Minox 35
The Minox 35 was a series of small format - rangefinder cameras with retractable lens of Minox . Between 1974 and 1995 they were considered to be the smallest serial 35mm cameras in the world, with a width of around 10 cm, a height of 6.1 cm and a depth of 3.1 cm and a weight of around 200 g. The Minox 35 took over the title from the Rollei 35 , which was introduced in 1966, and lost it in 1996 to the Minolta TC-1 . Production of the series ended in October 2002.
construction
The body of the camera, designed by Prof. Richard Fischer and developed together with Walter Zapp , is made of fiberglass-reinforced Makrolon . This makes it light enough at around 200 grams to be carried comfortably in a shirt pocket. The mechanism for moving the lens is coupled with a front flap that protects the lens when it is closed.
The lens color Minotar , Minar or Minoxar (Multi-layer coating and a solid UV filter supplemented) is a self-construction of the manufacturer. In terms of its basic type, it corresponds to the four-lens triplet , just like the Tessar from Zeiss . The focal length of all models is 35 mm, the light intensity is f / 2.8. To adjust the distance, not the entire lens is shifted, only the front lens. The diaphragm is not an iris diaphragm , as is usually the case , but consists of only two elements that form a variable, diamond-shaped opening.
Unlike the Rollei 35 , the hot shoe , rewind crank and transport lever are in the usual places. The viewfinder is centrally located above the lens. The transport lever has to be operated twice to advance the film, which caused confusion for many users; they thought the camera was defective because it was not ready to take a picture after pressing the transport lever once.
Furnishing
All models have an automatic exposure control . Manual exposure control is not provided. One way of influencing this is to press the switch in the hot shoe (see below), so that the exposure time is set to the flash sync time of the respective model (e.g. 1/125 s). The aperture can then be freely selected. The cameras have a central lock controlled by analog electronics . The automatic light value correction in accordance with the aperture setting is done mechanically by shading the photocell with a gray graduated filter that is moved with the aperture ring.
A special feature is the closure of the Minox 35 ML and MD-C . When using the automatic program , the two-part cover (see above) is always fully open. The shutter blades then form a variable opening in that the central shutter in the lens only opens so far that the required cross-section is achieved and the shutter acts as an aperture stop .
A switch is built into the hot shoe with which the cameras are automatically switched to the flash sync speed when a flash unit is attached . The exact position of the switch varies depending on the model, the supplied hot shoe cover has a recess at the corresponding point. The first model had a flash sync time of 1/30 s, later models 1/90 s to 1/125 s.
The distance must be estimated; there is no rangefinder on any model (which was not unusual when the camera appeared). As a light wide-angle lens, the 35 mm lens has a greater depth of field than normal lenses , which reduces the risk of incorrect settings.
equipment
Minox has also released flash units that are adapted in terms of design and size . Please note that the camera models 35 ML , 35 MB and others with an M in the type designation have a different housing shape. The Minox 35 flash units with an M in the type designation are adapted to this housing shape, the other Minox 35 flash units cannot be used with the 35 ML , 35 MB and the other M models of the camera. Flash units from other manufacturers can be used on all models without problems.
Minox has offered additional accessories especially for the 35 models, including various ever-ready cases , lens hoods and filters. A pocket tripod from Minox can be used for all suitably compact cameras , which when put together is about the size of a pencil.
Competing models
The Minox 35 series was a huge success, bigger than Minox initially hoped. It came out as a direct competitor to the Rollei 35 , which was introduced in 1966 and has a reputation for greater reliability. The Rollei lenses achieved higher imaging performance, especially their models with the five-lens Sonnar . The Minox 35 on the other hand much lighter and has, unlike the versions of the Rollei 35 , an automatic exposure. Later versions of the Minox 35 with a Minoxar lens and a modified film pressure plate achieve improved imaging performance.
There were numerous replicas from other manufacturers, mostly technically and also qualitatively simpler. In the Soviet Union, Arsenal (Kiev, today Ukraine) produced an almost exact copy of the Minox 35 EL with the Kiev 35A , but technically it does not come close to the original.
In 1978 the Ricoh FF-1 was presented, which is similar to the Minox 35 in almost all properties. A serious competitor came onto the market in 1979 with the Olympus XA, but it was slightly larger than the Minox 35 . The Olympus XA has a six-element lens, aperture priority and a built-in range finder.
An important supplier, the Balda company in Bünde / Westphalia, went its own way and at the same time not only manufactured the Minox housing shells, but also, with the Balda CE35, completely independent cameras based on the Minox concept (small image viewfinder compacts with plastic injection molded housing , hinged cover and 38 mm optics ) under his own name, which eventually also Voigtlander under the name Vito C was expelled. After the production facilities were relocated to China, there were variants of this camera called the Yangtze , known colloquially as China-Balda .
Until the appearance of autofocus small viewfinder cameras mid-1980s put the 35 Minox practically synonymous with the modern compact camera. The Minox 35 AF 1988 could not free himself of other against the fully automatic compact camera manufacturers, the addition at a lower price a motorized film transport, a automatic film threading and a built-in flash. These cameras could be further reduced in size over the years until they competed in size with the Minox 35 despite the additional functions . One example is the Olympus µ-II , which is equipped with a lens (35 mm focal length, light intensity f / 2.8) of high quality.
Some models
The original EL model was followed by several gradually improved models. After a "backlight switch" (double exposure time) from GL , a self-timer with the GT model followed . With the GT-E model , a more robust shutter control and a multi- coated Minoxar lens were introduced. After that there were only detailed changes in the classic line.
The models of the M line with different technology and housing shape as well as models with different equipment (e.g. fixed focus or autofocus, built-in flash unit) or special colors did not reach the sales figures of the models from the classic line by a long way. The production was closed.
Stocks of the Minox 35 cameras were sold until at least early 2009.
Classic line
- Minox 35 EL (1974) - original model with automatic timing
- Minox 35 GL (1979) - like EL , plus "back light switch" (double exposure time), stepless setting of the film speed
- Minox 35 GT (1981) - like GL , plus self-timer
- Minox 35 GT-E (1988) - like GT , except: lens Minoxar , different appearance, technology revised (electronics, shutter)
- Minox 35 GSE (1991) - technology like GT-E , but with Minotar lens and appearance of the GT
- Minox 35 GT-X (1997) - like GT-E , again different appearance, detection of the film speed via DX coding
- Minox 35 GT-E II (1998) - like GT-E (manual setting of the film speed), different housing color
- Minox 35 GT-S (1998) - like GT-X , different housing color
Line M , different housing shape, different measuring cell and electronics, display via LED instead of pointer
- Minox 35 ML (1985) - time and program automatic , measured value memory
- Minox 35 MB (1986) - like ML , only without automatic programs
- Minox 35 MD-C (1992) - like ML , except: Minoxar lens , housing coated with light metal
Other trim levels
- Minox 35 PL (1982) - only automatic program
- Minox 35 PE (1983) - like PL , with built-in electronic flash unit (significantly larger than PL )
- Minox 35 AL (1987) - Fixed focus (no distance setting)
- Minox 35 AF (1988) - Autofocus, largely new design
- Minox 35 AF Mini (1994) - Autofocus, especially small version
The additional designation FI stands for the importer Fowa, Italy. The listing does not include all models.
swell
- ↑ http://www.ricoh.co.jp/camera_lib/library/1978.html Ricoh website (Japanese)
literature
- Rolf Kasemeier: Minox 35.35 ML, 35 GT, 35 PL, 35 PE, 35 GL, 35 EL . Point Of Sale, 1991, ISBN 978-3-925334-02-3 (192 pages).
