Film for the Minox

Minox film was originally defined as 1/4 the width of 35mm film, 8.75mm, with an image size of 6.5mm x 9mm. When the image size was enlarged to 8mm x 11mm, the film width was increased to 9.4mm (or 9.5mm depending on what you read).

Factory loaded AgfaPan APX 25 was scanned with a Nikon LS-1000 at 2700 ppi. The edges of the film measured 990 pixels, which translates to 9.31mm. The image size on this film strip measured 850 pixels by 1170 pixels, which is 8x11mm, plus-or-minus a pixel, confirming the relative accuracy of the scan (assuming that the image size is really 8x11mm). There was a slight curl to the film which was not eliminated.

Performing the same test with the Minox Film Slitter yields strips 9.31mm wide. My Plexiglas slitter yields strips of 9.22mm and I have had strips of 8.96mm work with a narrow margin on one side of the image. 8.9mm is probably a theoretical minimum.

... about Film Cassettes

The early Minox cassettes, first metal then plastic, used tape to hold the caps in place, and had a felt-like light-trap in the slots. The cassettes I have date from the '70s and have snap caps which can be opened by carefully pressing the case on the end just below the cap.

ALERT!

All black plastic cassettes are NOT alike! Although they appear outwardly identical, some have felt light traps and some do not. The opening through which the film passes is much narrower when the felt is not present. If placed on the felted cassettes, caps made for the feltless cassettes will squeeze the opening, and inhibit the movement of the film. Trust me, you must keep the caps with their proper cassettes.

Furthermore, some of my '70s feltless cassettes seem to have film passages which have narrowed over time and are nearly closed at the open end (see picture). Although this is less of a problem for the very thin Tech Pan, I have discarded these in favor of the newer felted cassettes. Some film types (Fuji 800, Ilford XP2, etc.) are thicker than others (Tech Pan, Kodak Royal Gold 25, Kodak PJM Ektapress, etc.). I prefer the wider mouth of the felted cassettes for the thicker film.

CAUTION. Be careful not to overload the cassette. The film must move freely in the cassette. I have had good luck with 50 exposure rolls of Tech Pan, and the early loads contained 50 exposures of various films. My suggestion would be that when the film is wound on the 1/4" dowel to load into the supply-side chamber, room is left for the film to "unwind" somewhat when the dowel is removed. Experiment with your film.

ALSO, be sure the takeup spool is the correct size. Take-up spools come in 15-exposure and 36-exposure sizes. They are easy to distinguish, the 36-exposure size has a very thin, sharp edged wall, whereas the 15-exposure spool has an obviously thick wall.

 

The early metal and plastic cassettes had slip-on caps which were taped for security. Later models provide a snap-on cap which is held in place with 2 small ridges which engage slots in the cap. Gently pressing the cassette body with the thumbnail just below the cap will release the cap, permitting removal

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