Minox 110 camera

MTC Photography · December 16, 1999

Minox 110 description

MTC Photography · December 16, 1999

<HEAD>

</HEAD><CENTER><TABLE BORDER WIDTH="810" BGCOLOR="#FFCCCC" >

<CAPTION>MINOX 110S (

1974 )</CAPTION>

<TR>

<TD>Minoctar 25mm/f2.8

4 elements three group</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD> Viewfinder</TD>

<TD>parallax corrected bright frame

a small window at bottom shows aperture value

under exposure >>

or overexposure <<

sign</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD> focusing</TD>

<TD>by rangefinder, supperimpose images</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD> Two clam shell doors protects the lens, rangefinder and

meter window</TD>

<TD>open by a recessed slide switch at bottom</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>focusing range,

metric / ft scale user selectable</TD>

<TD> 0.6,0.7,0.8,1,1.3,2.3,6M -infinity or

2,2.5,3,4,5,7,10,20' -infinity.

</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD WIDTH="500">aperture, selected with a dial wheel</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>film advance</TD>

<TD>film advance lever at front of camera</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD WIDTH="600">shutter speed</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>Power</TD>

<TD>two mercury oxide 1.35v 625 cells</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>tripod socket</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>shutter release thread</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>Cube flash socket</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>External dedicated flash</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>chain</TD>

<TD> wrist chain loop</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>dimension</TD>

<TD> 130x 55 x 26.5 mm

5 1/8 x 2 3/8 x 1 1/16"</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>weight</TD>

<TD>140 g

5 oz</TD>

</TR>

<TR>

<TD>burgandy color genuine leather case</TD>

</TR>

</TABLE></CENTER>

<img src="manual/MINOX110.JPG"> photo credit: Bob Trabucco </center>

Minox 110S uses two PX625 1.35V mercury oxide button cells in series, for a total voltage of 2.7 v.

Like great many cameras in the 60s to early 80s (Canon F1, Konica T, Rollei 35, Rollei A25 , Minox 110S etc ), alkaline version of 625 cell which as a voltage of 1.5 v is not suitable, it will give erroeneus exposure.

This is due to the fact that the voltage of mercury oxide cell stays stable at 1.35 voltage for a long time(flat discharge curve) then dies suddenly;

one the other hand, alkaline 1.5v battery voltage drops steadily (sloping discharge curve), the voltage may be anywhere from 1.5v to 1.2 v.

PX625 cell or EPX625BP 1.35 V mercury oxide cell is hard to find

A company called CRIS sells a MR-9 adapter, which uses microelectronics to reduce 1.5 v silver oxide cell to around 1.35v.

<tel 800 216 7579 fax 602 940 1329 250 M/ 54th street Chandler AZ, 85226

MTC Photography · December 27, 1999

The Minoctar 25mm f/2.8 lens of Minox 110S is one of the top ten best quality subminature lenses.

Credit: Dr. William White's Subminiature Photography. The ten best quality subminiature lenses are: <ul><li> Goerz Helgor f/2 25mm of Minicord <li> Esamitar f/1.9 25mm of Gami <li> Complan f/3.5 15mm Minox B

<li> Rokkor f/2.8 25mm Minolta 16 II <li> Zeiss Tessar f/2.8 25mm Rollei 16S <li> Minoctar f/2.8 25mm Minox 110S

<li> Rokkor-Macro f/3.5 25-87mm Minolta Zoom <li> Pentax f/2.8 24mm Pentax Auto 110

<li> Tessinon f/2.8 25mm Tessina <li> Xenagon f/5 30mm Robot SC

</ul>

About the Minox 110S, Dr. William White wrote: "Unlike many other expensive 110 format cameras, it delivered all

of the required features in abundance, and the final proof was in the negatives it produced,

which could not be exceeded, if even equalled, by any other camera of the format "

MTC Photography · December 29, 1999

The rangefinder/viewfinder of Minox 110s has continueous parallax correction, as you move the

focusing scale, the bright frame line moves to the right or left contineously.

Other similar $200 plus 110 rangefinder cameras, for example Canon 110 has only a parallax mark, but no true parallax correction.

MTC Photography · December 29, 1999

Using a slider to rotate a strong front element to focus a 110 camera is also quite common, for example,

Rollei E110/A110 use such a method. I expect to see the same in Minox 110S. Wondering what kind of linkage mechanism was used in this camera to achieve lens focusing and rangefinding and viewfinder parallax correction all at the same time with

a same slider switch, I expected to see the front element of its lens rotates. I am presently surpriced to find that instead the

whole lens + shutter asssembly moves in tandem, in order word, I never expected this Minox 110S uses unit focusing.

