[Leica] Re: Minox

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Dec 1, 2006, at 1:31 PM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote:

>
> Hi Larry,
>
> I used www.submini.com and it bumped me to
>
> http://www.frugalphotographer.com/
>
> This may be the same site. It is dedicated to 110, 126 and Minox film
> and developing. I have been thinking about getting a Minox for many
> years but that's as far as it got. I visited a Leica collector/dealer
> outside of Philly yesterday. He had a couple new Minox cameras in
> stock. I don't know how they compare to the original cameras of years
> ago. Appears to still be a good following for the little guys though.
>
> Len


The original Minox was created by Walter Zapp in 1936 (I believe -  
don't hold me to the exact date. I'm writing this all from a somewhat  
deteriorating memory.). It was constructed out of stainless steel and  
manufactured in Riga, Latvia. The lens was a 15 mm, three element f  
3.5 optic in an internal focusing mount. The film was 9.2 mm wide and  
apparently was slit from 127 roll film.

Later models of the camera were made of aluminum. The Complan lens  
was now 4 elements but the aperture was still fixed at f 3.5 as a  
compromise between speed and edge diffraction. To simplify correcting  
for curvature of field, the pressure plate pressed the film around  
curved film guides. The plate retracted when the film was  
transported. The shutter was of the sliding plate, self capping type  
and had speeds ranging from 1 to 1/1000 second. The early models had  
a sliding filter with yellow and orange segements. Later models  
incorporated a neutral density filter so that the camera could be  
used in bright light with fast film.

The apex of Minox development was probably the IIIs. It was only the  
size of a pack of chewing gum, had 50 exposure capacity, and could be  
focused down to 8". It was the perfect spy camera.

Later models added exposure meters, the Minox B, and electronic  
exposure control, the Minox C, but the internals remained the same.  
Subsequently  Minox released the LC version. This was smaller than  
the original model and had a fixed focus f 5.6 lens. It still used  
the same cassette and had the same 8 x 11 mm frame size. If you  
wanted a really tiny camera for sneak shooting, this was the one. It  
was reputed to be a favorite of fashion spies who wanted to steal  
Christian Dior's latest ideas. Minox later released a pretty good 110  
camera and a very small 35 mm P&S camera. A full inventory of the  
Minox family is on Wikipedia under "Minox." The company's fame rests  
almost entirely on the Minox IIIs and its close siblings.

Using a Minox for anything other than an aide memoir or as a spy  
camera is an exercise in selecting the wrong tool for the job. It's  
like using a Leica for architectural photography or a Speed Graphic  
for street shots. It can be done but the effort required increases  
out of proportion to the results. The tiny negative contains only  
about 2 mb of information, about that of a $100 digital camera. On  
this list we have estimated that the Leica frame contains between 9  
and 12 mb of information. While it is true that devoted Minox fans  
can enlarge the negative to produce wall sized prints, they must be  
viewed from a considerable distance to appear critically sharp. The  
Minox booth of past Photokinas displayed 16 x 24" images taken by  
Minox cameras, but viwers were prevented from moving closer than 6  
feet by a velvet rope. If you restrict your prints to 4 x 6" or even  
5 x 7" you will be more than satisfied with the camera. To get  
critically sharp prints at the 5x7 size or above requires the use of  
the very solidly built Minox enlarger. This enlarger uses a lens  
similar to that in the camera and has a curved focal plane to assure  
edge to edge sharpness.

Minox fans are as committed to their cameras as are Leica fans. And  
we know what that's like.

Larry Z