Camera Talk

From left: Balda CE 35, Ricoh FF-1, Chinon Bellami and Olympus XA.

In the 1970s, the tiny camera craze took hold. I don't recall if they were an answer to the Rollei 35, which had been around for years before these arrived.

But they are all nice little cameras.

The Balda CE 35 might have been the last Balda-branded camera. Or maybe not. There was an identical Voigtlander Vito C camera.

All three cameras had matching flash units. The Balda and Olympus flash units attach to the side, while the other two are small units that slide into each camera's hot shoe.

The Olympus XA has rangefinder focusing, while the other three are scale focus.

Nice set of 'em. They are fun to use.

I've also got an Agfa Compact which is like a clunky XA. Same period -- late 1970s, early 1980s.

I think they came as an answer to the Minox 35, which caused quite a stir back in the early 70's. I craved for one when they first came out.

As time passed and I could afford them, I can say the Minox 35s are the cameras I love to hate. Wonderful ergonomics, incredible lens, cute as they come... and then the shutter fails.

You mean this?
Minox35 GT by Pablo Coronel, on Flickr

It is a cool little camera, I also wanted one badly and finally got one (25+ years later) for free. I got it before it hit the trashcan in my former job (leftover from an old colleague that retired). I travelled quite a lot with it, and loved the look on the younger kids when I pulled it off my pocket.

Eggsactly! I gutted one and I've been working hard to adapt the lens into M mount. Not an easy task. Maybe I'll call it quits and go E mount, which will be a breeze.

I forgot about the Minox 35 cameras.

My success in finding a good one has not been good. I think that I've bought maybe five or six of them. Only one works correctly.

Those tiny 35mm are so practical for travel! You have a nice set, Mike. Can you compare them? Any favorite?

I have only used the XA and the Kiev 35 (a copy of the Minox, very good lens but it is also unreliable).

At some time I have looked for all of these, but now I am happy just with the XA.

The Minox has been a frustrating experience for me. I've owned a number of these, and only one has proved to be reliable.

All had the dreaded unreliable shutter problem. I've read a number of things about servicing the shutter, but I haven't been successful in bringing any of them back to life.

Here's a photo that I took with a Minox GL. This was shot on Kodak Plus-X film. The indicated shutter speed was supposed to be about 1/100, but I heard the shutter open and close, and it was closer to 1/10.

Even so, I like this photo. In this case, the blur made it seem more real.

Oooo, my kind of picture!