Tutuorial on my MINOX 35GT ' Full Frame Spy Camera'

[pentaxpete]

I did a Video on my MINOX 35GT Full Frame Spy Camera-- I show film loading, flash and actual Darkroom Prints - you can see it here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJGXxdNKMBo&feature=youtu.be

 

[AgX]

"Land of hope and glory..." , you are a funny guy. More of that.

One interesting thing on the Minox EL is, that it not only started a series of successors as your GT model, but also a series of "clones" by other manufacturers, or at least models whose designers were inspired by its design, becoming even better in some points.

Your sample got that hotshoe cover. I never came across samples that still had it.

T=Timer I guess

 

[zanxion72]

Lovely, but quite unreliable cameras (especially the EL).

 

[Sewin]

Nice

 

[benjiboy]

Lovely, but quite unreliable cameras (especially the EL).

I don't know about the EL, but I've been using a 35GT for more than 25 years and it has been perfectly reliable and the lens quality of the 35mm f2.8 Minotar lens puts many SLR lenses of the same focal length to shame. I use my 35GT mainly for street shooting because it's so small when folded up that if one of my subjects takes offence at being photographed and sticks my Minox "where the sun don't shine" it shouldn't be too painful

 

[AgX]

Minotaur lens...
I like that. Minox should have had that idea themselves.

 

[benjiboy]

Minotaur lens...
I like that. Minox should have had that idea themselves.

I made a spelling mistake I have corrected in my post you are right should have been Minotar.

 

[AgX]

I know, but mistakes are sometimes better then the true form...

 

[Mick Fagan]

I have a Minox 35 GL, which to be honest I had sort of forgotten about, bought in the late 70's or early 80's. I just pulled it out and went through things, still works. For some time I used it a lot, but of late it has sat in a drawer along with some other cameras.

I watched your clip right through, yeah, Elgar, don't give up your day hobby.

I too have never seen a hot shoe cover, or to be honest, didn't remember it having one; forgot that it had one until I saw you sliding yours off.

Mine has the orange shutter button, which was the colour for the GL. I think this is the quickest way to figure out which model one has with just a glance at the shutter button.

That delayed action button, or self timer as I thought it was called, is not on my model, could have been handy many moons ago for group shots when out walking and such.

The Minox flash unit was quite big, about two thirds the size of the camera and almost as expensive, maybe not quite, but it certainly wasn't cheap. I ran with a cheap generic Sunpak Auto 140 flash unit, which is almost the same size in bulk as the Minox camera, but for about $10 (at the time) so stupidly cheap, I bought two with the second one as a back-up as I thought at that price they wouldn't last. I never needed the back-up unit, so for a while I was using bellows on Nikon bodies and using both flash units for macro and sometimes micro work.

Mick.

 

[AgX]

Lighting is the basic big problem for all "miniature" cameras. There was quite a reduction of size for electronic flashlights ending with those miniature AF campacts of the 90s (as Canon Ixus). But for a decent output there is no reasonable ratio in size to the camera.

For the Minox C you had an electronic flash attachment half the size of the camera and had to wear the battery/generator part at your belt.

 

[flavio81]

I had the GT as well and loved it. Better than the Rollei 35 (which I sold). But nowadays i like the Olympus Pen S much better. Also, my GT broke down.

 

[Renato Tonelli]

I did a Video on my MINOX 35GT Full Frame Spy Camera-- I show film loading, flash and actual Darkroom Prints - you can see it here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJGXxdNKMBo&feature=youtu.be

Thoroughly enjoyed your video. I have a couple of these 'neat' little cameras. It would be wonderful if it could be used in manual mode instead of aperture-priority - but I am happy with it just the same.

 

[pentaxpete]

So pleased my 'Video Efforts' have been enjoyed and caused so many comments --many thanks Folks !! I am not very 'slick' with all the video techniques you see with music and stuff but I get down to the 'Nitty Gritty ' !!

 

[AgX]

We don't need a slick guy, but a guy who is educational and entertaining.

 

[Alan Gales]

Nice video pentaxpete! I almost bought a Minox back in the 1980's but never quite pulled the trigger.

We both live in Brentwood. I'm in Brentwood, Missouri USA. It's a town in Sr. Louis County. We've just got a pond and a bit of land separating us.

 

[Renato Tonelli]

So pleased my 'Video Efforts' have been enjoyed and caused so many comments --many thanks Folks !! I am not very 'slick' with all the video techniques you see with music and stuff but I get down to the 'Nitty Gritty ' !!

Don't change a thing! Your videos are very informative and I find the presentation very charming and un-pretentious.
I've become a subscriber.

 

[blockend]

Don't change a thing! Your videos are very informative and I find the presentation very charming and un-pretentious.
I've become a subscriber.

I agree! Pete reminds me of the Harry Enfield character "Only Me" without being a know-all. Keep it up Pete, your old camera reviews are the best on YouTube. They're what it's like to handle these old cameras, not how it's supposed to be in the instruction manual.

 

[pentaxpete]

Many thanks for all your support -- as I have no work now and just a British Government Pension I am doing the Videos on my Son's Canon digital Video while he is at school and I like helping people as I was helped when I joined the South Essex Camera Club when I was 15 in about 1952

 

[ITKI]

..also enjoyed the video, thank you for the effort - it's appreciated!

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I don't know about the EL, but I've been using a 35GT for more than 25 years and it has been perfectly reliable and the lens quality of the 35mm f2.8 Minotar lens puts many SLR lenses of the same focal length to shame.

Some of these cameras - I ignore which models and which years of the *many* made by Minox - were equipped with what the repairmen called "the white type shutter", which was believed to be not repairable at the time. Many (not all) of these "white shutters" failed over the years. Recently I have read on the internet that these broken shutters can indeed be repaired today; who is interested should perform a search.

I firstly owned a Minox 35EL which indeed failed and was declared "not repairable" at the time. I replaced it with a 35GT which is still working perfectly after decades. By the way, I second the comment that the Minotar lens "buries" many prime lenses for 135 cameras.

In my opinion, Minoxes equipped with shutters that were destined to fail, have already failed decades ago. The Minoxes that are still working well at present time, may be considered reliable.

 

[ITKI]

Good info @Marco Gilardetti - thanks for sharing!

 

[Chan Tran]

Is it a spy camera? It's not that small.

 

[AgX]

I do not know why Peter used that term. It is not his kind to use such key-words.
But for instance the Robot Star and the Robot SC 35 were indeed used for spying/surveillance in disguise.

 

[dynachrome]

I have two ELs and I do not like them. The lenses are decent enough but everything else about the cameras is not to my liking. Even advancing the film is a chore. I would rather carry a Nikkormat FT2 with a 35/2.8 'K' Nikkor any day.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm in the opposite. Can't stand SLR for everyday, everywhere camera, year around. I have tried Olympus XA for it, it was great, but crapped out, so did the Minox 35.
They are all toy and joy cameras, unfortunately. Not for daily use and for all year around everywhere camera, just because of their weak reliability.
I have GT send to me for repairs, because it didn't survive daily use. Then I looked what is inside, it was very obvious why. Too tiny electronics and too dense.
Original Spy Minox cameras are much more reliable for daily use.