Minox BL 171-010, BL 171-011 Owner's Manual

MINOlf

[ID[1-

Price

50

cents

Owner's Manual

Meter button

-------;

_--1Ifi:

;;;;;:

--------

Flash post

Meter

field with black

indicator needle and

--

+-

-

-t:

d

....

---

CdS meter cell window

red matching pointer

Shutter speed

dial

---

Exposure counter

---

Distance scale

----

Sliding lever

for

gray

~

---

filter and battery test

Viewfinder (front window)

.-NI-I-

-

---

Shutter release button

.:-..-----

Lens

window

Contents

The Minox

BL

Camera Battery replacement

23

Flash

pictures

24

Opening the camera

2

Eveready case

26

The

"three

eyes"

3

Care of the

Minox

BL

27

Hold

it

steady

4

Taking the

picture

5

Minox Accessories

Telescopic

rapid

wind

6

Set the

film

speed

9

Films

28

Coupled CdS exposure meter and shutter

10

Flash Units

28

Gray (neutral density)

filter

13

Slip-on Filters

28

Battery test

14

Tripod

30

Distance setting

15

Finder

Attachment

30

Extreme close-ups - Measuring chain

16

Tele-Photography

31

No F-stop setting

17

Copying

31

Viewfinder

18

Projection

32

Exposure

counter

19

Home Darkroom

32

Loading with

film

20

Un-loading

22

Technical Information

33

Congratulations

With your new

Minox

BL you are embarking on

a

wonderful, un-burdened kind

of

picture-taking .

Your

exceptionally small and precise camera can

go with you wherev

er

you go,

to

give you lots of pleasure. It's

easy

to

get good pictures with the Minox BL

and this

lillie

book

will

show

you the way. The

most

important

pointers are given, briefly, in '

bold

print. If

you want to know more, simply

read on. And, before making any

important

pictures - of a trip

or

some special event -

it's

always a good idea to

shoot a cartridge

of

film

outdoors

, and with flash

indoors

. This

will

give

you

practice

in camera operation and

provide

a

check on your outfit.

But

NOW - why not get acquainted with the ease

and" pleasure of picture-taking

with

your

Minox

-

the camera that never stays at home .

Opening the camera

For picture-taking pull

the

Minox

BL

open

as

far

as

it will go.

While the camera is closed, the viewfinder and lens windows are protected within the housing, and the shutter

release is locked. If, after open-

ing the camera and

looking through the viewfinder, you decide not to take a picture, simply close

the camera again. This "pre-view" feature

saves film: the film advance can operate only

after you have pressed the shutter release

button.

2

The "three eyes"

The front

of

the Minox

BL

contains (top

to

bottom

In

the illustration) the CdS cell window

of

the

exposure meter, the viewfinder

and

lens windows.

These three windows

must

not

be obstructed

(watch your fingers!). Sharpness

and

brilliance

of

your pictures depends

to

an

important degree

on

a spotlessly clean lens window.

If the CdS cell is covered

during

measuring, you'll get a wrong exposure indication . You can

spot

smudges on the lens

window

easily

if you slide the gray

filter

(see page

13)

into

place

as a dark

background . If necessary, clean

the

window

gently with a soft (dry!) handkerchief

or

cotton swab on a stick . Silicon-treated eye-

glass tissues are not suited

for

this purpose.

By the way: The lens

window

is a

UV

filter

which

prevents unsharpness

causep by strong ultra-

violet

rays in the mountains

or

at the ocean.

3

Hold

it s-t-e-a-d-y

Hold

your

Minox firmly, yet relaxed,

with

both

hands. Keep

your

thumbs on the underside

of

the camera,

other

fingers

on

top, so that the

three windows are unobstructed.

