I'm interested in getting a Minox 35 since I heard that they shoot pretty sharp pictures. I need some info about this camera, eg. difference between models, battery availability, pros & cons. I saw AAA Cameras sell the models GT-S & GT-E. Are these new models? Do they still use the PX27 mercury batteries? Thanks in advance for your advices.

-- Anson Lam (alam@mac.com), February 11, 2001

Answers

Anson,

In the Oct 2000 issue of "SHUTTERBUG" magazine they review the Minox GT-E which is the latest version of the "draw bridge" 35mm camera from Minox. I have the ML model, bought in 1986, and the GT-E seems to be mostly the same camera.

It is not a camera for someone that has never taken their camera off of "program" or auto focus. You need to understand those depth of field marks on the lens. There is neither auto focus nor any focus comfirmation. You must guess the distance and then set the lens manually, relying on the depth of field of the 35mm lens to assure adequate sharpness. In real life, this is only a problem in near darkness, where you might be shooting at f/2.8, and DOF narrow. If you are outdoors, you can manually set the f-stop, and check the DOF the old fashion way... on the lens barrel between the marks for the f- stop you choose. You can set hyperfocal distance and set the camera to aperture priority, and have a "point and shoot", or you can set the camera for every situation and have a serious camera capable of very good results.

The ISO is set manually, so you can trick the meter, and thus bracket in tricky lighting. There is also a quick 2X switch for fast backlight compensation. The ISO settings go from ISO 25-1600.

The things that I wish were different... the film loading is slow, you remove the entire back, (but I use a Leica, so it is standard for me). The display is a bit hard to see in bright light, just cover the finder with free hand.

The lens is very good. I have many slides and enlargements with this camera and if you set the focus good and use a sharp f-stop like f/8, you can compare this lens to a Nikon fixed 35mm... and it will crush a consumer f/4-5.6 plastic toy lens that people are satisfied with today.

If you want a very casual P&S, this is the wrong camera. If you want a serious camera for those time that you can carry you SLR, one that won't leave you feeling you are missing out, this could be the one. It is the size of a pack of cigarettes, there is no excuse not to have it with you all of the time... a camera in your hand is better than a Pro SLR back home in the closet

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), February 11, 2001.

I also have a Minox ML purchased in the mid-80's. I agree with everything Al says about this camera. If you are used to dealing with a manual rangefinder, the 35mm Minoxes are fine precision instruments that drop into any pocket. The ML and the current models use current batteries, so that should not be a problem. One of the few times I let the aperture priority work completely automatically was at midnight on New York's Broadway, and I came away with a couple great, sharp pictures. The 35mm lens has a maximum aperture of f2.8, which gives you great leeway with modern films. Try the following Web sites.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Minox-FAQ

http://www.minoxography.org/

-- Jeff Polaski (polaski@acm.org), February 12, 2001.