Manufactured or assembled in Germany from 1958 to (After) 1968.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 2292

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
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
(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
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 B was the first Minox model to feature a built-in selenium light meter. It is equipped with a high-quality Complan 3.5/15 mm lens. A green filter and a neutral filter are integrated into the camera.

On Minox cameras, it is necessary to adjust the shooting distance (using the leftmost dial in the photo). The chain is a particularly useful accessory in this case. The small beads visible on the chain are spaced according to the distances indicated on the dial. Therefore, to photograph a piece of paper at a distance of 20 cm, it is sufficient to position it at the level of the first bead on the chain.
There are chains available in metric system and in the US system, depending on the geographical origin of the camera.
The serial number allows for the precise determination of the manufacturing year of the camera.

1958 : 600001-622397
1959 : 622398-661617
1960 : 661618-701762
1961 : 701763-735254
1962 : 735255-766622
1963 : 766623-805699
1964 : 805700-837956
1965 : 837957-867929
1966 : 867930-901404
1967 : 901405-936194
1968 : 936195-972874
1969 : 972875-979561

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