These

illustrations show the most practical way

of

holding

your

Minox

for

horizontal and vertical shots. If you cover the lens

window

during exposure,

your

picture

will

show a partial

or

complete

shadow. If you

cover

the

window

of

the CdS cell

during measuring, the measurement

will

be wrong. You have the best hold when both hands are steadied against

your

face and you let

your

fingers press the camera ends down against

the thumbs - as if to bend the camera. Your

Minox

BL can,

of

course, remain in its

eveready case

for

picture-taking. Simply fold the

hinged section of

'the case all the way up against

the underside.

(See page 26.)

4

Taking the picture

When

you

have framed your picture

in

the

luminous rectangle

of

the viewfinder, hold the camera steady and squeeze the shutter release button gently.

The shutter release requires only very

light

pressure and. to avoid

jarring

the camera, place

your

index

finger

close

to

the release button

even before taking the

picture

and "roll" it onto

the button when you are ready to shoot,

while

holding

your

breath. Take the camera from

your

eye only after you've heard the soft clicking

of

the shutter.

5

Circle in lens

window

indicates

that the

Minox is ready for the next

picture

Telescopic rapid wind

After

you

have taken a picture, 'close' the ca-

mera. Then, for the next picture,

you

pull it open

again. With this

"push-pull",

the

film

is

advanced

for the next picture,

the

shutter re-cocked and

the exposure counter moved

to

the next number

-

all automatically! However,

this

occurs only if,

before closing your Minox,

you

actually took a

picture or otherwise released the shutter. Just be

sure

to

close and open the camera all the way

every time.

The small

circle

in the lens

window

tells

you

that

the shutter is

wound

ready

for

the next

picture

.

The

circle

disappears

after

you have released

the shutter:

Your

signal that you must '

push-pull'

before taking the next

picture

.

If you

don't

want

to

take a

picture

after

opening

the camera,

simply

close

it

until the next

picture

opportunity

comes along.

But,

if

you're

in a hurry to take

pictures

in

quick

succession:

'One-two, One-two, One-two! Go

ahead -

your

Minox

can take it.

6

Set the film speed

Turn the dial

on

the underside

of

the camera

to

the

ASA

number

of

the

film

which

you

are using.

This

sets

the exposure meter for

the

sensitivity

of

the film. The

ASA

number

is

shown

on

every

Minox film package

or

on

the film instruction

sheet (DIN numbers do not apply

in

English-

speaking countries).

Inadvertent setting of

too

high an ASA number results in under-exposures; too low , in overexposures.

ASA dial settings

The ASA dial

of

your

Minox BL shows the values

listed below

in

bold

type; the intermediate va-

lues are indicated by dots on the dial.

12 25 50 100 200

16 32 64 125 250 20 40 80 160 320

25 50 100 200 400

9

Film speed dial on underside of

camera (shown set

at

ASA 50118 DIN)

Coupled

CdS

exposure

meter

and

shutter

The

built-in

CdS

exposure

meter

of

your

Minox

BL

is

coupled

to

the

shutter

speed

dial

. Thus,

setting the

correct

exposure

is a

simple

matter:

·

Look

at the scene

through

the

viewfinder

and,

at the same time,

hold

down

the meter

button

for

two

or

three seconds. (Make sure that

you

don

't

cover

the CdS

cell

window!)

Release the

meter

button

before you take the camera

from

your

eye;

this

locks the meter

needle

at the measured

position.

Now

turn the

shutter

speed

dial

(the red

matching

pointer

moves

with

it)

until

the

red

pointer

brackets the black

indicator

needle. This

automatically

sets the

shutter

speed

for

correct exposure. Don't

worry

if

the

shutter

speed

dial

happens

to

be

set between the engraved

numbers:

The

shutter

of

the

Minox

BL

is matched

with

the ex-

posure

meter

to

cover

an

infinite

speed

range

from

1/2

to

1/1000 sec.

Gray

Zone

in

meter

field

If

- after

you

have released the meter

button

-

the

black

indicator

needle

is

in

the gray zone

of

the

meter

field,

this

is a

signal

that even 1/1000

sec.

would

result .

in

overexposure, and the

gray

,(neutral density)

filter

must

be

used

to

adjust

the

exposure.

