My referrer logs tell me a number of folks have come here looking for info on the Minox 35 camera. The following is a brief review that I wrote about three years ago.
I like to carry a camera most of the time. What I don't
like, though, are the fuzzy, low contrast images that come from many compact
cameras. Unfortunately, this breed of camera is often designed for people who
aren't particularly discerning about the photos they take. As a consequence,
optical quality is often lacking. Even the better modern compacts -- the Yashica T4 and Canon Elph Jr.,
which have pretty good lenses -- lack the features that I prefer.
For anyone who wants a, for lack of a better word,
serious compact there are few choices. The Rollei 35 series is probably the best
of the bunch but collectors' interest makes this manual exposure, manual
focusing camera more expensive by the day. Prices on the 35S, the preferred
model, seem to hover at around $350-400 with modern examples topping $1,000.
It's also no lightweight, at around 14 ounces without film.
Over the years, I've been through a succession of small
cameras, beginning with the Leica CL (too big, fragile meter) and Olympus Stylus
Epic (ok lens, not much else to recommend it). I still use the incredibly quirky
Chinon Bellami that I bought in the mid-'80s, because the lens is quite good and
it uses zone focusing. Good luck finding one, though -- I've only seen one other
for sale. A friend, and about a million other enthusiastic people, like the
LOMO, but while I like some of the results from his camera, I've never been able
to separate the hype from the machine. Which brings me to my latest
compact.
I'm now using a Minox 35GT bought secondhand a few
months ago. It was manufactured sometime in the '70s, though the condition of
mine doesn't betray that. It has a polycarbonate body, weighs about 7 ounces
without film, and has an extraordinarily sharp Color-Minotaur 35mm/2.8 lens that
folds into the body when not in use. A small plate folds up to protect the lens
and viewfinder.
The Minox 35GT employs zone focusing, aperture priority
exposure control with backlight (2X) compensation, and manual setting of ISO.
The newer 35GT-S reads DX coding; less desirable since it removes one more tool
for exposure control (the still-available 35GT-E allows the manual setting of
ISO). A small hotshoe accepts the Minox FC35 flash, an impressive automatic
flash with a guide number of 56 at ISO 100.
The Minox 35 series has acquired a mixed reputation over
the years. It's reputed to be (as a species) fairly fragile, particularly when
it comes to the electronics. Some dislike -- for a variety of reasons -- the
plastic body. Others simply prefer others based on personal experience.
Of course, my personal experience has generated a lot of
fondness for the Minox 35. It's lighter than any other 35mm camera I've found,
has a super lens, and a shutter that makes almost no sound. It's unobtrusive
enough that I use it in places I don't want to attract attention. And even when
it does, it's odd appearance draws comments like "cute camera." Best of all,
this exceptionally small camera is always with me.
Of course, the lack of full manual exposure control
isn't ideal for some situations. Typically, I'm shooting film with a wide enough
latitude to bail me out of most tricky situations. It's not the ideal camera for
shooting Kodachrome 25, though.
Pros: Sharp lens. Light. Used examples are still
reasonably priced.
Cons: New ones cost a bundle.
Reputation for fragility.
