Minox A / II / III / IIIS
The Minox A is a subminiature film camera designed by Walter Zapp and produced by Minox GmbH, from 1948 until 1963. It succeeded the original Minox, and was the first major production model post World War II. Most Minox A cameras are fitted with a four element/three group Complan 15mm f/3.5 lens - designed by ex-Leica engineer Arthur Seibert - with adjustable shutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/1000th of a second, while the aperture remains fixed at f/3.5. Focus is adjusted via a dial atop the camera, similar to shutter speed and, if one is lucky enough to find the camera with its original case and chain, the chain is demarcated with distances corresponding to the close focus settings on the camera.
Film for the Minox A is cassette-based, with the cassettes resembling smaller versions of the 110 film format. The resulting negatives measure approximately 8x11mm.
While the European version is referred to as the model A, there were a few different export models, they are noted as follows. The Minox II was produced from 1948-1951, as an export model for the United States. The Minox II has a five element Complan lens where the film is pressed up against the rear element of the lens during exposure. Due to the many complaints of film scratches, this design was revised in the III. The Minox III was produced from 1951-56, as an export for the United States. In this model, the lens switched to a four element Complan. While the film is still held in a curved plane, it no longer rests against rear element of lens. Additionally, built in filters also automatically retract when the camera is closed. Finally, from 1954-1963 came the Minox IIIS, a model similar to the Minox III but with a PC socket for flash synchronization.
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