And this camera even lets user select metric mode or ft mode. This is indeed a high quality little camera.

MTC Photography · January 21, 2000

The Minox 110S I got from eBay looked fine, the shutter clicks, the shutter speed

reacts to intensity of light, fast at bright light, slow to about 1 sec at dim light.

But when I loaded a 110 film and tried to take some picture, ooops, the film advance mechanism is intermitten,

When cock the film advance level, the film number at the back window did not move, only the shutter is tensioned. When the release shutter is pressed

the shutter fired, cock the film advance lever again, the film did not move, shutter was tensioned.... I end up took multiple shoots on the same frame of film.

I called up Kindermann Canada Inc, wanted to get an estimate about how much and how long it takes to fix it. Kinderman fixed my Minox C and 35ML, I know they have good technicians.

But the answer I got was "Nope, we do not fix Minox 110S, there is no parts "

Now I know why a Minox 110S sold for about $200 when it first came out, now can be bought for less then $100 ! If it does not work, it cannot be fixed !!

MTC Photography · January 21, 2000

Buying camera from eBay is rather risky. My Rollei 16S does not function completely

(the shutter fires at only one speed ). And now this Minox 110S which does not advance film.

After playing around for two weeks, and two drops of lubrication oils

at the film advance gear, the Minox 110S seems alive again! I am loading a new roll of film and

hope it will work this time.

MTC Photography · January 21, 2000

<h3>Film Advance Mechanism</h3>110 film is sproketless, it is driven by wheel gear at the bottom.

But there is one hole per frame at the film edge.

This hole is not used to move the film,

but instead it is used to tell the film advance mechanism when to stop.

There is a tiny sensor pin at the bottom of camera, initially at \pop up position,

when the cassette is loaded, this pin is pressed down by the film,

thus signalling the camera to tension the shutter at first stroke of film lever,

then advance the film as long as the user contineously cocking the lever,

during which the camera gear wheel turns the spindle of 110 cassette

and pull the film through, until the little control hole

catches the sensor pin and pushes it to / position, the pin instantly retracts, the film advance gear lock up and the film stop.

When the user press the shutter release button, the shutter fires, the

sensor pin resurface, but at \ position, missed the hole by 2 mm, and is depressed by the film. So when clock the film advance level, the shutter cocks,

then film moves, until pin engaged the hole, film stop,

the cycle repeats.

If there is no film in the camera, the sensor pin is always at \ position and never depressed by

film. In this state, cocking the film advance lever only tensioning the shutter, the film drive gear

never moves.

For the shutter tension and film advance mechansim to work, the

sensor pin must be able to move freely in <ol><li> Pin at \ pop up position

<li> Pin at \ but depressed by film <li> Pin pushed over to / position

and tracts <li> go to 1.</ol> The sensor pin should never be retracted at \

position without being pressed by film. This malfunction state causes

film advancing gear to lock up.

martin__3 · January 21, 2000

<h3>

Shutter </h3>Minox 110S shutter can work without battery. In this case, the shutter

works at only one speed ( about 1/125 or 1/60 ). This is an interesting design.

This works because Minox110S shutter is a combination of mechanical shutter and

electromagnetic shutter. During the shutter tensioning cycle,

the mechanic pushes a magnetic plate

to the pole of an electromagnet. When the shutter is pressed,

if there is no battery, the magnetic plate returns quickly by a spring

and trips the shutter at "no current" condition. It is all mechanical.

On the other hand, if there is battery, then the current flowing through the

electromagnet is proportional to the intensity of light as sensed by light

sensor, resulting is stronger/ weaker/ pull on the magnetic plate, resulting in more or less retardation or perhaps

acceleration of the release of the magnetic plate to achieve variable shutter speed.

Rollei 16/16s use similar shutter, therefore the selenium meter

fails, the shutter still works, but only at one speed.

MTC Photography · January 26, 2000

This amazing Minox 110S camera even has a depth of field scale, which is rather different from any other

DOF scale on any other camera. Usually DOF scale is made up of aperture numbers symmetrically placed on both side of focusing pointer.

The Minox 110S DOF scale is made up of two red bars - -

which open up wider or close up narrow when you turn the aperture dial.

For example at F8, the hyperfocal distance = 6 meter, with near limit at 2.7M and far limit at infinity.

If the aperture is f/16, the hyperfocal distance =2.6 M and depth of field from 1.1 M to infinity.

MTC Photography · January 26, 2000

<ul><li> MINOX 110S with aperture at 5.6 has the same depth of field as

Minox 8x11 camera with 15mm at f/3.5.

The Depth of Field scale on MINOX 110S camera was calculated based

on a circle of confusion of 0.017mm and a enlarged print of 8x10"

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Minox 110 camera

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