Minox 8x11 - film

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Minox have supplied many manufacturer's film pre-loaded in the Minox double cassette. In Riga the VEF factory made and assembled all parts including the film cartridge. Film was delivered in large rolls which are then cut down to size.

The metal cassette was replaced by plastic forms in 1967. The plastic cases, called coffin cases by users, was part of the new design by Walter Zapp. Like the metal cassettes the caps are taped down. From 1986/88 the caps are clip with small slots that clip on to raised clips on the lower part of the cassette.

The short load film of 15 exposures, often included in the presentation box of Minox cameras since 1969 has a slightly thicker take up spool than on the 36 exposure one. As the Minox C and later cameras are count down types this simulates the take up spool having exposures 36 down to 16.

Packaging has changed with house style and different forms where marketed in North America compared to Europe and the rest of the world. Minox film cassettes have been manufactured by Yashica, Ultima, Acmel and re-labelled by SpyTec.

Yashica cassettes dating from 1966 have a 2mm recessed disc in the feed side of the cassette with a bevel along the rim. The Minox plastic cassettes have a 4mm deep recess. The bridge on the Yashica cassettes is like their Minolta ones with a thumbnail curve shape to assist in lifting the cassette from the film chamber.

With the introduction of the LX and it's spring assisted film chamber, so that the cassette pops up when the back is opened, means that very early forms of the cassette are no longer suitable.

Cassettes are normally disposed off after processing. Minox Laboratories do sell, for a modest cost, used cassettes to those who would like to slit and load their own film choice. Lab811 have made bags of Minox cassettes available. Always ask for the return of the cassettes for any subminiature camera, although they can last infinitely breakages do occur and the felt light trap no longer affective. Modern cassettes also seem to have weaker bridges than those dating from the 1970s and 1980s.

The only film for the Riga was panchromatic 50 exposures DIN 10/10, and 17/10. The cassette where made of brass and lacquered black. The film speed was stencilled on in white. The film was sold singly or in a two pack yellow-blue metal tin. The metal cases are hinged on the long side.

Until 1940 the hinged lid (on narrow side) was marked with in red "VEF MINOX RIGA" and "2 FILMAS 100 EXP." The side was marked with "VEF VALSTS ELEKTROTECHNISKA FABRIKA RIGA-LATVIJA". During Soviet occupation (1940-41) "RIGA" and "RIGA-LATVIJA" did not appear.

Early post war MINOX films were supplied in hinged metal tins holding two 50 exposure films individually wrapped in black paper. The box was sealed with cloth sticky tape and a paper wrapper with details of the film "MINOX G.m.b.H. Wetzlar" and a stamped expiry date. The black and white films were rated DIN 10/10, 14/10, 17/10, 21/10 and 7/10 (document film).

The first Minox colour film was marketed in 1954, the then new DIN 15/10 Agfacolor Reversal film. It was sold in 30 exposure lengths. After 1955/56 the film maker's name was printed on the package.

The range now included:-

Agfa IFF DIN 13/10
ADOX KB 14 DIN 14/10
Agfa IF DIN 17/10
ADOX KB 17 DIN 17/10
Agfa ISS DIN 21/10
ADOX KB 21 DIN 21/10
Kodak Tri-X ASA 200 of 36 exposure
ADOX Doku-Ortho DIN 10/10
ADOX black and white reversal film DIN 17/10, 36 exposures
Agfacolor reversal DIN 15/10 36 exposures

 

Year introduced:- discontinued:-
1957/58 Agfa CT 18 reversal film replaced previous slide films ADOX KB 21 .
1959 Agfacolor CN14 negative film  
1962/63 Kodak Plus-X Pan (DIN 24, 36 exposure)
Film now labelled "MINOX G.m.b.H. GIESSEN"
 
1964 Minochrome color reversal film (DIN 13, 36 exposures)
Agfa Agepe FF special document film

ADOX Doku-Ortho
1967 Agfacolor CN 14 Universal and all films in plastic cassettes which has a paper wrapper around the middle with the type of film inside, but not the expiry date (which is found on the cardboard box).
The plastic cases, usually called coffins by users, was an idea of Walter Zapp
 
1969 15 exposure cassettes of
Agfa IFF, Kodak Plus-X and Agfacolor CN 14 Universal
All film now sold singly, supplied in a cardboard box with the film in a plastic case
50 exposure films
 
1971 Minochrome and Agfacolor CT18 with the "R" suffix which included in the price slide mounting when processed.  
1973   ADOX films
1973/74 Previous Agfa film replaced by:-
Agfapan 25 professional,
Agfapan 100 professional,
Agfapan 400 professional,
Agfaortho 25 professional,
Minochrome
Agfacolor 2
Agfapan is a beautiful, old-fashioned emulsion that isn't quite as fine-grain as more recent black & white films, but has good latitude and a unique range of grey tones.
 
