Here’s a digital camera that appeals on pure whimsy alone. If you were a fan at all of those old film-based 8 x 11mm-style Minox spy cameras that James Bond used to take pictures of secret documents to send back to headquarters, you’ll love the new digital version of that camera, the miniature DSC.

Ok, it all is rather corny—the DSC model name stands for “Digital Spy Camera”—but there is something appealing about this tiny 5-megapixel stealth shooter. We can’t yet vouch, at all, for the image quality since we only got a few minutes of hands-on time with this Minox at Photokina in September but we can say that the design stays true to form.

Features on the Minox DSC are pretty minimal (and, needless-to-say, miniaturized) including a measly micro SD card slot and an attachable flash unit with a built-in 1.5-inch LCD but, as we’ve said before, you’re not buying it for the bells and whistles, you’re buying it for the sleek style. Overall dimensions on the DSC are 3.5 x 1.25 x 0.75 inches.

The next time you want to be candid with your photography—very candid—pull the Minox DSC out of your self-destructing briefcase, take a quick snap, and put it back. But don’t forget to retrieve the memory card before your briefcase explodes!

Cost: Not yet announced
Further information:
www.license-to-shoot.com