Minifex

The Minifex was a German subminiature camera made in the 1930s by Fotofex, a company founded by Fritz Kaftanski. It took 13x18mm pictures on special 16mm film with back paper.

It had a very small body, with knob advance and rigid optical finder. Strangely, the leaf shutter had a regular size, thus it was larger than the body. The film advance was by red window.

Known lens/shutter combinations (no helical focusing unless noted):

• Ludwig Anastigmat Victar 25/4.5 & Vario T-B-25-50-100 dial-set, fixfocus
• Ludwig Anastigmat Victar 25/4.5 & T-B-25-50-100 rim-set, decorative shutter plate marked GW and Minifex, fixfocus, shutter maybe a Pronto because the speeds are reversed compared to a Vario
• Ludwig Vidar 25/3.5 & Vario T-B-25-50-100 dial-set
• Ludwig Anastigmat Victar 25/3.5 & Vario T-B-25-50-100 dial-set
• Ludwig Anastigmat Victar 25/3.5 & Vario T-B-25-50-100 rim-set
• Ludwig Anastigmat Victar 25/3.5 & Compur 300
• Meyer Trioplan 25/3.5 & Pronto T-B-25-50-100 dial-set
• Meyer Trioplan 25/3.5 & Compur 300
• Meyer Trioplan 25/3.5 & Compur 300, no red window but an advance indicator on the top, revolving one turn per frame, seen in Classic Camera issue #1
• Steinheil Cassar 25/3.5 & Pronto T-B-25-50-100 dial-set
• Steinheil Cassar 25/3.5 & Compur 300
• Astro Berlin Astan 25/3.5 & Compur 300
• Astro Berlin Astrar 25/2.7 (Compur 300?)
• Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar 25/2 & Compur 300
• Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar 25/1.8 & Compur 300
• Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar 25/1.8 & Compur 300, helical focusing, sliding cover for the red window, plus support for an external finder or rangefinder
• Astro Berlin Tachon 25/0.95, Compur-Rapid 500, seen for sale at a reputable dealer
• Astro Berlin Tachon 52/0.95 (52mm, not 25mm), Compur, tripod collar, Fokuskop external focusing device (one illustration in an ad at kaftanski.free.fr)

So there were two Tachon versions, a regular one with a 25mm lens (produced), and a special one with a 52mm tele lens and focusing device (at least advertised).

The following names were given in an ad reproduced here:

• Volks-Minifex with the Victar lens
• Standard-Minifex with the Astan lens
• Super-Lichtstarke Minifex with the Pan-Tachar lens

A motorised body with focal plane shutter was planned, nicknamed the Minifex MG. Corresponding patents can be found here, and more info here.

Links

In English:

• The Minifex at submin.com
• The Minifex at ukcameras.com
• The Minifex at corsopolaris
• Some info about the Minifex at subclub.org
• A Minifex at the George Eastman House
• Auctions by Auction Team Köln:
  • Minifex (Pan-Tachar, Compur, unit focusing) and Minifex (Cassar, Pronto) in the highlights of the 24 April 2004 sale
  • Minifex (Victar f/3.5, rim-set Vario) in the highlights of the 2 October 2004 sale

In French:

• Minifex, Minifex MG and Volks Minifex at http://kaftanski.free.fr
• A post at S. Halgand's forum about the Minifex
• The Kaftanski Minifex patents on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand

In Japanese:

• Minifex at Masaharu Saito's Minox Fan website

In Korean:

• A Minifex at infocam.co.kr