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Subminiature 35mm spy camera
The Tessina 35 is the smallest
miniature camera
with standard 35 mm film
ever built. It is even smaller than the compact Minox 35
and can be worn on the wrist, just like a watch. The camera was patented
by Austrian chemical engineer Dr. Rudolpj Steineck in Lugano (Switzerland)
and was manufactured by Siegrist in Grenchen (Switzerland). The camera was
introduced in 1957 and was distributed by Concava SA; Steineck's company
in Lugano. It remained in production until 1996.
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The camera is extremely compact and measures just 65 x 50 x 20 mm,
only slightly larger than a matchbox and small enough for virtually
any type of concealment
like a pack of cigarettes or a women's handbag.
It could also be worn on the wrist, as shown further down this page,
by using the optional wrist bracket
with leather straps.
The camera was available in a variety of colours, such as red,
gold and black, but the most common version was chrome (aluminium).
Gold is arguably the rarest colour, but as it is rather shiny, it
is less suitable for inconspicious work.
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At the back of the camera
are four attachment notches, allowing the
camera to be attached to a chain assemble or a leather wrist band.
A spring-loaded stub
acts as a lock and prevents the camera from
falling of the wrist mount.
The wrist band was available in brown and black leather.
The Tessina has two 25 mm f/2.8 lenses: one for taking the picture
and one for the viewer and projects the image onto a standard 35 mm
frame (14 x 21 mm) by means of an internal 45° mirror.
The camera accepts standard 35 mm film, but uses a different - smaller -
film cassettte with less exposures in order to save space. In the past,
pre-loaded film cartridges were available for the camera, such as
Adox KB 14, 17 and 21, Kodak Tri-X black/white film, and various
colour films. Production of these proprietary format has stopped a
long time ago (see below).
The Tessina has always been a special camera. At the time it was
- and still is today - the smallest Twin Lens Reflex camera in the world.
The camera remained in production until 1996 and was only stopped because
of the increasing manufacturing costs.
The price of the bare camera in 1996 was approx. EUR 1000.
For an excellent and far more complete description of the camera
(in the German language), please refer to
Peter Lausch's pages about the Tessina
[5].
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The Tessina has controls on all sides of its body, except for the bottom
where it has a universal mount. The image below shows the camera from
both sides, with all visible controls highlighted. Please note that the
camera can only take pictures when the lens cap (left image) is fully open.
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As the Tessina was so small, it was suitable for inconspicious photography
and could be hidden in a variety of ways. It could easily be incorporated
into a piece of furniture or a lady's handbag. Althoug the
Minox subminiature camera's
were smaller, they were less suitable for observations.
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The image on the right shows one of the most popular ways to hide a
Tessina camera: inside a normal pack of cigarettes. When the viewvinder
and the flashlight socket are removed, the camera fits nicely inside
a standard cigarette pack, leaving room
for some fake cigarette tips.
It was also possible to operate the Tessina from within the cigarette case.
This was done by drilling tiny little holes in the side of the case,
enough to allow the camera lens to 'see through it' [7]. It allowed a
spy to smoke a cigarette, whilst at the same time photograph a person.
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The camera was also very popular for observations during the Cold War
with the Stasi, the secret police of the former DDR (East-Germany).
They developed a variety of manners to hide the Tessina in handbags,
cigarette packs, etc. [8]
Although the Tessina was larger than the Russian Robot and the
F-21 (Ayaks),
two other clockwork cameras, they preferred the Tessina
because of its smaller size.
It was louder than the F-21,
but could be modified by installing nylon
gears to reduce the noise. In addition, Concava made a fully silent version
of the Tessina as well [8].
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Another popular discuise was the use of a wrist bracket. A spy could
then walk around with the camera hidden in the sleeve of his coat,
just like if it was a large watch. The wrist mount consisted of a
metal bracket and two leather straps. The metal bracket could be fitted
to the four stubs at the bottom of the camera, with a spring-loaded
stub to lock the camera in place.
The camera could be used with or without the folding viewfinder.
When used from the waist level, the viewfinder was commonly left off
and - when available - replaced by the 8x magnifier.
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The Stasi not only disguised the Tessina camera as a pack of cigarettes,
but also as a key wallet,
with fake keys sticking out at the top of the wallet.
Or an eye glass wallet, with fake binoculars. They even constructed
a tiny little motor winder that was bolted
to the side of the camera.
The Stasi was not the only agency to use the Tessina for espionage.
During the Watergate scandal in the US in 1972 [9], investigators
found a black Tessina camera on one of the 'plumbers' [10]. It was
confiscated by the police and kept as evidence [8]. The Plumbers
were a secret group which, under US President Nixon, had the
task to find sources of information leaking to the press, but were later
found to be breaking the law themselves. One of the Plumbers, Howard Hunt,
used a Tessina, issued by the CIA,
to photograph Dr. Fieldings office on 25 August 1971 [11 p.16].
