Jupiter F-21 Button Camera
The Jupiter F-21 is a Soviet-era subminiature camera designed for covert photography, often referred to as a "button camera" because it was built to be concealed inside a coat with the lens disguised behind a false button. It uses a cassette-loaded strip of film and a clockwork spring-wind mechanism, and was produced primarily for state security use rather than the consumer market.
At UK auction today the Jupiter F-21 has a limited but clear track record, with hammer prices ranging from about £180 to £340 and a midpoint around £260 — these are saleroom results, so what a clean example is worth at wholesale rather than a dealer retail price. Completeness drives value: outfits that include the button-front trigger cable, spare cassettes and original case tend to sell for more than a bare body, while rough or seized examples fetch less.
Sales History
Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.
| Date | Price | Source | |
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| Apr 2025 | £338 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 252) Title: A KGB F-21 Button Subminiature Spy Camera
Description:
1951-80, black, serial no. 62253, body, G, shutter working, lens, G Notes: A Soviet F-21 camera by Krasnogorsk with a button concealment device |
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| Oct 2022 | £175 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 404) Title: A Krasnogorski F-21 Buttonhole Camera
Description:
1951-, black, serial no. 2648, body, G, shutter working, lens, G-VG, some internal haze, cable release trigger requires attention |
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| May 2020 | £355 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 172) Title: A Krasnogorski F-21 Buttonhole Camera
Description:
A Krasnogorski F-21 Buttonhole Camera, 1951-, black, serial no. 2664, body, G, shutter requires attention, lens, G-VG, some internal haze; |
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