Books on Subminiature Cameras and Photography

Check out http://www.amazon.com/photo and put MINOX in the search -- they got the full line of production cameras, film, mailers, binoculars, 35mm, etc. all yours for the click of a button.

Some of these books listed below are still in print and are easy to find. Others have been out-of-print for many years and are difficult to locate. In this case, check out the SubClub BASEMENT section of the LIBRARY. Many of these books were available in different editions, which included different information depending on the edition.

Out of Print Search Services

• Advanced Book Exchange--for books that are used, rare, and out of print, a free place for buyers and sellers to get together. Includes a directory of several hundred dealers.
• BiblioFind: free out of print book search service.
• Zvab (www.zvab.com) always has some books on Minox. There is an English text version, as well as German, and they ship world wide. Sold books are deleted quickly, but the page is updated rather seldom. New offerings come in only monthly or so. The prices, however, are fixed, so you won't need to outbid anyone like on EBay.

8x11 & 16mm Books and Literature

The section on Minox (and other 8x11 format)  books can be found under 8x11 Books.

The section on Minolta, Rollei, Mamiya, Kiev, Yashica  and other 16mm books can be found under 16mm Books

Manuals & Books

Supplies of manuals and books can be seen under General - Links - Suppliers of Manuals. Original and photo-copies are available from a number of places.

Dust Jackets

Ultra-miniature Photography by Joseph D. Cooper (jacket cover only) (2.59Mb)

New Ultra-miniature Photography by Joseph D. Cooper (jacket cover only) (1.69Mb)

Articles in Magazines

Developing Your Own Slide Films

Subminiatures, Photography May 56 (3.91Mb)

Modern Photography 58/04 "Ultra-miniature Cameras" by Joseph D. Cooper (1.21Mb)

Photo Guide 63/02 "Not Just Small" by Ron Hack and Ken Bailey (3.58Mb)

Popular Photography August 1963 special issue on SMALL CAMERAS SUB-35 & Subminiature (31 pages, 49.7Mb)

Photo Guide 63/02 "PM Tests" (3.64Mb)

Popular Mechanics November 1965 SUB-MINIs Those Mighty Midget Cameras by Bob Berger (3.89Mb)

Traditional Photography is fading from the picture Computing 30th October 2003

Zwerg-Kameras aus aller Welt, Hobby 54/07seit 39-43 (in German) (5.28Mb)

Petersen's Guide to Pocket Camera by Kalton C.Lahue and the
Editors of Photographic Magazine 1973 (83 pages, 118Mb) PDF

Photo Techniques April 1976 Format Wars (74 pages, 226 Mb) PDF

Classic Camera No.12 price list (3.84Mb)

Eyes for Spies Oct 1987 Smithsonian (17.4Mb)

Photo Deal II/95 Cornwall advertisement (1.47Mb)

Camera Shopper 95/03 Eliminating Knobs and Levers by Jerry Friedman (3.74Mb)

Camera Shopper 95/05 Round Subminiature Cameras: Part 1 (3.76Mb)

Camera Shopper 95/06 Round Subminiature Cameras: Part 2 (3.67Mb)

Camera Shopper 95/12 "Subminiatures: Early Bakelite Beauties" by Jerry Friedman (2.76Mb)

Photo Deal III/2000 Transparente Minox-Raritäten in 8x11 und KB (9.04Mb)

Photo Deal II/2004 Raritäten in Köln (1.11Mb)

Guardian 8.1.2005 Time to snap up Antique Cameras (2.35Mb)

Gesellschaft fur Photohistorica e.V. Sonderdruck Miniatrurkameras (2017)

Magazines

A number of articles have appeared in :-

Camera Shopper.	Original newspapers can be found for 2-5USD.
Christie's Catalogues
Classic Camera	Original magazines can be found for 9.99USD
Cyclope	Original magazines can be found for 9EUR
Gesellschaft fur Photohistorica  Cabinett	Original magazines can be found for 18EUR
Photo Deal	Original magazines can be found for 6EUR
Photographica	Original magazines can be found for 3GBP
Other Magazines

