Social Media is full of examples of scanning a 35mm negative with a digital mirrorless camera and 90mm macro lenses. Well, a used Minolta 5400 or Nikon LS5000 scanner can do a better job than any still camera because scanners have IR dust and scratch reduction for colour and those two scanners have huge resolution.
When it comes to scanning negatives 1/9th the size of a 35mm negative (a 8x11mm) we have a problem: scanning a 8x11mm negative with a 35mm sensor means you are only using 1/9th of what the sensor can do: it is a 1:1 copy, so you waste your lovely sensor. Same thing when using a still camera. So I thought a bit: what if I could get a lens on the still camera that copies and enlarges the negative in the camera before I take the photograph? I tried these lenses:
I will publish a page with comparison scans of the same Minox negative from a Minolta Dimage 5400, a Nikon Coolscan and a Sony A7r3 Canon/Sony lens comparison. A 'good' colour negative, colour slide and black and white.
The image on the left is a scan with a Sony A7R3, Canon Macrophoto 20mm lens, and a Minox holder by pixellator.
When sending camera film, accessories and equipment, it is essential that the correct tariff code is used, or the recipient will have to pay incorrect duty.
So here is a relevant list of possible codes:
These codes are used when we return a repair to the EU. In this way the duty paid on import can be refunded
Converting a Minox 35mm lens to work on a Leica M Digital is interesting. The Leica M8 with its 1.33 sensor crop, makes the lens into a 46mm focal length. This is a prototype but will probably be about £125 if we can make them reliably. There is a lot of work in adapting the lens, as the shutter has to be disabled and the infinity focus checked.
The M8 is not the ideal Leica camera for this lens, as there is no live view so you can check the focus nor rangefinder coupling. So focussing is a bit of a guess, just like using a MInox 35. Results are impressive espcially so on the Sony A7R3 with autofocus
Choose from our Sony emount version or the Leica version
The new pronto AF adapter turns your mirrorless camera into a autofocus home for all legacy lenses.
The joy of using a 40 year old lens in autofocus mode is a pleasure. Watching a Leica R or Minotar lens snap in and out of focus is a delight, more so when you see the results.
Newly arrived expired film going into the freezer.
There appears to be a change in public attendance on photo shows. SWPP has increased attendance this year, and TPS has had an increase in exhibitors from 2021.
We will be there, this time with long awaited Aluminium 8x11 film cassettes, a full stock of refurbished Minox 35 and 8x11 cameras, enlargers, and cut films for re-loading.
Check here and email us for discounted tickets.
Contact is for ticket code at a 20% discount
In 1978, the designer of the Rollei 35, Hienz Waaske, sigined a contract to design a Minox 6x45 camera, with many of hte features of the Minox 35.
The aim:
FILM: 120 roll film (16 exposures), nominal size 4,5x6 cm.
FOCAL LENGTH: 60-65 mm
MAX.APERTURE: 2,8.
EXPOSURE: Aperture priority with automatic electronic shutter and shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder.
FILM-TRANSPORT: Only no turning knob!
RANGE-FINDER: Dual image, better still, split image range finder.
VIEWFINDER: Bright frame viewfinder with automatic parallax balance, rangefinder measuring field, time and shutter indication.
SIZE: Flat! (max. 45 mm greatest thickness, better 42 mm). The camera should easily fit into the side- or inner pocket of a normal man's jacket. Very rounded edges.
BODY: Matte-black varnished synthetic material like the 35EL, no leathering or scarring.
WEIGHT: 300-350gr.
It was never built, and Minox bankruptcy in 1988 finished off the idea. The new owners of Minox were shocked when plans and development costs of this project was found.
It would have been considerably smaller than the Fuji GS645 folding camera. A digitlal version smaller still.
Thank you to customers new and old who visited stand 111 at Photographica 2022.
New cassettes and cameras wre on show.
We tested our nice new cassttes in the Riga. They would not quite fit, and proved hard to remove. We then tried with a modern plastic cassette: same problem. Our cassette engineer measured the Riga and a Riga cassette. The Riga takes a SMALLER and different shaped cassette than the later Minoxes. Thsi explains much. So we are planning a VEF Riga Cassette Limited Production run of 100 cassettes in grey, to distinguish from the black non-Riga cassettes. More news as this develops.
Scanning a negative only 8 by 11 millimeters in size with a digital sensor is a difficult task. The bigger the sensor used the greater the magnification needed to enlarge the negative. A small negative image size means that it is easier to copy a smaller. But a copy of a 8x11mm negative can be enlarged by extreme close up or in post-processing. Maybe a micro four thirds camera is ideal, because of the 13x17mm size is a close match to 8x11mm. We will test on a very wide range of sensor sizes and close up lenses/attchments to get the best results.
This is necessary because of the age of high quality sanners: 15-20 years old with 15-20 year old CCD sensors.
A modern scanner version wold be a digital camera with a close up lens set to 8x11/110/APS/35mm that has built in hardware dust and scratch reduction. It would need a holder and an advancer.
Thjose excellent chaps at VALOI have come up with a fantastic modern low-cost digitising platform for scanning film. We have asked them to develop a Minox holder to complement their 110/APS/8mm and 35mm and 120 holders.
You will need your own digital camera and close up lens to copy the negatives.
The quality of modern image processing and sensors looks like it can give 15 year old scanners a run for their money because of speed of scanning.
In Victor's inimitable grumpy style, he uses the Amateur Photographer to stick the knife into the 1980's autofocus compacts in favour of the Minox GT. Swiping at he Olympus XA in passing - too small too fiddly - he praises the quality and pocketability of the Minox. Both of which attributes apply 38 years later: with the one difference: that you can repair the Minox but try repairing an XA.
We are happy to announce that the first production cassettes are available for sale. All pre-orders are now being sent put. Films are cdompatible with the LX spring but will not work in the VEF Minox.
Three options:
For years, one of the biggest problems with cutting Minox film from 35mm was the danger of cutting yourself in the dark.
Not any more: our friends at camerhack.it (sic) have come up with a safe cutter. All you need is an extra reloadable 35mm cartridge and your film is cut into 2 strips in perfect safety. We sell them for £40 with the extra reloadable cartridge. Our European customers can order direct from the Italian website to avoid UK taxes for only 30 euros.
Here we see the cutter with a completed Minox film cut. Note the three blades to cut the film and the reloadable 35mm film cassette. Turning the knob clockwise winds the film easily into the cassette, until there is a natural stop. Then cut the film and label the cassette. Keep until used.
From Minox we have new stock of Minox X-Lite Binoculars, These replace the classic BV range and are generally lighter than their predecessors.
New Minox Tripods back in stock £79.99
From Fuji we have a stack of expired disc films in factory sealed cartons.
We have recently purchased a complete set of Leica Information Bulletins from 1975 to 2009. From 1975-2001, Leica also distributed Minox cameras and later binoculars. These are an invaluble source of data about product launches and user feedback on the Minox 35 and 8x11 camera. A sample of the Minox 35 GL announcement from 1980 is listed here.
From only £197