Slide

the

gray

filter

in

front

of

the lens

10

(see page

13)

and take a new exposure measure-

ment;

with

the

filter

in place a

possible

1/2000

sec. - which is beyond the

Minox

speed scale -

automatically becomes 1/500 sec.,

for

example.

Longer

exposures

At

shutter speeds from about 1/

30

or

slower,

use a

tripod

or

other

firm

support

to

avoid

blurred

results;

for

indoor

shots, use flash.

(See page 30.)

Shutter

setting

at

'

8'

Under unfavorable

light

conditions

, when ex-

posures of

longer

than 1/2 second may be ne-

cessary, such longer exposures can be obtained

with

the shutter

dial

set at'S'. At this setting the shutter opens when you press the shutter release button and remains open

until

you

let

the release

go.

Index

mark

for 1 sec.

exposure

If the exposure measurement - after matching the red

pointer

to

the

indicator

needle - shows a

shutter

dial

setting at the index mark between

'S' and 2

(1

/2 sec.), the required exposure is

1

second:

Set the

dial

at'S'

and

hold

the shutter

release button pressed

down

for

one second.

11

Indi

cated exposure: 1 seco nd. Set shutter

speed

dial

to '

8'

- expose f

or

one second.

Match

ne.

edle

stops

at

'8 '

lf

the shutter speed

dial

reaches'S

' before you

can match the red pOinter

to

the

indicator

needle,

the necessary exposure is

longer

than

one

se-

cond and cannot be shown by the

built-in

meter.

The CdS meter in

your

Minox

BL gives you exposure measurements over a wide range of picture-taking

conditions

. Please remember

to

keep the cell

window

unobstructed by a finger,

hat brim, strands of hair, etc . Otherwise

you'll

get faulty measurements .

Exposure should always be adjusted

to

the most

i

mportant

parts

of

a scene. The CdS cell

of

the

BL exposure meter is designed

for

"center-

wei

ghted"

measuring with more attention

to

the

center of the

picture

area than to the edges

or

corners. Therefore ,

during

exposure measure-

ment (while you

hold the meter button down) aim the center of the viewfinder at the most important area

of

the picture , even

if

it should be located along the edge of the picture when you make the actual exposure.

If you want to use a faster

or

slower

shutter speed than the meter reading indicates after you have matched the red

pointer

to

the

indicator needle, you can, of course, turn the shutter speed

dial

to

any

other

position. To

cut

the

measured exposure time in

half (e.

g.

from 1/

125

to 1/

250)

, turn the shutter speed dial one step

to

the left;

to

double

the exposure time (e.g. from

1/

125

to 1/

60).

turn one step to the right.

12

Gray (neutral density)

filter

For very

bright

scenes - beach in

brilliant

sun,

snow,

light-colored

buildings, etc. - and

for

faster films, the meter

indicator

needle

of

your

Minox

BL may stand in the gray zone

of

the

meter

field:

A signal that 1/1000 sec.

would

be

too

long an exposure. To adjust the exposure

under

such conditions,

simply

push the ridged

sliding

lever above the viewfinder

all

the way

towards the

lens

window

to move the gray

filter

into

place. Take a new exposure measurement

and turn the shutter speed

dial

to

match the

brackets

of

the red

follow

pointer

with

the black

indicator

needle.

The gray

filter

increases the required exposure

. by about 4 times and the CdS meter takes this

into consideration in

the

filtered measurement.

Thus, a possible

1/2000 sec .,

for

example - which

is beyond the

Minox

,shutter speed scale - auto-

matically

becomes 1/500 sec.

