Minox the camera made for Espionage!
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- Опубліковано 7 сер 2024
- The Minox is an incredible camera that can be easily concealed, It produces high quality images despite its size. The camera wasn't made for snap shooters on vacation or pro photographers. It was made specifically for the purpose of facilitating espionage. The camera has an amazing history including the fact that it played a key role in stopping all out nuclear war in the 1960's. This video will show you how the camera works and tell you a bit of its cool history.
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Links
Sources for Minox Film and Cartridges:
Beau Photo Minox Film
www.beauphoto.com/product/min...
Beau Photo Blog on the Minox
www.beauphoto.com/minox-ec/
Blue Moon Minox Film
bluemooncamera.com/shop/produ...
Blue Moon empty cartridges
bluemooncamera.com/shop/produ...
3D Print Files:
Minox Spool for Patterson Tank
www.printables.com/model/2540...
Minox Film Slicer 35mm to Minox
www.thingiverse.com/thing:468...
Minox cartridge
www.printables.com/model/4023... - Навчання та стиль
I would have been interested in seeing some Minox photos in this video.
I will definitely do a follow up. It takes forever to shoot 50 frames!’ I am planning a video on n developing Minox film which will show the results.
@@jsollowsphotography It is hard to find galleries of Minox submini photos, almost examples all are "gritty" and muddy. Format is too small for normal quality snapshots
Thanks a million! You have good gumption to stage that drama at the beginning.
As I always say: Fort Langley FTW!
Doing very little espionage on the south end of Cap’n Vancouver’s island, I bid you adieu.
Thanks Larry! It was a lot of fun shooting that bit!
Thank you for your wonderful video which I found both entertaining and informative. I recently purchased two MINOX cameras, a MINOX III and a MINOX C, along with a few bits of gear. This brand of camera is proving to be a lot of fun to study and collect. My next mission is to start using the cameras to take pictures and get the film developed. Knowing there is a place right here in Canada where I can order the film is very convenient. Thanks again for sharing your expertise and love for traditional photography.
Unfortunately since this video was released, Beau Photo no longer stocks the film. We are sadly limited to Blue Moon in California which is costly! You can also buy new film from a number of sources on eBay. They are reloading cartridges with new film and making them available. Best alternative is to do that very thing yourself. You can buy or if you have access to a 3D printer, you can print a film cutter for Minox. A single 36 exp roll of B/W film can make 6 rolls of Minox so that’s a very cheap alternative. If you are interested in that, let me know and I can give you more information.
Thank you, I’ll look at what Blue Moon has to offer and see about creating a film splitter. Are the 3D Printing specs on thingaverse?
Also May I ask what film is best? Black and white 100 400 etc?
Thank you for this very enlightening video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Blue moon camera is in Portland oregon and we are the last producers of the film with original minox cassettes.
I make my own
I bought some film for my minox camera in Portland, Oregon, back in around 1979.
Wonderful video!!
Thanks Noah!
I have one. It was my mother’s. She only used it to take pictures of us kids. My father got it for her.
That’s uncommon. These cameras were prohibitively expensive for most individuals. Cherish it, they are marvels of technology. I still use mine.
Very thorough and informative video Jim. Thanks for posting this. 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Very interesting! Thanks for the video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the intro!! Looked like a lot of fun to make. Thank you for sharing this, Jim!
It was a lot of fun! Thank you Shawn!
IMHO, the Minox cameras are fascinating submini cameras and were good for shooting documents. As a snapshot cameras, they could produce reasonable sharp small prints in black and white and color but most prints are somewhat soft in sharpness and grainy. The problem is enlarging a 9mm negative to 5x7 inch prints. Nowadays, a 36 exposure film cartridge costs around $22 and prints are $1 each (when available). Replacement batteries are available for Minox "C" cameras. Old stock flash cubes may still be available for Minox flash attachment.
OMG Where are you buying 36 exp b/w for $22!!! I buy 35mm b/w retail for about $8 Cdn ($6 USD). I actually bulk roll my film which drops it further to about $3 Cdn a roll. Minox doesn’t use 35mm film so if I cut a 36exp 35mm into Minox format, that single $8 roll yields 6 rolls of Minox film .. so about 75 cents a roll. Then I can directly print in my darkroom or digitize the images and print on an inkjet photo printer.
