EL - Minox 35mm

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The first Minox 35mm camera was launched at Photokina in 1974 to much critical acclaim.

The handbook from camera 3720896, shown here, has the caption "From Serial No. 3 635 000" and is dated May 1977.

The 35EL has :-

• dark red shutter release
• uncovered flash shoe (on the original production)
• no model designation under the word "MINOX" on inside body plate
• no dot on film rewind crank
• Color Minotar 35mm / f2.8 lens
• Aperture f2.8; 4; 5.6; 8; 11; 16. From right to left, increasing.
• Focal distance (metric) is marked 0.9; 1; 1.2; 1.5; 2; 3; 5; 10; infinity
• PX27 5.6V battery
• double stroke film advance lever is narrower than on later models

The meter is calibrated for films from 25ASA/15DIN to 800ASA/30DIN with click stops at 3DIN increments (doubling of the ASA from 25). This ruled out the use of Kodachrome 64,  a popular slide film of the period.

The camera lacked the back light and self timer which was rectified on the next models, the 35GL and 35GT respectively. There is also no exposure lock (for dark objects against a bright background).

The camera also had some design defects. Very early samples had insufficient opaque filler in the body resulting in a tendency to fog high speed film in bright sunlight. The hot shoe synchronisation required the flash to be be fully inserted to set the shutter to the 1/30th second which is engaged by a lever at the front of the hot shoe socket. The film take up spool was also modified to make it easier to engage. Minox did not include a manual range finder in this model or any of the later models. The exposure meter is on the edge of the lens with measurement taking place anti-symmetrically this causes some misreading. The 35ML has the sensor in the middle.

The battery cover has a spring and is labelled '+'. This mechanism was changed to a more sturdier metal clip. 

The viewfinder has the exposure reading shown by a scale marked 1/30, 1/125 and 1/500th with under and over exposure warning areas. Exposures up to 30 seconds (ASA 25) or 1 second (ASA 800) can be made. A standard tripod 1/4" socket is on the base of the camera which allows for the camera to be fixed to the Morocco leather ever ready case or the Minox pocket tripod.

When the battery test button is pressed the exposure meter should indicate over 1/125 sec. for a good battery. The test button is round (earlier serial numbers) or square (later serial numbers). Prior to this change the hot shoe had a black cover fitted which helps in the smooth lines of this camera.

The back plate is locked by a lever on the base of the camera. A red dot shows when the latch is open. The ASA/DIN scale is white and next to the tripod bush is the release to allow the film to be rewound into the cassette.

Like that the camera back latch plate is opened, a red point is visible.

Handbooks German (Mb), English 77/05e (4.75Mb)

Ebay
* 01/11/30 127DEM box
02/03/23 36.50EUR box
02/04/16 68USD
02/04/19 91EUR box
02/06/29 72GBP
02/08/11 77GBP
03/01/14 63EUR FC35
03/02/17 64USD
03/09/09 7.99EUR GT manual
05/05/16 46.50USD box
05/09/08 41.01USD box
06/01/22 25EUR box
06/01/29 30.50EUR box with flash
06/02/04 25.51EUR box
06/04/20 17.39EUR box
06/04/23 24.99EUR box with flash
06/08/22 42.65USD case with flash
07/03/03 10.25USD box
07/04/30 65.55USD (soft tan case)
07/06/11 67.02USD box

Last Updated on 11th June 2007