13

Battery test

With normal use, the battery supplied

with

your

Minox BL

to

power

the CdS exposure meter, lasts more than a year. It is advisable, however, to check the

condition

of

the battery from

time

to

time, as

follows:

Turn the shutter speed dial until a small black check area is visible at the edge

of

the meter field. Then push the ridged

sliding lever above the viewfinder

in

the

direction

of

the meter

cell

window

while you

hold

down the meter button. During this battery test, the black indicator needle should move into the black

check area

(or

to the

right

of

it). Otherwise,

reo

.

move the battery immediately (see page

23)

and

replace it with a fresh one.

If you cannot obtain a fresh battery immediately. you can nevertheless continue to take pictures with

your

Minox BL as its shutter operation is not dependent on the meter battery. It

is also a good practice to remove the battery

before you 'store

tne camera for extended

periods.

14

Distance setting

The distance scale

is

calibrated

from

infinity (00)

to

8 inches.

To

set, rotate the dial until the desir-

ed

distance

is

at the black dot

in

the middle

of the small bracket. The bracket indicates the range

of

sharpness at

each

setting. Example:

With

the

scale set at the

red

dot

(12

ft.)

you

have

a universal snapshot setting with sharpness

from

infinity (00)

to

6 ft.

For landscapes with no important foreground

closer

than

12 ft.,

use the

infinity

(00 ) setting.

The

following

"standard"

settings are also useful: With scale set at 6 ft., you get sharpness from 4 ft. to

11

'

12

ft. - With scale set midway between 3 ft . and 6 ft., sharpness extends from 3

- 6 ft., fine

for

medium close-ups

of

people. For

subjects

closer

than

2.

feet, always use the

measuring chain (see

foll owing page).

15

Snapshot setting; range

of

sharpness from

6

It

to Infinity

00

Extreme

close-ups -Measuring

Chain

At

distances

of

2 feet

or

less, the range

of

sharpness becomes small; close distances must be set carefully on the distance scale. Use

your

Minox camera chain

for

measuring: With the

chain

held

taut and

at

right

angles from camera

to subject, the chain beads indicate distances

of

8,

10,

12

and

18

inches; the full length chain

measures

24

inches.

After measuring, set the distance on the distance

dial of the camera. To take the picture, hold the chain at the appropriate bead and extend it once

more to the subject to re-establish the cor-

rect distance; then S-T-A-Yat that distance,

lower

the chain and release the shutter.

When using a measuring tape

or

rule instead of

the chain, measure the distance from the front

of

the camera. For occasions when you may want to use your Minox BL camera without the eveready case,

your dealer can supply a safety/measuring chain which locks

directly

into the corresponding

socket

of

your

camera.

16

No F-stop setting

The aperture (f-stop) of the highly corrected Minox

15

mm

fl3.5 four-element lens always oper-

ates "wide open" - there

is

no f-stop scale.

This is another great Minox advantage: The lens of

your Minox BL has a great range

of

sharp~

ness (see Distance Setting) and always works at

its

full f/3.5 opening!

Exposure is

controlled solely by the shutter

speeds which -

becau

~ e

of

the large lens open-"

ing - are always relatively short.

17

Viewfinder

The bright luminous frame within the viewfinder

shows

you

the exact picture area that will appear

on

your film.

The viewfinder image is

automatically corrected,

at

all distances, to be identical with the film image . (Parallax Compensation). At

extremely close distance (8-10 in.), the film

image is slightly smaller than the viewfinder

image - by about one

frame-line width on all

sides within the luminous rectangle .

18

Exposure counter

The numbers and scale lines

of

the Mlnox BL

exposure counter indicate

how

many more ex-

posures you can

still

make on the film. Before

you insert a new

film

cartridge, the counter must

be set to a definite loading position. (See p. 20.)

All

Minox films are available in 36-exposure

cartridges, some

also in 15-exposure cartridges.

15-exposure cartridges are used

only within the

dark counter scale with white numerals.

19

Loading with film

Always load -

or

unload - the Mlnox in subdued

light,

or

in the shade;

if

there is no other shade,

turn your back towards the sun.