Blue Moon prices@@jsollowsphotography
Walter Zapp never designed the Minox as a "spy camera" but rather something small enough be a companion camera. We can thank the smartphone for killing these off.
@@ps121911 You have to be a "true believer" to think that Minox submini prints are comparable to larger format film systems.
Walter zapp studied photography in Estonia and the actual company was founded in 1945, before he worked with VEF, a company in Riga, Latvia
Ok then
I just received a mint Minox Model B - thanks so much for the history and the links - about to order "spy film" from Blue Moon
Excellent! Let me know if you have any questions.
A quite interesting video, nice to learn the history of this mythical camera
Glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi Jim Excellent history on the role Minox had in the Cuban Missile Crisis as used by Oleg Penkovski...I had never heard of Robert Waller before but must look up info on him..do you know if there are any books detailing his story? I own several Minox Cameras both models A(iii) and model B and use them exclusively I also have a Minox enlarger and develop film with the Minox daylight developing tank ...I am about to embark on the actual developing of pictures using the enlarger and found your video on using the Grain Focus Scope invaluable .By the way I enjoyed the beginning scene immensely very well done..trench coat and all
Thanks Billy! I haven’t found a book specifically on the Minox but I did read “The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA” as well as “Inside the CIA and the Moscow Rules” both by Antonio and Jonna Mendez. Both served extensively with the CIA and Jonna was Chief of Disguise with the CIA during most of the cold war. Both books have stories of the Minox in use. I also gathered a lot of material from various sources including the International Spy Museum in Washington DC which has Minox cameras as part of the display. Send me your social media links, I would love to follow your adventures with the Minox. linktr.ee/jsollows
@@jsollowsphotography Hi Jim, Thanks, I've read the Mendez books.. have you seen the movie ARGO? That was the true story of Tony Mendez and the exfiltration of 6 Americans from Tehran . Great Movie..Last year my wife surprised me on my birthday with a trip to DC and we spent my birthday at the SPY Museum..it was awesome!..I'm not on any social media (us spy's have to keep a low profile lol) I got interested in Minox during the pandemic when I saw one advertised on craigslist..I had seen them in movies and on TV and always thought they were so cool..I purchased it had it rebuilt (that was more than I paid for it ) and haven't looked back.. I believe that was in mid 2020. I've since accumulated 11 cameras Aiii + b cameras (including one black B camera) 6 light meters about the same amount of flash attachments 2 Enlargers and a mountain of paperwork..you may say I went overboard..But I really enjoy the hobby and I'm excited about the next phase of actually printing the pictures from my own developed negatives..I did shoot a color positive roll last year that I have to send to Blue Moon for development (yes I also have the slide projector and all the slide mounts to mount myself...) lol I guess you might say I'm all in... Billy
Is there anything that's a modern digital equivalent for this ?
They were made until about 2010. At that point smart phones took over but you can still conceal a Minox much easier than a smart phone. The Minox in the video is almost 2-3x smaller than an iPhone.
@@jsollowsphotography Yeah, I don't have a smartphone but could use a small digital camera sometimes.I wouldn't want to mess with film anymore.
Do you know of anyone around Vancouver selling Minox cameras?
Yes in fact I do. Beau Photo had one last week.
@@jsollowsphotography Must have sold. I checked their website just after I watched your video. I'll keep checking in. Do you remember how much it was?
3:54 you seem incredibly infatuated with the spy aspect to this camera. Yes, most nations ordered these cameras for intelligence purposes. But it was also a normal camera anyone could buy. In fact it was FIRST just marketed to regular people looking for a smaller camera for vacationing/everyday use who didn't know a lot about photography. But because it was quite expensive to manufacture it also had a high price tag and became more of a novelty for rich people. It was only many years after it's production did certain nations see it's advantages to be used in espionage. But that wasn't it's initial intent nor what it was conceived for.
Yes I’m aware of the history but “a normal camera that few could afford” is hardly interesting. The camera was somewhat unsuccessful until it’s use for covert activities was discovered. In fact Minox became successful largely due to their sales to government agencies. The espionage history is far more interesting and entertaining.