1983 Minocolor 3, HR-technology (Fujicolor High Resolution) had been adopted
Agfacolor CT18 became less important
 
1991/92 Minocolor 400  
1992 Kodak Technical PAN, Ektar 25 and Fujichrome Velvia 120 were offered as specialty film  
1993/94 Minocolor 25 using Kodak's Ektar-25  
1996 Minocolor 100 Pro using emulsions that was formulated for the Advance Photo System (APS) films in 30 exposure lengths. It is Fujicolor film very fine grain film.  
2003   Minochrome
15 exposure length not offered
2007   Minocolor Pro
not offered

Minox GmbH loads and packages black & white emulsions made by Agfa and colour emulsions made by either Fuji or Agfa. The black & white emulsions are Agfapan. The colour emulsions are Minocolor 100 and Minocolor 400 and Minocolor 100 Pro (Fujicolor APS)  The current Minocolor print films have a somewhat warm, pastel look and are a touch grainy. The 100 ISO film based on the Fuji 100 ISO APS film, Minocolor Pro, has a finer grain.

Slide films were discontinued by Minox in 2003. Minox creased production of slide projectors in 1988. Slide film is available from Lab8x11 and 8x11film.com and slide mounts continue to be available as well as 50x50mm mounts from firms like Gepe's glass mounts. Minox slides are too thick for the more common 110 projectors and there are no other 30x30mm mounts for Minox slide films. Film scanners will accept 110 film in 50x50mm adapters, but again there is nothing available for Minox slides. Glass mounts (which where supplied by Minox until the 1980s) are ideal for projection but cause problems with film scanners.

Old Minox film is very common in all the forms:- empty cassette; exposed film; unused film; with plastic case; complete with cardboard box.  Riga film is rare and original tin cases are uncommon.

Minox Supplied 8x11 Films

Minox reduced the film choice in 2003:-

Minopan 25 (ISO 25 B&W negative) 36 exposure
Minopan 100 (ISO 100 B&W negative) 36 exposure
Minopan  400 (ISO 400 B&W negative) 36 exposure
Minocolor 100 (ISO 100 Colour negative) 36 exposure
Minocolor 400 (ISO 400 Colour negative) 36 exposure
Minocolor 100 Pro (ISO 100 Colour negative) 30 exposure

Other Commercial Suppliers of 8x11 Films

MicroTech, set up in the 1980s supplied Acmel cameras,  and Minox EC and Acmel MX cameras modified for infra-red use.  MicroTech found the interest in subminiature insufficient and too many owners preferring to slit their own than pay the 8USD (6.99USD from B&H) asking price for Minox film and closed down. MicroTech also offered TechPan for developing using Technidol, Tetenal or Rodidinal with added sulphite. Techpan has high red sensitivity, which is not to everyone's liking.

Lab811 supply slide films and Euro 800, a color negative ISO 800 film.

Acmel market a range of colour film in Japan.

www.8x11.film.com was established in 2002 by inventor Marcus Dunkmann. Marcus, a former journalist, experimented with Agfa Copex film and Spur Nanospeed developer. The results surpassed any one's expectations and lead him to cooperation with Schain & Partner Schwarz-Weiss-Entwicklungstechnik to load Copex 25 in Minox cassettes. Copex film is loaded by Minox but distributed by 8x11film.

Copex is normally sold with Spur Nanospeed developer and Imagelink with Spur Imagespeed developer.

Kodak Techpan is the only microfilm available as rollfilm. Is has a higher red sensibility and needs a special developer like the SPUR Dokuspeed.

Kodak Tmax 100, 400 and 3200 are the latest "regular" films of Kodak for black and white photography but with the newer T-chrystal technology, re-launched in July 2003 with newer emulsions for better scanability and scratch-protection.

Ilford Delta has a grain characteristic equivalent to films two stops slower and does not have the exposure latitude constrains and finicky developing latitude problems associated with Kodak's Tmax emulsions. The Delta is the best film on the marked depending on MINOX purposes like fine grain and easy processing.  The 400 Tmax has the advantage that it gets 400 ASA with Spur HRX and in combination with that developer the finest grain in that class. The Delta 400 only gets 200 - 250 ASA with HRX.
 

The Cassettes

Auction results Ebay
02/02/23 10.50USD B/W Kodak Plus X
02/02/23 1USD color
02/02/23 1USD B/W
02/02/27 13.53USD x4
02/02/27 8.50USD x2
02/03/30 13.50EUR x2 Agfaortho
02/04/19 26USD x4
02/06/24 19USD x3 Minocolor Pro 100
02/12/21 11.50GBP (80ASA color, 1974)
02/11/06 26.50USD Anscochrome
02/11/06 16.50USD Minochrome + tri-x pan
 


Last Updated on 19th April 2008