I met the Minox 35 GT about a year ago, and it has stayed in my pocket ever since. You read it right, in my pocket. This is certainly the smallest 35mm camera I’ve seen. The Minolta TC-1 takes the prize for smallest 35mm ever, but it’s worth more than 10 times the prize of the Minox 35 GT on Ebay. I’ll have to pass.
As a note, I do mainly street photography and urban landscapes. This review is from my personal experience and while I find it to be well suited to my needs, it is definitely not for every purpose.
The camera
The Minox 35 GT falls somewhere between the traditional point & shoot and a more fully featured compact. It’s no lomo/toy camera, and the picture quality is there to show it. There’s no surprises: you can be sure the exposure will be accurate, and with a bit of practice, your pictures will always be sharp. Sometimes however, I find myself a bit frustrated, wishing I had more controls in my hands.
For reference, the Minox 35 GT is smaller than any smartphone, and just a bit thicker than a roll of film. It’s perhaps not for everyone, but its size means I can always be ready to draw and shoot. You can use it with one hand, although the ergonomics are not the best for long periods of shooting. It’s light, it’s quiet, and most of all it’s unassuming. You’ll look more like a tourist than a reporter. There’s a reason this was made by Minox, known for their «spy» cameras. Unlike other Minox cameras though, it shoots regular ol’ 35mm, which means you have a full frame sensor in that sweet compact package.
The flip cover (Nokia phone, anyone?) protects and extends the lens when open. This contributes to its compactness, and serves as the on/off for the meter. I really like the feature, it’s super fast to shoot : no need to faff around with menus or buttons.
Quirks & perks
Now the Minox 35 GT has its quirks and perks, and that makes it unique in my eyes. It’s different from your standard point & shoot, as you have a manual aperture, and manual focus. To take the picture, you zone focus (guesstimate the distance), pick an aperture and the camera will let you know what shutter speed it picked for you. During the day, I will usually keep it focused around 4 meters at F11, so I can place my subject anywhere between 2 meters to infinity.
The Minox 35 GT lens is 35mm f/2.8, which is really standard for this type of camera, but it’s surprisingly sharp for its size. The color rendering is good, although I haven’t tested this in any scientific manner. The film, the light conditions, your scanner … all have their own impact on the rendering. The barrel has «color» written on it though, surely that must mean something? (It doesn’t.)
The Minox 35 GT lens is very capable, and everyone I showed the pictures to was surprised it came from such a tiny piece of glass. The zone focusing is not bad once you get used to it. I do mainly street photography, and if you know where you want your subject to be, zone focusing is way faster. If you have fast film and chose a smaller aperture, you’re golden.
If you’re a portrait photographer or if you want to take close up shots, the Minox 35 GT is probably not the camera for you. The 35mm focal length is not great for portraits, and the zone focusing makes it hard to be accurate wide open or at close distances (plus it only focuses from 0.90 m).
It’s not easy to achieve perfect focus when you shoot at night, wide open. Besides, the automatic shutter speed won’t tell you how long the shutter will stay open for longer exposures. The small body is difficult to properly grip to do long handheld exposure. Hard, but not impossible. I tend to override the ISO settings to underexpose by a stop or two, hold my breath, and wish for the best. Usually it works out.
The batteries the Minox 35 GT takes are no longer produced, but that’s a topic discussed in a lot of depth elsewhere on the web. I just use a bit of tape and foil to convert regular old button cells. You can also buy an adapter if you prefer to be on the safe side.
Philosophy : why shoot with a compact camera ?
The main advantages of the Minox 35 GT is its size, the very decent lens, and the ability to shoot film. Sure, you could get cleaner shots with a big bulky camera, but are you going to carry a Pentax 67 to work every day? Where’s your Mamiya when aliens start invading? Some of the more cynical people might say everyone already has a camera in their pocket: their phone. My phone is really useful, but I don’t want my pictures to end up mixed between my grocery list and a meme. Besides, there’s something infinitely more satisfying about this quirky object that you can’t explain through words.
When I got the Minox 35 GT, I thought it would become a secondary, fun camera, but my favorite shots from this year were taken with it. There’s something a bit more honest about a picture you weren’t expecting to take, a moment that surprised you. For the clinical, tack sharp clean shots you can’t beat a medium format camera with a tripod, but that’s clearly not the same shooting experience. A warning for the end: You will find yourself burning through film. This bad boy is surprisingly easy to get used to.