Featured Books

• Marco Antonetto and Mario Malavolti, Made in Italy
• Michel Auer, The Illustrated History of the Camera (1975), 285 pages. A large book covering the history of camera development with impressive photographs.  It includes chapters on subminiatures and detective cameras. .
• Claude Bellon, Robot Historica, 1995, 300 pages. -- covers models up to 1994. Glossy pages accompanied by data, photographs and information for the collector. Only the SC is a subminiature (based upon image format and camera size) but Robot cameras remain of interest to subminiature camera collectors.
• Brian Coe, Cameras:  (1978), 240 pages covers the history of cameras from daguerreotypes to instant pictures with over 600  drawings of cameras and inner workings.  Chapters:- The evolution of photography --Early photographic apparatus --Folding stand cameras --Hand plate cameras --Concealed cameras --magazines and multiple images --Early roll film images --Roll film box cameras --The 35mm camera --small and miniature cameras --The Reflex camera --Twin lens Cameras --Stereoscope Cameras --Panoramic Cameras --Processing in the camera --Lenses --Shutters --Exposure meters --and flash equipment.
• Philip Condax , The Evolution of the Japanese Camera (1984), 101 pages.  Published by  Kodak and the George Eastman International Museum of Photography this book details briefly  the Japanese cameras that made photographic history, including many subminiature cameras.
• Joseph D. Cooper, Ultra-Miniature Photography
  Joseph D. Cooper also wrote many articles on subminiature photography in Modern Photography from 1958 through 1962 There are 51 columns and 71 pages of material covering all aspects of subminiature photography.
• Prince R. de Croÿ-Roelx, Cameras: Macchine Fotografiche, 1997, 140 pages. With over 100 colour photographs the book covers portable cameras including CameraLite, Compass, Coronet, Expo, Mercury, Micro16, Mikroma, Minicord, Minox, Petal, Photoret, Robot, Golden Ricoh, Steineck ABC, Tessina, Ticka and Vanity, In English and Italian.
• Art Evans, Collector's Guide to Rollei Cameras, 1986, 270 pages,  covers a brief history of the company, models from medium format to subminiature such as the Rollie 16 and 110 cameras including extensive photographs, serial numbers
• Jerry Friedman, The Complete Half Frame Guide 1998, fully illustrated guide to 35mm half frame 18x24mm format, 24x24mm format and Bolta 35mm film cameras with detailed history covering models of the 20th Century. It has a good reference list to find out more.
• Jerry Friedman, The New Subminiature Camera and Darkroom Guide 1996, 109 pages, 2nd Edition, 1998, 93 pages text, 24 pages of illustrations.  It covers basic 8x11, 16mm and a couple of Tessina models and has sections on using these cameras today with details on finding cassettes, slitting film and reloading.  Darkroom techniques include exposure and developing of film, making enlargements, darkroom chemicals and equipment. 
• T.L.Green ULTRA miniature CAMERA technique, Publisher Focal Press Ltd, 1965 216 pages is a comprehensive technique book about subminiature photography; various subminiature cameras were discussed, including Minox, Gami, Edixa, Mikroma, Goldeck, Minolta.
• Kalton Lahue, Collecting Vintage Cameras, 1972 consists of serveral volumes such as  "The American 35mm". Many subminiatures are covered by manufacturer.
• Kalton Lahue, Petersen's Guide to Pocket Camera Photography, 1973, 80 pages.
• Kalton Lahue, 110 Format Photography, 1976, 81 pages. The most extensive information on 110 cameras and how to use them. Unfortunately it was not updated when the Minolta and Pentax zoom cameras came out. 
• Eaton Lothrop, A History of Detective and Concealed Cameras, 1973, 150 pages, Published by the Eastman Museum, describing, with pictures, 100 cameras from 1839 to 1939 including many subminiature and concealed cameras.
• Eaton Lothrop, Geheimkameras und ihre abenteuerliche Geschichte, 1978, 176 pages. in German. Covering Detective and concealed cameras in hats, shoe, binoculars, walking stick, watch, book, compact, leather bag, revolver, pistol, cigarette lighter, pen and radio.
• Richard Lowell, Yashica Guide, 1958,1959, 136 pages is a general book on photography, and the Yashica cameras of the period including one chapter to the Yashica Y16.
• Mario Malavolti, Le Fotocamere Italiane Subminiatura 1995 (in Italian and English) is a book Italian subminiature cameras. from the likes of Bencini; C.O.M.I; Ducati; F.A.F.-Moretti; Ferrania-3M; Ferro; Officine Galileo-GAMI; G.P.M.; I.S.O; O.M.I;Parva; San Giorgio; San Marco; S.C.A.T; Sida, O.M.I.-S.I.R.C.E. Sunshine  as well as 110, 18x24, 24x24 and 20x30mm camera.
• James McKeown, McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 1995/1996, 1997/1998, ..., 2001/2002, 2003/2004 (12th Edition $110+P&P)
• Keith Melton, The Ultimate Spy Book, 1996. From the owner of the spy museum the book covers the history of cameras and photography as playing a big part in espionage.
• Cyril Permutt, Collecting Old Cameras, 1975 200 pages.  Chapter 7 deals with subminiature cameras and provides a good starting point for collectors.
• Jean Princelle, Russian and Soviet Cameras , 1995 details the many firms that produced subminiature cameras in Soviet Russian giving pictures, production numbers descriptions.
• Michael Pritchard, Spy Camera: A Century of Detective and Subminiature Cameras,
• Cynthia A. Repinski, The Univex Story
• Ed Romney, Basic Training in Camera Repair covers Compur, Copal and other leaf shutters, cloth and metal focal plane shutters, rangefinders, auto focus systems, meters, mirrors, lenses, wind systems, testing, cleaning, lubrication and adjustment. It uses a systems approach so you can fix most cameras and is easy to understand.
• Carl Shipman, How to select and use Minolta SLR Cameras, 1980 -- This 208-page book has sections on the Minolta 110 Zoom SLR and the Mark II.
• Carl Shipman, How to select and use Pentax SLR Cameras, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982. The later editions of this book have a section on the Pentax 110 SLR
• Prof. Dr. Josef Stüper, Kleinstbild Technik
• Koichi Sugiyama, The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras, 1985 has brief details and a photograph on all Japanese cameras  from 1845 through 1984 and is so thorough with many not seen outside of Japan.
• Kenneth Tydings, The Bolsey Guide,  --includes the Bolsey 8 movie and still camera. 
• Kenneth Tydings, New Minox Guide,
• Kenneth Tydings, Ricoh Guide,
• Kenneth Tydings, Advanced Yashica Guide, 1958,1959, 96 pages  Similar in format to the Minolta and Ricoh Guides this one covered all of Yashica's camera models available in 1958;  TLR's, 35mm rangefinders and the Yashica Y16.

• Paul Wahl, Subminiature Technique

• William White, Subminiature Photography 

• William White, The Microdot , 1992, but already out of print. Includes a translation of a letter from Walter Zapp.
• John Williams, Image Clarity: High Resolution Photography , 1990, very technical but may help get the best out of subminiature negatives.

  Last updated 12th May 2023