Exposure Table VEF-MINOX - Minox 8x11

Walter Zapp wanted to make an exposure meter for the Riga-Minox. In 1938 the technology did not exist to make one small enough and so he came up with a temporary solution - an extinction table. 

The table uses symbols to guide the photographer to the correct exposure. The table was made of bakelite and the symbols, designed by the the draftsman Irbitis.

To use the exposure table it was removed from it celluloid sleeve and with the sliding cursor set the month (Roman numerals), the lens aperture (f3.5 for the Minostigmat) and the film speed (DIN). Slip the table back into the sleeve. Refer to the variable factors on the front on the table, i.e. time of day and weather. Under the symbol for the type of subject and lighting situation read the exposure time in seconds (1/1000 to 20). For extreme low light the figures on the back go from 1 to 60 minutes.

The celluloid sleeve has usually shrunk, jamming the sliding bands. The original packaging and instructions are usually missing. Complete exposure tables are very rare.

Last Updated on 19th July 2007