My New ‘Toy’

~ beetleypete

**This post will only be of interest to anyone who likes cameras and photography. And even they may not be interested**

I bought myself another camera last week, and it arrived this morning.

Many years ago, I saw that Minox of Germany were producing a replica of the Leica M III film camera. But it was a digital camera, in miniature.

(Photos can be enlarged, by clicking on them)

At first, it only boasted two megapixels, and had a small internal storage of 2 mb. Later versions extended the capacity to three, then four megapixels, and added a live rear screen, as well as the facility to use an SD card for storage. But it was ridiculously expensive, and little more than a collector’s item

The last manifestation of this tiny camera extended to 14 megapixels, and also allowed a 32 gb SD card. Now it was becoming more desirable, but also more expensive, at around £180. I thought about it, then forgot about it.

I looked on Ebay recently, and found an ‘open-box’, unused camera, for a fraction of the original selling price. It came with a still-wrapped charging cable, the original metal display box, and full instructions. It was for sale in Germany, from a ‘trusted seller’. So I bought it. The only downside so far is that I cannot work out how to change the menu language, so have to translate from the German shown, using Google to find the meanings of the words.

In this photo, it is next to my Sony RX 10 zoom compact. You can easily see just how tiny it is, palm-sized in fact.

The camera has metal parts alongside the plastic components, and is lovingly engineered as a replica. The film winder and self-timer levers both move, although they have no function. The lens focusing ring does work, changing focus from infinity to other settings. The metal viewfinder operates like one from the 1930s, as it is quite cloudy and distorted. However, the small screen at the rear serves as a back-up for composing photos. It also has a digital menu, allowing changes to white balance, and some other functions.

You won’t find a good review of this camera online. The tiny 1/2.3 sensor has its limitations, and most camera magazines and websites describe it as little more than a ‘toy’, with limited practical application in the modern world of photography. The lens is fixed at a full-frame equivalent of 46 mm, and the digital zoom feature is best avoided.

But I happen to think it is a thing of beauty. And it takes photos too.

79 thoughts on “My New ‘Toy’”

  4. Pete I can sense you are a man of gadgets and these days we nearly all carry a phone camera . I often smile when I see a poor homeless migrant carrying his phone , not that I begrudge him a little emotional comfort.
    My dad used to talk about f numbers and light meters and the speed of different films back in pre digital history.
    He used to gather the family , pull out a white screen and show us his slides with a projector.
    You now have the huge advantage of mobility , which reminds me the mobiles were very small at one time a few years ago .

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks, FM. I never settled with using a phone as a camera, and although I am not into electronic gadgets as such, I do like the mechanics of cameras, and the look of them as objects. I have many old film cameras stored in the loft, hoping to display them one day, if I can ever find the space!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. What a nice bargain find. I love cameras, too. Several years ago I was excited about the Lytro camera which allowed changing the depth of field in post processing. I knew the technology was early and not suited to the needs of a photographer. A few short (tech-wise) years later, the company is no longer and has been absorbed by the Google machine. I still like my old film cameras, but I rarely take them out of storage. I look forward to seeing some photos with your new camera.

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  10. To use an old slang expression, I think it is “boss” that someone is making digital replicas of old cameras. Kudos on your new toy. Try finding an English, online user manual, that could help with the translation. Warmest regards, Theo

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    1. The supplied user manual has an English translation, Theo. But it doesn’t make it clear if I can change the menu language. It’s academic though, as it is refusing to turn on today, after working perfectly well yesterday!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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        1. I have it on charge again. I think I failed to ‘turn it off’ properly yesterday, and may have run down the battery. I have also discovered how to change the language, so I will try again tomorrow. 🙂
          I am not quite ready to give up on it yet, so fingers crossed! It might just be ‘operator error’.

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        1. It was supposedly fully charged yesterday, but I have it back on charge again. Might be an ‘old battery issue’. It was sold on Ebay ‘as seen and working’, and it was. But if I have no joy, I will contact the seller.

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    1. Thanks, John. I got a few words from their similarity with English, and the instruction book is in both languages, just not the camera menu! 🙂
      I will certainly bear your kind offer in mind.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. My old HTC phone has a poor camera, and will not transfer photos, only ‘save them’ to somewhere that I can never find them. I only use a phone for texting and making calls, Stevie. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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            2. Thanks for the mention on your post about Netgalley, Suzan. It doesn’t seem to have a comments box, so I am replying here.
              I have never used that service, but I am always happy to help with anything I do know about. 🙂

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                1. Sorry, Pete. This is the 5th glitch in 24 hrs. I am so tired. I can’t believe I am getting anger issues. This post was not even scheduled. It was published by me. 😔😔😔 fed up. Sorry once again.

                  Liked by 1 person

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