s in East Germany by Beier. There were also some folding Beirettes, made from 1939, but production apparently disappeared during WWII. Although the name stayed the same, various tweaks in the design were made. It was the first camera that came out of the former East Germany that had a rapid advance lever. It is a very compact, little simple camera, and the first thing you notice is the beautifully designed shutter release button placed on the front. There are many models and versions during its very long manufacturing period. Flash sync, for example, moved from a pin of the lens barrel to a standard hot shoe, and a plastic shutter release button replaced the original metal one in the mid-1970s.