The Minox 35 effect

<p>It often happens. Someone is looking through my prints; he comes across a shot I made with my Minox 35 ML. He says, "Holy cow, what camera did you take this with?" He is stunned when I bring out the camera itself: he expected a massive SLR. I've actually had people ask me to do wedding pictures using only the ML. It still baffles even me that a scale-focusing camera can deliver such sharpness and that such a tiny lens can deliver such resolution. Ever have this reaction from people?</p><div></div>

<p>Yes I have, the 35mm f2.8 Minotar lenses on Minox 35 cameras will put the lenses on many SLR s to shame, I bought my Minox 35 GT more than twenty years ago because they tested it in a magazine called SLR Camera at the time, and they had to test the lens three times because the results were so good they didn't believe them. I've made many beautiful 20"X16" prints from mine, and the lens never fails to amaze me.</p>

<p>The first 35ML I tested the results knocked me out. They where no sharper than from the other cameras I used later - GT-E or GT-X or goldtop, no better colour, technically nothing I could say why the impact was and remains a cut above the other cameras in the range. It could have been down to that particular roll of film and the particular days I took the photographs. The camera even had faults - it needed a service as it would fire when you closed it up so I had a number of blanks. The next 35ML wasn't as impressive - only because I had been already knocked out by the results and expected no less. Perhaps if I had used the later models first, before the 35ML I might not have been so stunned. Who knows. For a test film it had the honour of one of the shots being used on the calendar for the company I worked for at the time - so it wasn't just me who liked the result.</p>

<p>It occurs to me that I've never shot b&w in a 35mm Minox. I will soon; until then, does anyone have experience with mono in a Minox 35? Are the shots still extraordinary minus the beautiful color renditions of the lenses?</p>

<p>For excellent b&w with Minox 35, see dimitris Kioseoglou site<br>

<strong><a href="http://photoart.gr/kioseoglou/">http://photoart.gr/kioseoglou/</a></strong><br>

<strong> </strong></p>

 

http://foto8.com/new/online/blog/1039-the-athens-photo-festival-photo-folio-review

 

"Kioseoglou takes his Minox 35mm camera loaded with 400ASA film everywhere he goes and develops the film in his own darkroom. The results are an ephemeral portrait of a life being lived, that drew the attention of nearby critics, Fiore Pinna and Chiara Capodici – curators of the 3/3 Organisation, Italy. For such a humble man, his photographs betray a dynamic eye for composition."

<p>Andy Warhol's photo book Exposure was shot with Minox in B&W<br>

<a href="http://www.warholstars.org/warhol/warhol1/warhol1c/warhol1cl/colacello4.html">http://www.warholstars.org/warhol/warhol1/warhol1c/warhol1cl/colacello4.html</a></p>

 

 

http://www.rockpix.com/gallery/micandy.html

<p>Well, that did it. I'm getting a brick of Tri-X tomorrow. </p>

 

<p>Red~s pic reminded me just how sharp that Color-Minotar is. My 35 year old EL sits on a mini-tripod atop my desk, along with other mini cameras, and has not had a film through it for at least 12 years. I should crank it up again with a new battery(s) if I can find them and put a roll of Tri-X in it, set the aperture to F11 and I will have DOF from 8 feet to infinity! Who needs autofocus anyway! Just need some sunshine................</p>

<p>Oh Yes. Lens in my Minox GT shocked me many times! I din't know how it's possible but<br /> <strong>IT'S TRUE. Sharpness is excellent but there is something more: The three-dimensional effect that makes objects really life-like on flat film.</strong><br /> Long time ago I asked about that phenomenon, please check this out and look at the images I attached: <a href="../casual-conversations-forum/00U38s">http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00U38s</a><br /> Also Martin Tai wrote very interesting article about construction of Minox 35's focal plane.<br /> Regards,<br /> Maciek</p>

<p>Here's another example of the Minox look. </p>

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<p>Great shots. Never owned a Minox of any kind, but it's tempting. Which model is the easiest to obtain batteries for these days?</p>

<p>Easy answer. The ML. </p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/12249170-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="451" /><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/12249171-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="474" /><br>

Chinatown Spadina and Dundas Street West, Toronto<br>

Minox 35ML</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/12249691-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="457" /><br>

Tulips<br>

MINOX 35ML</p>

 

<p>The lenses for the 35mm Minox have been developed by Leica. I have a 35 GT for 27 years now. It went only once to the service.</p>

<p>The lens is fantastic, but can't match the Rollei 35S 2.8/40mm Sonnar. The Minox is not too well suited for landscapes, but for travel, cities, people & situations it's the best thing you can have in your pockets.</p>

<p>I always wished they would come out with a full frame digital GT and focus indicator in the viewfinder, but without monitor at the back or any other gimmicks so common in todays 'digital plastic wanna be cameras'. ;-)</p>