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-- Walter Zapp

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JOHN K. WATSON, JR. (a.k.a. Wonko)
Vice President / Technology Manager
Email: johnw@minox.org
Homepage: http://www.wonko.net

There seem to be two ways people get attracted to Minox cameras. Either they are mildly fanatical photographers that learn the benefits of having a camera available at any given moment, or those who fell into them because of an interest in espionage.

Primarily I would be the latter.

I have always been a fan of Clancey, Follet and Higgins. It wasn't even so much the intrigue as the toys. Spies always had the really "cool" stuff. I never could quite decide if I wanted to be Q designing the stuff, or Bond using them.

Even my old Radio Shack electronics set was called into service tapping my sister's phone line. Now the first words heard almost every time were, "What happened to the connection?" so, obviously the connection was anything but stealthy, but I thought it was just cool to be able to do it.

I tend to surf the internet a lot. One of these times I thought it would be interesting to learn about "those James Bond cameras", and started searching. I was floored when I found out they were not only not just a "Q" type one of a kind item, but that they were and are very available. Within a couple of months I had my first B with accessories, and grew that to a substantial collection over the ensuing years.

I have had a history that included some race photography, but other areas were of much more interest to me. I enjoy computers (well, as much as one can), and have built my own. I like to paint, draw and write, and have had my artwork published and some of my writings should be published by mid summer. I love gadgets and am always bliping, beeping or blinking and announcing the presence of some gadget or another.

In retrospect Minox photography has become a bridge between a large swath of my interests. I love the mechanical precision and small size. I use computers to edit the photos and work on my gallery, which also uses my art skills. But most of all, they are just way cool! Few things open up more opportunities to start a conversation than pulling out a Minox, and few things have as many ways to enjoy them.