Any other subminiature film shooters here?

[JohnP]

A number of years back (longer than I'd care to mention, B&B was just starting up) I found an old Minox B in a thrift store.
Unfortunately, at the time, I was unable to find film and development services, and lost interest(and like many, spent my meager military pay on new soaps, creams, and razors).

A few years ago, that all changed.
I'm addicted. Usually I develop my own, but if I'm shooting 35 or 120, usually I have at least one or two Minox or other submini in the rotation.
Minox cameras, like DEs, brushes, and straight razors, multiply in the dark.
So.
Anyone else?

One of mine: a Minox A IIIS

Not my best shot perhaps, but one of my favorites. Taken with the above camera about 2 years ago.
Agfapan 25 (expired)

Most of my "scans" are done with a macro and a smartphone. My scanner doesn't do well with such small negatives.

 

[ylekot]

That's a really cool little camera. There is something about those old school black and white images with a touch of sepia tone to them that makes me feel nostalgic. Thank you for keeping the art of photography and the novelty of these tiny cameras alive in this digital age!

 

[Big sky air]

A number of years back (longer than I'd care to mention, B&B was just starting up) I found an old Minox B in a thrift store.
Unfortunately, at the time, I was unable to find film and development services, and lost interest(and like many, spent my meager military pay on new soaps, creams, and razors).

A few years ago, that all changed.
I'm addicted. Usually I develop my own, but if I'm shooting 35 or 120, usually I have at least one or two Minox or other submini in the rotation.
Minox cameras, like DEs, brushes, and straight razors, multiply in the dark.
So.
Anyone else?

One of mine: a Minox A IIISView attachment 1360912

Not my best shot perhaps, but one of my favorites. Taken with the above camera about 2 years ago.
Agfapan 25 (expired)
View attachment 1360872
Most of my "scans" are done with a macro and a smartphone. My scanner doesn't do well with such small negatives.

Saw your post and went and dug this out! My father brought it home from Vietnam

 

[JohnP]

Thank you! They are addictive little cameras. In all fairness I think the sepia tint here in my case is a product of software reversal, as I basically put light through the negative, and reversed it to make the picture.
I do have a few dark room prints I've made, but the paper I have right now has a pretty cold color tone.
I also shoot color as well as try films that I couldn't afford to shoot in a larger format for more than a few frames, but I have not made any color darkroom prints yet.

While I have a color Minox enlarger finally, I do not RA4 chemistry or paper, So my color prints are all from digital scans

Saw your post and went and dug this out! My father brought it home from Vietnam

That is awesome! A Yashica Atoron. You can get film for it again, online, (takes the same film as the Minox cameras) or you can slit film yourself in the dark and reload the cartridges. Have you tried it yet? Those have the coolest "swoosh" shutter sound.

 

[Saxonbowman]

The Minox cameras have always intrigued me but I've never tried one. The closest I come to subminiature is an occasional cartridge of 110 film. That is relatively easy to scan and the film is pretty available.

 

[JohnP]

Minox did make a 110 version, complete with a rangefinder. Well to be specific I believe Cosina made it for them, I bought a couple before getting one that worked. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to develop some film from it.
It's on the to do list!
The regular Minox cameras are actually easier for me, because once you buy or make a slitter, reloading them is extremely simple and easy, and allows quite a bit of experimentation.

I have even shot aerochrome in a minox. Ridiculously hard to get and expensive, but one roll of 120 can make six full rolls for the minox!
This was in a Minox C, my filter had a crack in it though and I believe I was off center with the macro when I scanned it. Still I like the look. Wish they still made this film.

 

[BlueMaxx]

I have picked up a boat load of old camera’s and film projector (8mm) and stuff over the years and I have no idea what it is at auctions.
Still in the boxes, haven't gotten to it.
I know I have some nice range finders.
I wonder if I have any of these?
Getting ready to leave for this months auction....now I have another item to keep an eye out for.

 

[JohnP]

Sounds like an excellent problem to have. I also love old rangefinder cameras, I don't have any really high end ones but I have a couple decent ones with fixed lenses

 

[Saxonbowman]

Minox did make a 110 version, complete with a rangefinder. Well to be specific I believe Cosina made it for them, I bought a couple before getting one that worked. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to develop some film from it.
It's on the to do list!
The regular Minox cameras are actually easier for me, because once you buy or make a slitter, reloading them is extremely simple and easy, and allows quite a bit of experimentation.

I have even shot aerochrome in a minox. Ridiculously hard to get and expensive, but one roll of 120 can make six full rolls for the minox!
This was in a Minox C, my filter had a crack in it though and I believe I was off center with the macro when I scanned it. Still I like the look. Wish they still made this film.
View attachment 1362108

Awesome Aerochrome shot with the Minox!

Reloading 110 is a pain because of the plastic cartridges. Half the cameras can't take reloads because they need the perf.

I can see how the metal Minox cartridges make it easy. You are starting to tempt me!

 

[JohnP]

Awesome Aerochrome shot with the Minox!

Reloading 110 is a pain because of the plastic cartridges. Half the cameras can't take reloads because they need the perf.

I can see how the metal Minox cartridges make it easy. You are starting to tempt me!

Thank you!
Freshly loaded film for Minox is now available from Blue Moon camera as well as a number of other places, but if you are going to roll your own, as I suspect: (I cut the aerochrome from a roll of 120)

The tiny plastic Minox cartridges are even easier than the metal ones, you just have to be careful not to snap them. I think the metal ones hold slightly more film though. The counter on a Minox b goes up to 50 shots per roll, most subsequent ones are geared more toward 36.

You can easily make the slitters or buy them. Just set your blades to cut between 9 and 9.2 mm wide and go to town. About 6 strips wide for 120, and 2 strips wide for 35mm (it makes 4 technically, because you're cutting off the perforations also)

It doesn't need perforation, backing paper, or any of that crazy stuff you need for 110. The spooling is easy.
You probably already know this but:
In the dark, slit the strip of film, roll it up tight, put it into the feed side with a little leader hanging through the slot, and snap the cap on. The rest you can do with the light on.

Tape the leader hanging out to the take up spool and put it across to the other side of the cartridge. Snap the lid on, and done!

For developing:
I have a reel and tank for developing, but if you do not, just go in the dark and tape it to about a two and a half foot piece of regular film, emulsion out, and feed it onto your regular spool, develop like you always do. Or send it off, whichever.

If you spring for a Minox daylight developing tank, It only takes about 60 ml of developer and of course stop bath and fixer. Or whatever other steps you need if you are doing color or slides.
In the picture I am just using a watch for my timer, and I am playing with e6 slide chemistry so everything is in a hot water bath.

By the way, the Minox 110 does use the perforations, so it is not friendly to reloading cartridges like the much smaller Minox "spy" cameras.
110 dwarfs the traditional minox size, So I actually am curious how nice the negatives would be.
Anyway, please do start shooting minox and other small cameras. Would love to see some of your pictures!