Minox film with scalloped cut

[Kino]

Not well versed in Minox minutiae (pardon the pun), but I have a cartridge with unknown film that shows a scalloped cut along the film edge.

What does this signify? Start of roll? End of roll?

The 14 DIN side of the cassette has the hollow bottom for the film advance, the 9610 stamped side has a flat bottom with no hole (supply?).

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Start of roll so you are good to go. The 14 DIN is the film speed which can be translated to ISO but I don't have a number for you. I don't know what the 9610 is but maybe someone will. You really only need the DIN number to shoot it, but the film might be as old as 60/70 years so keep that in mind. I think they stopped making metal cassettes in the early 70s at the latest. By the way, the metal cassettes might not fit into more modern Minox like the LX.

 

[Kino]

Start of roll so you are good to go. The 14 DIN is the film speed which can be translated to ISO but I don't have a number for you. I don't know what the 9610 is but maybe someone will. You really only need the DIN number to shoot it, but the film might be as old as 60/70 years so keep that in mind. I think they stopped making metal cassettes in the early 70s at the latest. By the way, the metal cassettes might not fit into more modern Minox like the LX.

Thanks, Patrick.

I found a DIN to ASA converter which suggests about 20 ISO or thereabouts.

That's funny, I didn't even notice it was metal, it's so thin. Good to know.

It does fit into my Model B, so I will give it a go and probably shoot 10 ISO for grins.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You're welcome.

You probably want to expose it even lower than 10 but if you get anything out of it I would be surprised. Fun to try though.

Make sure you keep the cassette after you are done. They are getting harder to find.

 

[Kino]

Yes, I will hold onto it! I have a ton of 5366 Kodak Intermediate B&W film I plan to slit down and try in the Minox with some exotic developers.

BTW: here's the GOST/ASA/DIN conversion table I found:

GOST-ASA-DIN Conversion Table - Retro Pixel

This table helps you to convert the different film sensitivity Industry standards. GOST - ASA - DIN. GOST (soviet union) ASA (USA) DIN (Germany)

retro-pixel.com

 

[tjwspm]

My tip comes probably too late now, but it might still be interesting for you. When inserting Minox 8x11 films into a Minox III or Minox B, there are surprisingly many things you can do wrong, as I myself only realized after three years.
That's why I've written down my findings here:

Minox film and the frame counter

What mistakes can be made when loading Minox film. Everything you need to know about Minox film in connection with the frame counter.

moments-of-now.com

 

[Kino]

My tip comes probably too late now, but it might still be interesting for you. When inserting Minox 8x11 films into a Minox III or Minox B, there are surprisingly many things you can do wrong, as I myself only realized after three years.
That's why I've written down my findings here:

Minox film and the frame counter

What mistakes can be made when loading Minox film. Everything you need to know about Minox film in connection with the frame counter.

moments-of-now.com

Never too late for such well presented, precise information on the Minox III or B model camera! Thank you for making this resource available!

I hope SubClub will include a link to this valuable document on their page (if not already there).

Many thanks!

 

[Kino]

You're welcome.

You probably want to expose it even lower than 10 but if you get anything out of it I would be surprised. Fun to try though.

Make sure you keep the cassette after you are done. They are getting harder to find.

Yes, the roll was largely just a streaky, foggy mess with very, very faint suggestions of images, but that is OK. It was a good first run with the Minox developing tank.

As much as I admire the clever design of the tank, I immediately ordered a Patterson Tank compatible reel as I don't think you get good agitation with the Minox tank and I am sure to drop it, so it goes on the display shelf.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Make sure you really shake and bake the tank with the plastic reel in it. In my experience plastic reels with really small film can give insufficient development on one half of the film, presumably because it sticks to the reel. So really give it some agitation.

I've never used my Minox developing tank. Never saw the point to it. Nice collectible though.

The B I think is the best camera to use for most for black and white. The A is nice and small but of course doesn't have a meter. The later models need a battery (aside from the AX) and have the newer lens which I don't think has as much character as the earlier Complan lens for black and white. The exception to both of those is the early C models that came with a Complan and also auto exposure. They only made that though for a year or so I think it was so there aren't many. I have three or four but sadly right now none of them are working. The LX is the nicest (non special) of all of them but has the Minox lens. There are the collectible ones too but those aren't for making pictures.

The A and B can also can take any cassette, plastic or metal. The later ones, beginning with the C I think can really only take the plastic (although the C might take the metal, can't remember off the top of my head). The benefit of the metal cassettes is they hold 50 exposures but only the A and B have a counter that goes up that high.

tjwspm has that great website of his for all this information though. I wish it was around when I started with the Minox. Would have saved me a lot of headaches.

 

[ic-racer]

The notch is nice to have. I make it with a paper punch on my Minox and other 16mm loads.

 

[FriedLouisStudio]

Me too, in the years when I loaded my own Minox cassettes.

But I usually cut a much smaller crescent than on the factory loads, just enough to mark that the roll was unexposed. I didn't want to either put too much stress on advancing a narrow bit of film when loading, or chance getting a pointy corner stuck in the film gate or takeup chamber entry.