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Minox BL |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1971 to (After) 1971.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1993
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Minox
"The" Minox has become an icon of spy cinema, especially in the hands of James Bond. Some deduce that it dates back to the Cold War, but in reality, it was created in Latvia by Walter Zapp at the end of the 1930s. It is a device using a 9.5mm film. Its overall form will persist until the early 21st century. The original patent describes it well.
U.S. Patent 2,169,548 dated August 15, 1939, with inventor Walter Zapp from Riga, Latvia. The applicant is Valsts Elektrotechnika Fabrika (VEF).
Excerpts from the description:
One objective of the invention is to create a camera of such small dimensions that it can be carried in the vest pocket.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a camera that can be manipulated very quickly and through which a plurality of successive exposures can be quickly achieved.
Another objective of the invention is to construct the camera in a way that minimizes protruding parts as much as possible. Specifically, the usual rotating handle for advancing the film is eliminated.
Another objective of the invention is to construct the camera in a way that protects the lens and viewfinder when the camera is not in use.
The models are numerous:
| Model | Years | Marking | Lens | Speed | Battery | Color | Misc. | |
| UR | c. 1936 | To be considered as a prototype. | ||||||
| Riga | 1938-40 | Made in Latvia |
Minostigmat 3.5/12.5mm |
1/2 to 1/1000, B, T | No | Stainless steel | ||
| Riga | 1941-42 | Made in USSR |
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| Riga | 1942-44 | Nazi eagle | Swastika | |||||
| Riga | 1944-45 | Made in USSR |
||||||
| Riga |  |
1946-48 | VEF Minox RIGA | |||||
| (A) II | 1948-50 | Wetzlar | Pantar | Aluminum | III in USA |
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| (A) III |  |
1951-53 | Complan 3.5/15mm |
Aluminum / Black |
||||
| (A) IIIS1 |  |
1954-69 | Aluminum / Black / Gold |
|||||
| B |  |
1958-66 | Made in Germany | Aluminum / Black |
Selenium cell in lattice | |||
| B |  |
1967-72 | Aluminum / Black |
Selenium cell in honeycomb | ||||
| C |  |
1969-72 | Complan 3.5/15mm or Minox |
7 ou 10 to 1/1000 | Yes | Aluminum / Black |
Automatic | |
| BL |  |
1972-73 | Minox 3.5/15 mm |
1/2 to 1/1000, B | Aluminum / Black |
coupled CdS cell |
||
| LX |  |
1978-95 | 15 to 1/2000 | Aluminum / Gold / Platinum / Silver / Black | ||||
| EC |  |
1981-97 | Minox 5.6/15mm |
8 to 1/500 | Black | |||
| AX | 1992-95 | Minox 3.5/15mm |
1/2 to 1/1000, B | No | Aluminum / Black / Gold |
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| TLX | -96 | 100 Jahre Walter Zapp 04,09,1905-04,09,2005 | 15 to 1/2000 | Yes | Titanium | |||
| CLX | -98 | Made in Germany | Aluminum | |||||
| LX édition 2000 | -2000 | Minox LX Edition 2000 Made in Germany | Yes | Black and gold | ||||
| Aviator | -2001 | Aviator Made in Germany |
Black | |||||
| ECX |  |
1998-2004 | Minar 5.6/15mm |
8 to 1/500 | ||||
| MX |  |
1998-2003 | Japan | Minox 4.8/15mm |
1/125 | No | Grey | |
1The models feature a flash sync socket starting from the IIIS.
Beyond the movie anecdote, the Minox gained notoriety through various incidents. In 1950, two journalists from Chicago managed to sneak a Minox into the execution chamber of a prison in the Chicago area. They concealed it in the heel of a shoe, passed through X-ray screening, and captured photographs of James Morelli in the electric chair.
__________
The Minox BL succeeds the Minox B, replacing the selenium cell with a CdS cell. To easily distinguish it externally, one only needs to look at the size of the cell window. It is much smaller with the CdS cell than with the selenium cell.
Furthermore, this model no longer features converging lines towards the cell reading window. Instead, there is now a needle and a "fork" inside this window that need to be aligned to achieve the correct exposure.
Interesting links or bibliography :
 |
 Photo de 1972 |
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