Set counter to

"loading"

position: While holding

down the shutter release button, 'push-pull' the

camera until the exposure counter is set for

loading position.

For 36-exposure cartrIdges: set to red dot

bet-

ween 0 and

36

(Illustration at near left).

For 15-exposure cartridges: set to red

line bet-

ween

20

and

15

(Illustration at far left).

Open camera back: Pull camera out. Press down

on crescent-shaped snaplock on underside of camera and slide open the back cover all the way until both film compartments are free.

Insert cartridge: Drop the cartridge into film

compartments ahd close the back cover until

It

snaps shut. 'Push-pull' and release shutter twice.

20

The exposure counter

now

stands at '36'

or

'15'

depending

on

the original film loading setting.

Set the ASAlOIN dial for the correct

film

speed.

On

very rare occasions the film cartridge may

not

drop

flush into the camera so tHat the back

cover

cannot be closed. (This is not your fault

nor a defect.) It may

occur

if the take-up core

of the film cartridge happens to rest exactly on

the teeth

of

the transport wheel

in

the film com-

partment of the camera. Remedy: Lift out the

film cartridge and, with

your

fingertip, turn the

triple-tooth transport wheel

in

the camera film

compartment slightly further clockwise; then re-

insert the

film and close the camera back cover.

21

Un-loading

Watch the exposure counter I After the final exposure, 'push-pull' and release the shutter twice. (The exposure counter then stands at the red dot

between 0 and 36.)

Open the camera back. With

slight

tapping

of

the camera, the cartridge

will

drop

into your

hand;

or

it

may be lifted out by its bridge.

As the exposure counter now stands at the (red

dot) loading position

for

36-exposure cartridges,

you can insert a fresh 36-exposures film

without

further adjustments.

If the next film is in a 15-exposure cartridge, set

the exposure counter to the red

line between

20

and

15

before inserting the film (see page

20).

Place the exposed cartridge in a film box

or

wrap it in dark paper until it is developed.

22

Battery replacement

To insure continuous functioning

of

the CdS

exposure meter, make

it a practice

to replace the battery annually. You can test the condition of

the battery at any time. (See page 14.) To replace the battery, open the camera as you would

for

film loading. Remove the

old

battery

by

pulling

up the red portion on the flexible strip

of

the battery chamber. Insert fresh battery

(Mallory

PX

675,

Varta

7001,

or

equivalent), mak-

ing sure that the + and - markings

of

the battery match the corresponding symbols on the inside

of

the

sliding

camera cover.

Before inserting, wipe both sides of the battery with a

dry

cloth to remove any possible finger-

prints

or

smudges which might

impair

good contact. An

exhausted battery should be removed from

the camera immediately. Keep mercury batteries

away from children and do not incinerate.

Always remove the battery from the camera

be-

fore you store

your

Minox BL

for

an

extended

period .

•

23

Eveready

case

The flat spring

clip

of

the chain snaps into the

D-ring

of

the locking disk.

Before inserting the camera, turn the locking

disk

on the outside

of

the case to vertical posi-

tion. With the lens

window

to the front and dial

side

up, slide the camera into the case and,

using the external ring

In the manner

of

a screw-

driver, turn the locking

disk

one-quarter turn to

the

right

while

holding

the camera firmly against

the Inside

of

the lock. With the camera locked

In, the

slot

of

the locking

disk

is In horizontal position. To unlock the camera, turn the locking

disk

one-

quarter turn to the left. Attach the fastening ring

of

the measuri

ng

chain

to a button, belt

loop

or

buttonhole to protect

your Minox BL against loss.

Belt

case

(not

illustrated)

A practical belt case, mode

of

fine black leather,

is available as

an

accessory. It holds the camera

without chain and fits snugly on

your

trouser

belt, keepi

ng

all

your

pockets free 'for other im-

portant things.

26

Care

01

the

Mlnox

BL

Lens

window

: When reloading,

check

the lens for smudges or fingerprints and, if necessary, clean carefully.