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Before the Tessina can be used, it needs to be loaded with
black and white or colour film first.
In the past, suitable film cartridges were made by various
manufacturers, including Kodak and Adox, but such films are no
longer in production. Tessina cartridges can be loaded with
standard 35 mm film however, using a special Tessina film loader,
or manually in a fully darkened room.
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The camera can easily be opened by sliding the
rigged knob at the side towards the
O-position (Open). The rear panel can then be removed.
At one side is take-up spool
that cannot be removed. The film has to be wound back into the film
cartridge at the other side, before opening the camera.
The film cartridge can be removed after
pulling out the R-wheel all the way up.
At the center is the actual 'dark room'.
A 45° mirror projects the
image from the lens at the front of the camera onto the horizontal film.
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In order to use a Tessina camera today, standard 35 mm film can be cut
to the desired length and loaded into the camera
using a dark room. Alternatively, the special (rare) film loader can be used
to do this in full daylight [5].
Depending on the thickness of the film, a maximum of 44 cm film, suitable
for 24 exposures, is allowed. When using thicker black and white film,
the maximum film length is approx. 38 cm, which is suitable for 18
exposures [5].
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- Tessina Automatic 35 mm
Minimum focus range: 30.5 cm (12 inches)
- Tessina 35
Minimum focus range: 23 cm (9 inches)
- Tessina L
Minimum focus range: 23 cm (9 inches)
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The Tessina 25 has a number of viewfinder options. First of all it is
possible to use the rectangular screen on top of the camera directly.
The image in front of the lens is projected upside-down on this screen.
Next, there are three viewfinders, some of which are optional:
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- Folding viewfinder
The folding viewfinder was standard suppied with each Tessina.
It can be used in two ways: as a straight-ahead
viewer, looking through both lenses of the viewfinder, or at waist level
looking onto the screen and using the black side panels of the folding
viewfinder as a dark box. There was an (optional) sports version
without the optics.
- Prism viewfinder
This is the best viewfinder, but it is also the larges one. As it is
rather bulky (compared to the camera) it is less suitable for inconspicious
photography.
- Magnifying waist level finder
This is simply a rectangluar magnifying glass that slides into the viewfinder
frame. When the camera is held at waist level, the magnifying glass enlarges
the image.
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- Folding viewfinder (standard)
- Folding viewfinder (sports version without optics)
- Pentaprism viewfinder (6x)
- Magnifying viewfinder (8x)
- Chain and tripod adapter
- Hotshoe adapter
- Film loader
- Exposure meter
- Flash gun
- Leather belt carrying case (brown or black)
- Wrist bracket (for inconspicious photography)
- Slide-on mechanical watch
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- 35 mm (standard) film (needs loader)
- Frame size: 14 x 21 mm
- Dimensions: 25 x 68 x 53 mm (2.5 x 2 x 1 inches)
- Twin Lens Reflex
- Main lense and viewer: 25 mm f/2.8 Tessinon
- Viewer: ground-glass on top of the camera
- Aperture: variable down to f/22
- Shutter speed: 1/2 to 1/500 sec, plus B
- Film advance: spring-loaded clockwork (5 - 8 exposures)
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- Brushed, painted or anodized aluminium
- Black (aluminium)
- All black
- Red
- Gold
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- John Wade, Cameras in Disguise
ISBN 0-7478-0637-3. P. 23.
- Camera Quest, The incredible Swiss Tessina 35mm Twin Lens Reflex
Website. Retrieved April 2013.
- Wikipedia, Tessina
Retrieved April 2013.
- Keith Melton, Ultimate Spy
1996-2002. ISBN 0-7513-4791-4. p. 74.
- Peter Lausch, Die TESSINA der CONCAVA S.A.
Website 'Kameras' (German). 9 February 2006. Retrieved April 2013.
- M. Butkus, Tessina Auto 35, User Manual
Scanned manual in PDF format. Retrieved April 2013.
- Spy Museum, Tessina Camera and Cigarette Case Concealment
Retrieved April 2013.
- Kirstie Macrakis, Seduced by Secrets, Inside the Stasi's Spy-Tech World
2008. ISBN 978-0-521-88747-2. p. 233.
- Wikipedia, Watergate scandal
Retrieved April 2013.
- Wikipedia, White House Plumbers
Retrieved April 2013.
- The New York Times Magazine, The Plumbers
22 July 1973. pp 13-16.
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© Copyright 2009-2013, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Sunday, 04 May 2014 - 22:36 CET
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