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 16mm film.
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 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
- Meyer Trioplan 25/3.5 & Compur 300
- Steinheil Cassar 25/3.5 & Pronto T-B-25-50-100
- 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
- Minifex, Minifex MG and Volks Minifex at http://kaftanski.free.fr
- The Minifex at submin.com
- The Minifex at ukcameras.com
- The Minifex at corsopolaris
- Some info about the Minifex at subclub.org
- The Kaftanski patents at Sylvain Halgand's site, among them are patents for the Minifex
- A post at S. Halgand's forum about the Minifex
- A Minifex at the George Eastman House
- A Minifex at infocam.co.kr