[Leica] minox/Leica IIIf

[Summicron1@aol.com]

this is a question that comes up often on the submini chat list.

The earlier (until the latter part of the run of the Minox B) Minox cameras 
did indeed have a curved film plane and a curved pressure plate. The curve is 
very slight but noticable. This is to adjust for a slight curvature of the 
lens and, thus, allow for sharper negatives. As a user of these cameras I can 
testify that it works -- the negatives are wonderfully sharp.

Some of the Minox enlargers also have a curved film plane, but this is in no 
way related to the camera. The two are totally independent optical systems. 
It is, again, to allow for a slight curvature of the  Minox enlarger lens -- 
in otherwords, it is correcting for an uncorrected fault in the enlarger lens 
so that the wonderfully sharp negative stays sharp in the final print. They 
can do this because the Minox enlarger lens is not removable -- it is fixed 
to the enlarger and not meant to be changed.

Does the curve in the camera and enlarger mean they were cheap lenses? No, it 
only means that they are so small, and manufacturing methods in 1937 were so 
difficult, that this was an easy way to make the final print sharp. The 
modern Minox cameras have flat field lenses.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS -- Once you shoot film in any minox camera, whether it has 
a flat film plane (the new ones do) or a curved one, you can make wonderfully 
sharp prints in any enlarger because the negatives are already wonderfully 
sharp. I print wonderfully sharp 5 by 7 prints (I use Ilford Delta 100) using 
a Focomat Ic with a Nikor enlarging lens and the results are 
indestinguishable from prints shot with a 35 mm camera, say, such as a Leica. 

So, if this is the only reason you have not used a Minox, you may now 
proceed. WWW.subclub.org has sources of film for reloading cassettes and all 
kinds of helpful advice. www.minoxlab.com can sell you any of several new 
cameras, from the Minox IIIf/Leica (may be back ordered) for $400 to several 
other models of varying price up to $1000 for a TLX (highly recommended). 
Film and processing are also available from them and are rated very highly by 
the very fussy members of the submini chat group.

I might add, I have a Minox/Leica IIIf as well as a couple of Minox Bs. It is 
somewhat limited, having only one shutter speed and f-stop (1/250@f 5.6) but 
is very good for outdoor shooting and I have been extremely impressed with 
the prints I have made from it. Extremely sharp.

if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me off-line as 
this isn't really a Leica topic. 

charlie trentelman, aka summicron1@aol.com

ogden
utah


In a message dated 12/6/0 1:05:08 AM, you wrote:

>
>> I've
>> never done much with the 8x11 Minox format because their cameras have a
>> curved film plate which requires a comparable curved negative holder in the
>> enlarger.
>Why so? If you use a flat field enlarging lens you use a flat negative
>carrier. I have never heard of a curved field enlarging lens. The Minox 15
>taking lens was however a curved field lens with a curved film plate but
>that is not what you use to enlarge the film with, surely??
>
>Rs
>
>Adrian