I’m Gaston, I like taking pictures at night and in places that time and eyes forgot. Banal things, extraordinary things, everything that’s part of daily life is interesting to me. You can check out my Instagram over here : https://www.instagram.com/cigaregentique/
Share this post:
Comments
Paul on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Victor on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
nice wrap-up indeed! Minox 35 is one of my favourite cameras ever, and I have a few :)
Strangely enough, I've not shot a roll in BW on it (which is what I mostly shoot), but your pictures reminded me that I must! Absolutely love your BW shots. For me, scale focus is what limits my use of the camera: unlike you my shots wide open are mostly off-focus, guess I just have some distance guesstimate problem :) For that reason, I tend to use Contax T more often than the Minox: essentially the same size and form-factor, but a bit heavier, which is compensated with better viewfinder (incl coupled RF), and a tad better lens (but not much). I don't think Contax is worth 5x the price of the Minox though (I were gifted mine). When I do use the Minox indoors, my solution to shallow DOF is to close-up to f5.6 and use the TC-35 flash which you can tilt to bounce off-ceiling, but of course it's the same size as the camera, so its a bit limiting... Does not work too well outdoors to. Anyway, considering the price (10-50 eur here in Germany), there's no excuse not to have one!
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Yair Sachs on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
I rewound the film with the intention of reloading and using the remaining frames in a different camera. Or so I thought! I opened the back and to my chagrin, discovered the back of the film staring at me from the take up spool: The film had separated from the cartridge.
What frames that were salvaged do bear out the quality of the lens & system.
My strong recommendation is, use the Minox 35 GL with shorter films that 36 exp.
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
walker on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Barry Reid on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Martin Siegel on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
I'm a big fan for that type of cameras. From Olympus XAs over Voigtländer (Balda), Chinon Bellami to a Minox 35 GL.Also the next generation like the Olympus µ [mju:] but those tend to get heavy due to larger batteries.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
Martin
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Sixteen on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Daniel Castelli on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Thank you for putting that thought in a clear, concise statement. I know that when it happens to me, it just makes my day. It's what keeps me going as I snap away.
The Minox is just too small for me. You make it work for you; you've mastered the machine. My compact camera is my Leica (film) CL. I can sling it over my shoulder and I barely know it's there. Now that we're in the clutches of a New England winter, I can slip it into an oversized pocket of a winter coat where it can be warm & cozy. I wish you continued good shooting.
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Robert on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
I wonder if you, or any of you other 35mmc-ers, are familiar with the 35 GT-E or GT-X? I know they use modern batteries by default, but curious if anyone has had experience shooting one and how the quality compares to an og 35 GT like this? If the only difference is the battery and the additional ISO settings, I'm thinking that might be the way to go?
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
ehpem on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Lilianna Elrod on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Love your images and the bit about surprise images.
Everytime I take mine out, I find I prefer the images to whatever else I had with me.
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Claudio on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Just one word about adapting four button batteries: this overpowers its meter, which ends up underexposing between 1/3 and one and a half stops. With fresh batteries you should tweak the ISO dial so that you have your 35GT expose properly and you don’t lose detail in the shadows.
Another thing I have learnt from experience is that some 36 exp. rolls (e.g. Gold/Ultramax) are too thick for this tiny camera. The advance lever will get stuck and you’ll risk tearing apart your film. Better stick to 24 exp. rolls to avoid any hassle.
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Dominique Pierre-Nina on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Great shot.
Comment posted: 11/01/2019
Wayne on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 12/01/2019
Comment posted: 12/01/2019
Jon on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 12/01/2019
Comment posted: 12/01/2019
Russ on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 13/01/2019
Thanks
Russ
Comment posted: 13/01/2019
Bernhard on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 15/01/2019
Bernhard
5 Frames with the Voigtländer Vito C - By Nigel Haycock - 35mmc on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 24/02/2019
Nigel Haycock on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 12/03/2019
Adam on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 02/04/2019
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77437968@N00/16900802350/in/photolist-mwssVB-rKt2HY
Comment posted: 02/04/2019
Ian Johnston on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 28/04/2019
Comment posted: 28/04/2019
Tord S Eriksson on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 28/09/2019
The main difference is that the V1 uses a 1" sensor, and can take about 3,000 shots between recharging, while a 35mm roll is at the most 36 shots (the CIPA rating is lower, but that takes into account that every second shot will be taken with the flash at maximum power!).
In B&W they are hard to tell apart. Their graininess is very much alike (with the V1 set to ISO 400, and the Minox using Tri-X, or similar).
Two delightful cameras, both very much the best of their times.
Comment posted: 28/09/2019
The Most Read and Commented upon Posts Published on 35mmc in 2019 - 35mmc on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 31/12/2019
Recommended reading : Down the Road on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 05/03/2020
JAMES on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 30/08/2020
carole on Minox 35 GT review – a true pocket camera – by Gaston W
Comment posted: 25/01/2022
Carole