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MINOX BINOCULAR PHOTOGRAPHY
A Minox Memo historical reprint.
First published:Series 1, Volume 9, Number 1. Winter 1971
Note: The following is a Minox Memo Historical reprint. For a more
recent article on Minox binocular photography, be sure to view Peter
Zimmerman's article Tele-Minox: Using the Minox with Binoculars
at http://www.Minoxlab.com
The simplicity in using a Minox camera with a pair of binoculars
to take telescopic pictures has given owners many happy hours of
enjoyment. For the Minoxer already in possession of a pair of binoculars,
he need only purchase the Minox Telephoto Binocular Clamp to permit
incredible photos of distant subjects.
With the binocular clamp, you can attach the Minox to any pair of
binoculars. The 6 x 30, central-focus type seems to be the most
convenient. They are light enough to take hand-held exposures. The
larger sizes, 7 x 35 and 7 x 50, can be rather cumbersome for hand-held
shots, while the more powerful binoculars will be found to be most
unsatisfactory unless mounted on tripods.
The numbers on each pair of binoculars, tell you two important characteristics
of the instrument; its degree of magnification and its light gathering
power. The first number tells the amount of magnification. For example:
with a 6 x 30 pair of binoculars, the object is brought 6 times
closer. The second number, 30, denotes the, diameter of the front
lens.
The focal length of the Minox is equal to 15mm and when multiplied
by the enlarging factor of the 6 x 30 pair of binoculars the focal
length is extended to 90mm.
With this arrangement, the camera and binoculars combination will
have a converted focal length of 90mm and an aperture of f 3.5.
This is truly a powerful combination. The relatively fast lens aperture
allows you to make use of the slow, finest grain films, or to be
able to use films like Plus-X at shutter speeds of 1/1000 of a second.
You can be fully equipped to take telephoto pictures in doors or
outdoors at major sporting events, to take pictures on hunting trips,
or to engage in super candid photography.
The binocular clamp is attached to the fixed eyepiece, when using
the 6 x 30 central wheel focusing. If using binoculars with individual
eyepiece focusing the camera can be attached to either eyepiece.
In either case the outer plastic ring on the eyepiece to be used,
must be removed. The lens of the Minox must be as close as possible
to the ocular lens of the binocular. If you do not re move this
eyepiece ring, the distance between the lens of the camera and the
ocular will be too great and your negative will show only a small
circular image instead of a full picture.
Before attaching your Minox to the binocular clamp, be certain that
the distance dial is set at infinity.
To focus with the 6 x 30 center-focusing pair of binoculars, set
the eyepiece to be used as the viewfinder at the zero mark. In cases
of visual defects you can adjust the eyepiece up to 2 or 3 diopters
in either direction to compensate for the individual.
The best method of focusing is to run a bracketed series of test
exposures. Turn the central focusing wheel until your image appears
perfectly sharp. Make a test exposure for this setting and then
take 2 or 3 exposures at additional points to the left and to the
right of your first exposure, these additional settings should be
about an 1/8 inch apart.
Because of the added distance from the binocular lens to the lens
of the Minox there is normally a loss of light in the lenses and
prisms of the binoculars. This varies with the particular binoculars
being used. To compensate for this, exposure time must be extended.
This is most effectively determined by actual tests for comparison.
Normally the exposure period is prolonged 1 1/2 to 2 times. For
example, if a reading called for a shutter speed of 200, you would
use 100.
Oddly enough we found that with some binoculars it was only necessary
to ex tend the exposure time by 25% using ASA 25 film and in recent
tests with Minocolor ASA 80, we found that there was no need to
compensate at all. Excellent results were obtained relying solely
on the readings obtained by the Minox B exposure meter and the automatic
setting on the Minox C. Compensation with the Minox C can be made
by setting the film ASA indicator one dot lower. For example, if
ASA 25 film was being used the ASA dial should be set to ASA 20.
Excellent results were obtained with taking pictures of objects
at a distance of 150 yards or more by simply leaving the central
focus wheel and the right ocular (viewfinder) on the 0" mark.
This, of course, will differ with the individual and we strongly
suggest running a bracketed series of test exposures.
The camera and binoculars should be held firmly and a cable release
should be used. The use of a tripod whenever possible is, of course,
very desirable and is a necessity when using larger and more powerful
binoculars.
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