Reviving the Minox EC

[tjwspm]

I have brought some Minox EC cameras back to life and it has been a rewarding journey! If an EC camera stops responding, it’s probably the electrics. The usual suspects? Corroded battery contacts and those delicate cable connections. Decades of inactivity can take their toll!

Don’t be intimidated! With a little patience, you can bring these little gems back to life.

I’ve learned that a simple electrical repair can make all the difference, even if the camera looks dead. Now these ECs are shooting photos again, proving that the world’s smallest analog series-produced camera can still shine.

What experiences have you had with your Minox EC?

Here you can find my detailed instructions for beginners with lots of pictures:

Minox EC repair

Check and repair the most common problems with a Minox EC. The most common malfunctions are surprisingly easy to fix.

moments-of-now.com

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I have brought some Minox EC cameras back to life and it has been a rewarding journey! If an EC camera stops responding, it’s probably the electrics. The usual suspects? Corroded battery contacts and those delicate cable connections. Decades of inactivity can take their toll!

Don’t be intimidated! With a little patience, you can bring these little gems back to life.

I’ve learned that a simple electrical repair can make all the difference, even if the camera looks dead. Now these ECs are shooting photos again, proving that the world’s smallest analog series-produced camera can still shine.

What experiences have you had with your Minox EC?

Here you can find my detailed instructions for beginners with lots of pictures:

Minox EC repair

Check and repair the most common problems with a Minox EC. The most common malfunctions are surprisingly easy to fix.

moments-of-now.com

Great that the Minox story is getting a new chapter!

 

[Andreas Thaler]

And a great repair guide because it's written clearly, understandably, and encouragingly.

A gift to the Minox community

 

[perkeleellinen]

Great potential with these tiny cameras. Shutters are almost silent. But i've never found a good one. My current one has this issue:



I've never seen one for $10, more like £40 round here.

 

[tjwspm]

Great potential with these tiny cameras. Shutters are almost silent. But i've never found a good one. My current one has this issue:

View attachment 393816

I've never seen one for $10, more like £40 round here.

Concerning the price:

Minox photography for absolute beginners

I purchased a very nice IIIs the other year for about 75 USD. I might have preferred an "A" for it's metric distance scale, but for the price, I was willing to make some compromises. Need to CLA it, but it appears to be a pretty simple job, and I don't think I'll need to touch the optics at all...

www.photrio.com

As for the negatives, I see that some are completely overexposed and some are completely underexposed, right? But the camera gets power, so the LED in the viewfinder lights up?

 

[perkeleellinen]

Yes, camera gets power. On some rolls, the frames are correctly exposed but always the large blank sections. I suspect the shutter isn't opening - a classic problem with Minox 35 cameras, you hear the shutter but get nothing. Disappointing and I've given up on the EC after never finding a reliable one.

@tjwspm do you want this camera to play with? I will post it to you for free and I don't want it back. Seems a shame to throw it in the trash.

 

[tjwspm]

@tjwspm do you want this camera to play with? I will post it to you for free and I don't want it back. Seems a shame to throw it in the trash.

@perkeleellinen
That's a great offer. It would be interesting to look for the error.
However, I'm afraid shipping to Germany would be too expensive.

 

[perkeleellinen]

A quick check and it maybe only £5 to send. If you want, give me a message with your address and I can check more accurately.

 

[tjwspm]

A quick check and it maybe only £5 to send. If you want, give me a message with your address and I can check more accurately.

Oh, that's less than I thought. I'll switch to conversation mode...

 

[tjwspm]

I have since revised the article. I have extended the shutter test and added a flowchart for all tests:

Checking a Minox (A, B, BL, LX, EC, AX)

Before or after purchasing a Minox, it is advisable to check the camera thoroughly. For most checks you don't need any tools and you don't have to open the camera either.

moments-of-now.com

Minox EC problems

Typical problems with the Minox EC Of the four Minox EC cameras I have bought recently, only one was fully functional from the start. The other three had

moments-of-now.com

 

[tjwspm]

Readers of this thread may be interested to know that there is now a compilation of (almost) everything you need to know about the Minox EC:

Minox EC review and homage

The Minox EC is the sneaker version of the classic Minox cameras – casual, lightweight, active. Tips on how to take great photos with it.

moments-of-now.com