135compact.com 35mm ultra compact cameras Minox GTE (II)
The
Minox 35 series was invented by the father of the original Minox
cameras, Walter Zapp, with the help of a designer, Prof. Richard
Fischer. They chose a new material for the body, fiber-reinfoced
Makrolon. At its launch in 1974 it became the world's smallest 135 film
camera, a title it kept until 1996 when the Minolta TC1 came out. The
series ended in 2002.
Karl-Heinz Lange, a camera engineer with close ties to Balda, was
involved in the development of the Minox 35, as Balda produced the shells and other parts for
Minox. For some Minox models they did the assembly as well, sometime
completely, sometimes partially.
The
Minox GTE, launched in 1998, is one of the last of it's series, with a modern
battery. Its main features are:
35mm F2.8 lens, min. focus 0,7m, built-in skylight filter Aperture
priority (2.8-16) electronic shutter, 30sec*.-1/500, speed indication
1-1/500 in the viewerfinder window *shorter with higher ISO. Size 100x61x34, Weight 200 gr. 25-1600 ISO, backlight compensation, self-timer, hot shoe, cable release socket
Front closed.
Back
view. The GT-E II was covered with a soft touch laquer, which comes off
with wearing. So I removed it from the main part of the body. The
difference is quite visible.
Seen from above.
Rewind lever, self-timer and hot shoe, battery test button and
backlight switch, shutter button, cable release socket, exposure counter.
Seen from below. Film compartment opening lever, ISO setting, tripod socket, rewind unlock button.
Camera
open, lens extended. Self-timer lamp, viewfinder and battery
compartment (2 CR1/3N), skylight filter integrated. The new lens needs
a slight buldge in the cover, which makes the camera 3mm thicker than
the GT.
Camera
with flash attached. Shutter speed automatically sets to 1/125. Takes 2
AAA batteries. The FC35 has 2 auto modes, full flash and a guide number of 18 (m/ISO
100).
Film compartment open.
The
GT-E model one is of the last of it's kind. It takes a modern battery.
For the older ones the battery problem has been solved in the meantime
(see Minox GT). The
new design is only slightly different. Anyway, it's like the rest of
the series: Extremely
lightweight, yet quite sturdy.
