Minox in my home town

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Minox Photography : One Thread

Tell us some thing about Minoxing in your home town

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), February 25, 2000

Answers

Hi,

In Kuala Lumpur,

1. So far, there are 2 shops that I know of sells Minoxes but no accessories and films are as good as non-existant. I grab almost every roll there is with the distributor. 2. Swap meet, antique show? Never heard of them. 3. There's one shop that does processing which I've not use their services before. They were recommended by the Minox dist. Maybe I should give them a shot. 4. Nope, there may be others but according to the dist., there wasn't a Minox (the sub-miniature range) sold for past 2 years! 5. Wide open eyes and drop jaws... so most of my pictures are exactly that...

Regards,

-- C P Wong (cpwong@w3xs.com), February 25, 2000.


Hi, in Madrid, Spain. I haven't see anybody using a Minox 8x11 or a Minox 35, I have trying my first roll of fill with my Minox B, it is dificult to find shops that sell film, but it is more dificult to find where to develope it. I have shoot only about 30 pictures of my first film, but it is wonderfull to see the reaction of the people, I am hoping to see my pictures. I am delight with the content of this forum. Does anybody using Minox in Spain? Regards: Roberto

-- Roberto Garcia (rchin@retemail.es), February 25, 2000.

Mr Wong, some one in Singapore bought a mint Minox Enlarger from Toronto by mail two or three years ago. Looks like there are some Minox collector there.

Roberto, you asked "any one using Minox in Spain ?"

Yes, King Juan Carlos uses a gold Minox LX.

In 1997, when I visited the Royal Palace in Madrid, photographing with my Minox B, I knew I was in the Palace of a Minoxer King.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), February 25, 2000.


In Toronto, Minox 35mm cameras are carried by many photographic equipment shops, but almost never in chain stores such as Black's Camera (owned by Fuji ) nor Japan Camera.

Eight Elms Photo& Video at Yonge Street & Eight Elm Street has a constant supplies of used Minox 35mm cameras, from EL to GT-E, some complete with leather case. However, I have'nt seen a used 8x11 camera ( I ordered a new TLX from them ), good price and service.

Vistek, Alt Camera Exchange and Henry's are three major camera stores in downtown Queen Street East. Alt has more selections on 8x11 cameras and accesories, chrome IIIs, B, and Cs, sometimes a black B. I don't see any new 35mm on shelf,( but can be ordered) There was a gold plated Minox MDC last year. Two years ago, they had a mint Minox enlarger, sold to a customer in Singapore, sight unseen. Vistek has some 8x11 and 35mm. Henry only 35mm.

Most interesting are a cluster of smaller used cameras stores at the intersection of Queen Street East and Church Street. They have used Minox 8x11, from A,B, C to EC, I spoke with two of the shop owners, they said they are ethnic Latvian. These guys know what they are doing, they all have the thick Mckeon blue book in drawer.

Kindermann- Leica, the sole distributor of Leica/Minox products in Canada is in Markham, a suburb of Toronto. They have Minox factory trained technician doing repair/maintenance on Minox 35mm and 8x11 cameras

There is no film processing nor 8x11mm enlargement service in Toronto

Minox 8x11 camera is considered 'antique' and sometimes showed up in Antique show staged at various shopping malls, for example at Bayview Village. Two weeks ago I saw a B with leather case and chain Last year at a similar show I bought a binocular adapter for C$25.

Two hours drive from Toronto are the twin city of Kitchener/ Waterloo. Kitchener was called Berlin before WWII. The population there are German heritage. I tried to find Minox there, but not sucessful.

Canadian Photographic Historic Society has monthly swap meet and annual convention. I got my second Minox tank from one member.

Regular Minox films are stocked by several camera shops. But microfilms are hard to find, so far I have not located one who willing to sell 'one roll' of Fuji Super HR or Agfa Copex, they sell by the box to banks and other institutions.

At Scarborough mall, there used to be a Spytech shop, selling new Minox EC set.

Amphis Photo, supposely the distributor of Hove Books, does not carry Moses/Wade Spycamera. I ordered it through a mail order bookstore

I never seen another person using Minox 8x11mm, though I had seen a gentleman at the garden of Horticulture School in Niagara Falls carried his Minox 35mm camera in a eveready case, which prompted me to get a case too.

Minox spy camera is a good conversation piece at parties.

eBay makes buying Minox equipment easier-- the Canadian customer invariably open up the packages, and charges duty or good and service tax (GST) and a $5 'handling fee'

Metro Toronto Library carries a few titles in Minox and spycamera.

All in all, Minox is an exotic species, not sold by mass marketeers, you have to seach it out.

This is a snapshot of condition of Minox equipment and services in Metro Toronto.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), February 26, 2000.


In Chicago, the only place I've found so far that stocks Minox film and accessories is Central Camera, on Wabash in the Loop. Other stores tend to either give you a blank stare or act as if you're daft when asked about Minox!

-- Ken Ford (kford@Ameritech.net), March 22, 2000.


Arista Camera in Bronxville, New York carries Minox film. I was shocked to find a dealer in Westchester that carries it, considering that from around here it's only a short drive to B&H and the rest of the Manhattan crowd. It did cost a dollar or two more, but when convenience counts...

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), March 23, 2000.

In Sco Paulo, largest city in South America (15 million inhabitants): 1. One Leica representant sells Minox cameras if you ask (the same cost as buying from MPL). No film sold in the whole country, I must slit my own. 2. May be a very rare appearance in antique fairs (there are two of them, very nice, but never seen a Minox there). 3. B&W must be processed at home (no big issue), colour film developed (only C-41) in at least one 1-hour shop. Till noe I haven't found a single lab willing to copy my negatives. 4. Never seen Minoxes in use in Brazil other than mine (2), there is one "C" in auction at lokau.com (.br). 5. Curious looks at the "B", with questions about image quality (I have always some good prints to show). Few people noticed the "EC" even when being shot. Wolfgang

-- Wolfgang Fischer (wolfischer@yahoo.com), March 23, 2000.

In Mainz, Germany, there is only one photo shop which contributes Minox films. No other accessories or cameras. I bought my Minox B via ebay. I know a few people who use Minox 35 mm cameras, but I never saw anybody with a 8x11.

-- Karin Dörfler (kdor@gmx.de), December 07, 2000.

I live in Perth, Western Australia. I bought one camera off ebay, the other I got by advertising locally. I had two responses to the local advert and two to a national advert. The national advert turned up a mint black BL, can you believe, but outside my budget constraint, and I'm a user not a collector - well, anymore than any other minoxer. So they're thin on the ground. But my guess is they're out there in draws and cupboards, simply forgotten. Film is no problem here if you can afford, me I'll slit and develop my own. Into B&W, have Leitz enlarger (Valoy II fitted with Monolta CE 30mm lens for 11X18). Would like Minox enlarger, and Minox slitter, but probably wont happen. Graham

-- (graham_h@hotmail.com), July 07, 2001.

Alt Camera Exchange at Queen Street East, Toronto, where I got many Minox cameras and accesories was recently out of business, their whole stock was bought out by Henry Camera nearby. It is a pity. Alt used to carry a variaty of used Minox cameras.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), July 09, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