Housing: Clean

the

outside

of

the camera hous-

ing occasionally with a soft rubber eraser -

no

liquids!

Film compartments: When reloading,

blowout

the

empty film compartments; dust particles may

scratch

the

film.

Should salt water ever

get

into the camera,

it

can corrode the mechanism. You may perhaps save the camera with this radical treatment: Open the camera and camera back and place

in

warm tap water; let it cool ; remove, shake out water ; dry the camera at once near a heater and rush it to

our

Service Department with the no-

tation: Salt Water Damage.

Hot weather precautions

All

films are sensitive to high temperatures be-

fore and after exposure.

Do

not store your Minox

films

or

your loaded Minox BL

in

the glove

compartment

or

on

the rear window shelf

of

your

car, nor

in

other places.where the film may be

affected by excessive heat.

27

Clean lens

window

with

cotton

swab

or

with a

clean linen

cloth

wrapped

around

a match

or

wood

stick.

Minox Accessories

Films

Minox film is available in many different types for

every purpose.

Your

Minox dealer will be

glad to suggest the

proper

film

for

specific

purposes.

Flash Units

Minox

C 4

Fl

ash

Unit:

Extremely compact;

for

use with flash cubes . Connects automatically

without

external cable . See

picture

on page

24.

Minox

ME-2

Computer

Flash Unit: Self-contained

electronic

flash unit which automatically adjusts

flash duration to the

film used, and

to

the

brightness and distance of the

subject. AutoJT1a-

tion may be switched off . (See page

25.)

Slip-On Filters

Your Minox BL has a built-in

UV

filter

(page

3)

and gray

filter

(page

13)

. In addition , the follow-

ing slip-on filters are available in a

complete

set

with

filter

case. The CdS exposure meter cell

automatically

adjust

for

correct

exposure with

filters.

Minox

Skylight-Filter

(R

3): Eliminates bluish cast

in

color

slides under noonday sky. No exposure

correction

.

Minox

Color

Correcting

Filter

R

6:

Eliminates

bluish cast under

blue sky in the shade. Expo-

sure

factor

1.5 x.

Minox

Green

Filter

: For black-and-white

outdoor pictures. Brings out clouds; lightens greens. Exposure

factor

2 x.

Filter Case: Plastic case for three

Minox

slip-on

filters.

28

Tripod:

Minox Camera Clamp: Attaches the Minox (any

model) to a tripod, such as the Minox pocket tripod.

Minox Pocket Tripod: Solid three-legged stand

with adjustable swivel head and cable release. When not

in

use, the legs slide all into one

for

greatest compactness - slightly larger than a

pencil.

Finder Attachment

Minox Right Angle Mirror: For candid snapshots

"around the corner". Fits all Minox camera models . Earlier

mirror· attachments cannot be used

on

the Minox BL.

30

For Tele-Photography

Minox Binocular Attachment: Permits taking

photographs of distant subjects through

binocu-

lars;

fits all Minox camera models .

For Copying

All Minox models are excellently suited for the copying of

letters. documents. sheet music and

similar written

or

printed originals. The Minox adjustable copy-stand and other accessories are available through your

Mino~

dealer. Please ask

for

special folder.

31

t

For Projection

Minox

HP

24

: Automatic magazine

projector

for

Minox

30x30

mm

color

slides. Minox

35

mm

fl2.7

Minogon lens.

24 V 150

W Halogen lamp. Blower-

cooled. Push-button control

for

focusing and

slide change, with

10ft

extension cord . Socket

for

tape recorder synchronization.

Minox

HP

24

Aulolocus

: Same as above , but

additionally has automatic critical focus control

after focusing first

slide.

MINOTACT

(Not

illustrated)

: Semi-automatic

magazine

projector

for Minox

30 x 30

mm

color

slides. 35mm f/2.

7Minostar

lens.

12V100W

lamp .

Minox BL 171-010, BL 171-011 Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual