elmarman
Bail out the Brits too !
I was GIVEN a 35GT by a gent I met on a 'Bargain Shearings Coach Trip' to Whitby last April =it came with TWO of the 5.6 V 'illegal' MERCURY batteries. Well I enquired on some Photo Forums and got a 6v Alkaline from a company in Portsmouth ( England) then was told about the company 'Maplins' who stock a PX27 replacement and a branch of Maplins opened up in my town of Brentwood, Essex England so I got a spare !
Minox 35GT by pentaxpete, on Flickr
Minox 35GT by pentaxpete, on Flickr
bitfeng
Well-known
The skylight filter of GTE sucks, especially when you shoot into light. Don't know how to get it removed or get the center part cut out so not to affect the image quality.
Wahoo
Washing on Siegfried Line
Here's a photo taken in Whitby with a Minox 35EL, this camera was bought in 1978 and has been trouble free - so far .
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Got a Minox 35EL in 1983 when the third of my Oly XAs died on me. I used it for about six years, when I gave it to a friend (I'd moved on, mostly, by that point, to Rollei 35s). About '95 or so, I realized that I missed the Minox 35's aperture priority AE enough that I should grab another.
I bought a Minox 35GT-E then and still have it. Still works fine. I even went so far as to buy all the accessories (hood, case, pouch, close-up lens and copy stand) which I've only occasionally used.
I know that many folks have seen them as somewhat unreliable but I've not had any problems with the two I've owned.
I bought a Minox 35GT-E then and still have it. Still works fine. I even went so far as to buy all the accessories (hood, case, pouch, close-up lens and copy stand) which I've only occasionally used.
I know that many folks have seen them as somewhat unreliable but I've not had any problems with the two I've owned.
Sykomor
Established
I'm going to try this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmqvist/5595898000/in/photostream/
raid
Dad Photographer
I am traveling for tnree days, so I took with me a Minox GT and an ML. It took me minutes to make up my mind, but having two tiny cameras with sharp lenses is unbeatable for a short trip.
v_roma
Well-known
Sorry to distract from the main purpose of the thread again but can anyone confirm that the Minox GT-E (or others in the family) do not use light seals in their design? Just want to make sure before I ruin a roll
bitfeng
Well-known
no light seals at all. this is why I like german engineering. every time I get a german camera it doesn't need a seal, while every time I get a japanese camera I have to replace the worn light seal.
Sorry to distract from the main purpose of the thread again but can anyone confirm that the Minox GT-E (or others in the family) do not use light seals in their design? Just want to make sure before I ruin a roll
v_roma
Well-known
Great, thank you! It looked from the design of the back that light seals wouldn't be necessary but, like you, I'm so used to have to replace light seals when I get old cameras that I wasn't sure.
Dirk
Privatier
Love my GT. Great lens and great industrial design. I had mine overhauled by DAG several years ago ($85) and it continues to work like a charm.
Rodchenko
Olympian
Been out with my GL today. Oh, I love it.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Had a 35EL once upon a time. Still have a 35GT-E. very pocketable.
Good lenses. Never had any problems with them.
G
Good lenses. Never had any problems with them.
G
kdemas
Enjoy Life.
Have a 35ML which I really like.
Roel
Well-known
I also have a GT-E but not used since a few years. Still i am thinking of buying a 'quality compact' like Contax T2 or T3. (Gas attack..)
What do you guys think: Am i crazy and is there nothing to gain in the compact world of analog cameras. Should I just use the GT-E or are there other cameras out there that can provide a step up (regarding picture quality).
(Normally I shoot Leica M5/6/8 with leica glass)
What do you guys think: Am i crazy and is there nothing to gain in the compact world of analog cameras. Should I just use the GT-E or are there other cameras out there that can provide a step up (regarding picture quality).
(Normally I shoot Leica M5/6/8 with leica glass)
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Contax T2/T3 Zeiss lens is very slightly better than the Minox lens, but it's more a difference in rendering quality nuances than a huge leap in sharpness and contrast. The build quality and materials of the Contax cameras are certainly a notch above the Minox. But by how much ... ?
I've had Contax T2, Tvs, Tix ... now all sold ... and I still have my Minox 35GT-E. It's smaller, lighter, and, to me, nicer to use.
G
Rodchenko
Olympian
My GL is poorly, and I don't know why. I miss having it in my bag.
Roel
Well-known
Well somehow a T2 and T3 are in the post coming towards me.. and I will do comparison. Think I got lucky with the prices and can sell the camera's to make somebody else happy after the test.
Took the GT-E out yesterday with a roll of Portra 400 and took some shots. It feels great and direct. I think that somehow the lack of sound in operating the camera is a plus but at the same time makes you wonder if the shot was ok.. Maybe that's why I have been looking for another camera. The 'confidence of shuttersound' / firm 'click' to feel that you nailed the shot.
Sounds stupid i know because the stealth is a great thing and because the camera never let me down as long as I remember.
Looking forward to the testing/shooting the cameras.
Took the GT-E out yesterday with a roll of Portra 400 and took some shots. It feels great and direct. I think that somehow the lack of sound in operating the camera is a plus but at the same time makes you wonder if the shot was ok.. Maybe that's why I have been looking for another camera. The 'confidence of shuttersound' / firm 'click' to feel that you nailed the shot.
Sounds stupid i know because the stealth is a great thing and because the camera never let me down as long as I remember.
Looking forward to the testing/shooting the cameras.
Gadge
Established
Couple of Notes on Minox Models that I copied and kept a few years ago from a forum (not written by me)
Note ML serial numbers and shutter reliability improvement on later models (which mine is).....
Minox 35mm Models
Avoid EL as far too old and unreliable now. Numerous improvements made to later models re shutter etc.
Avoid PL as auto only (whoops too late!). Actually takes nice pics on auto only but of course no creative control of depth of field. Mine underexposes by about one stop so needs film set incorrectly eg asa200 set on camera at asa100. this is likely to be caused my me using a 6vbattery.
Also my shutter stopped opening when pic taken but still clicked. Traced this to small spring fallen off. After replacing this, which was not easy as needed lens dropping out to get access, it works fine again so far! Three films exposed since repair, all ok to date <14/10/2003>.
Minox GT - Electronics old and soldering not good but cheap and still useable. Same era as PL but no auto mode so aperture priority only. Fairly good choice and cheap to buy. Some reliability issues though. GT-E maybe better choice for AV only camera.
Minox ML - avoid serial nunber <7123306
Top of the range for many years.
ML has both exposure lock and Auto Program mode as well as aperture priority so flexible pic taking machine. Manual film speed settings so any exposure setting possible. Uses PX28 battery too so easy to keep running. Flash units designed for ml body shape <mt35 and mt35-st> work ok with other models but reverse not true as they cannot physically mate with ml shape.
Minox MB - Same as ML but no prog mode or Exp lock
Minox GT-E Ecellent lens and better electronics than earlier models - Also better lens Minoxaur? and not Minotaur? I understand from people that should know that lens differences are slight though and hard to see in normal use.
Aperture priority only and no Auto mode or exposue lock.
Good choice of Model though more expensive than earlier gt arguably cheaper in the long run as more reliable.
Minox GTX as per GT-E but auto DX coding with no manual overide (terrible idea as removes total flexibility on exposure compensation
MDC is flagship model but hard to find. Body in metal but workings all as per ML model.
Note ML serial numbers and shutter reliability improvement on later models (which mine is).....
Minox 35mm Models
Avoid EL as far too old and unreliable now. Numerous improvements made to later models re shutter etc.
Avoid PL as auto only (whoops too late!). Actually takes nice pics on auto only but of course no creative control of depth of field. Mine underexposes by about one stop so needs film set incorrectly eg asa200 set on camera at asa100. this is likely to be caused my me using a 6vbattery.
Also my shutter stopped opening when pic taken but still clicked. Traced this to small spring fallen off. After replacing this, which was not easy as needed lens dropping out to get access, it works fine again so far! Three films exposed since repair, all ok to date <14/10/2003>.
Minox GT - Electronics old and soldering not good but cheap and still useable. Same era as PL but no auto mode so aperture priority only. Fairly good choice and cheap to buy. Some reliability issues though. GT-E maybe better choice for AV only camera.
Minox ML - avoid serial nunber <7123306
Top of the range for many years.
ML has both exposure lock and Auto Program mode as well as aperture priority so flexible pic taking machine. Manual film speed settings so any exposure setting possible. Uses PX28 battery too so easy to keep running. Flash units designed for ml body shape <mt35 and mt35-st> work ok with other models but reverse not true as they cannot physically mate with ml shape.
Minox MB - Same as ML but no prog mode or Exp lock
Minox GT-E Ecellent lens and better electronics than earlier models - Also better lens Minoxaur? and not Minotaur? I understand from people that should know that lens differences are slight though and hard to see in normal use.
Aperture priority only and no Auto mode or exposue lock.
Good choice of Model though more expensive than earlier gt arguably cheaper in the long run as more reliable.
Minox GTX as per GT-E but auto DX coding with no manual overide (terrible idea as removes total flexibility on exposure compensation
MDC is flagship model but hard to find. Body in metal but workings all as per ML model.
Rodchenko
Olympian
Thanks for that. Small correction on the lens names. I think it's Minotar and Minoxar.
Pretty comprehensive listing, but it misses out the AL. I can kind of understand why, as it was a fixed focus. Came in black and white. But, as Olympus XA1 owners (among others) might remind us, we shouldn't just write off fixed focus straight away.
There were some special editions along the way, including the Goldknopf, bit they were just fluff.
That reminds me, though, that each model had a different colour shutter button. I can't remember many of them, but PL was green, GL orange, GT red IIRC...
Pretty comprehensive listing, but it misses out the AL. I can kind of understand why, as it was a fixed focus. Came in black and white. But, as Olympus XA1 owners (among others) might remind us, we shouldn't just write off fixed focus straight away.
There were some special editions along the way, including the Goldknopf, bit they were just fluff.
That reminds me, though, that each model had a different colour shutter button. I can't remember many of them, but PL was green, GL orange, GT red IIRC...