Minox 8x11 overview

Minox 8x11 sub-miniature cameras are celebrated for mechanical craftsmanship, compactness, and a distinct shooting experience, but they require patience for loading, focusing, and film processing; community resources and aftermarket tools have made shooting and developing  much more practical recently. Wy are they popular even today? Because cassettes are re-seable and the film requires no hole guides to tell the camera where the film is: a friction drive was brilliantly designed by Walter Zapp in 1935.

• Classic mechanical models (Riga, II, III, B, C, BL, LX) — Praised for build quality, reliable mechanical shutters, and surprisingly good image detail given the tiny negative; collectors value early Riga and limited anniversary editions most.
• Electronic models (EC, ECX, AX, TLX/CLX/LX variants) — Offer simpler operation and electronic exposure control but less mechanical charm; good entry points for newcomers and more affordable on the market.
• Special and anniversary sets — Often finished or packaged as collector pieces and can command high prices; functionality is usually the same but rarity drives interest.
• Common complaints — Small viewfinder/framelines, fiddly film loading, and the need for replacement batteries or tricky electrical repairs on older electronic models; repairs are possible but sometimes require specialist skills or parts.
• Repairers - Experienced repairers and camera parts are now at a premium. Aside from ourselves, only two in the US (DAG and Marty) exist, as far as I know.
• Supply Issues - New film cassettes have not been produced since the 1990's. Used cassettes are expensive (> £15 each) and fragile. 
• Processing and enlarging have become easier in the past few years because 3D printed reels, frames and holders and digital cameras being used as scanners.