3rd party/Minox enlarger

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Hi,

After going through a couple of rolls (I'm new to Minox...) and having access to a scanner with great difficulty and of course, the Minox enlarger is even more inaccessible, I was thinking of "making" an enlarger (I know, it would be easier to get a 35mm enlarger ...) for Minox and 16mm.

Since the Minox enlarger is old and probably the copyrights has expired??, is there somehow of getting the Minox enlarger blueprint? If it is avail., I can get it made. (I think) The only obstacle would probably be the condenser. I do have access to milling, drilling and possibly iron/aluminium casting expertise. (My brother-in-law runs a foundry business and an avid photographer and a tinkerer.)

If this is viable, there may be a chance to make a couple more if Minoxers are interested.

I'm going to cross-post this to the Submini list to get more response if possible and see the possibilty of this.

Thanks

-- C P Wong (cpwong@w3xs.com), January 10, 2000

Answers

In a Kindermann Canada 1993 price list, there was still new Minox enlarger lsited ( at C$1660). The BW Minox enlarger probably was stock item. By 1995, no more new Minox enlarger from Minox.

You may still find many Minox enlargers being offered on eBay, at reasonable prices.

As for remake Minox enlarger in Asia, that sounds a good idea. The best thing to do is write to Minox GmbH Wetzlar, Germany, and talk to them about it. It may be possible to make Minox enlarger in Asia at lower cost.

You may find Minox email address from their website http://www.minox.com

I think Minox is the only one who has the blue prints.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 11, 2000.


I agree with Martin. First thing should be used or new old stock minox enlarger. Next thing could be a contact to the minox factory. These people are very helpful and perhaps they are really interessted in a new production. Sure they have spare parts, perhaps you can buy all important parts as spare. In the past, these parts were low priced, for example, a complete condensor (3 lenses!!!) was about $ 40 in 1996. A few weeks ago, there still was a NEW enlarger to sell at Wuestefeld, a local photo dealer here in Berlin, Germany, for about $600. Try www.wuestefeld.com

-- Oliver (pyper@fks.chem.tu-berlin.de), January 11, 2000.

Minox is enormously helpful, but given the move to Wetzlar, a massive sell-down of spare parts, etc., it is likely that they no longer have all of the parts for the Minox enlarger. Indeed, you may not really want a Minox enlarger because of the extreme difficulty in getting the special bulbs for the optical system. Best would be to get a Minox enlarging lens with film carrier and mount it to the lens board of an ordinary enlarger. The Submini-List (and maybe Sub Club) have shown examples of this sort of "enla head" arrangement.

The last production of enlargers was around 1988. My own was made in 1984 by Minox on special order, and it took several days while they put the parts together. Wonderful device; try to get a Model III if you buy one used.

-- peter zimmerman (peterz@erols.com), January 17, 2000.


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