Minox: Marvel in Minature

One of the more pleasant surprises contained in its pages is an interview by the author with the late Walter Zapp, inventor of the Minox camera.

Authoritative and imminently useful, if you only have one Minox book this should be the one.


Well researched, valuable resource   January 2, 2001
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book is one I found myself browsing through at length many times after purchasing it. It contains much valuable information on the various models and types of Minox cameras. The sections dealing with Walter Zapp, the inventor of the Minox, were unique, containing much information not available anywhere else. I felt the "on demand" method of publishing hurt the reproduction of the pictures in the book.


Only Real Minox Enthusiasts Will Tolerate This Book   September 9, 2000
 22 out of 25 found this review helpful

The overveiw of Walter Zapp and Minox history is the most interesting part of this book. The appendices of Walter Zapp's own thoughts on camera design and photography are quite interesting. The descriptions of the various camera models are quite useful and informative. The second half of the book, which is appropriately titled "Book 2: The User", is where it really drifts downhill. This section is mostly devoted to general and very elementary picture taking advice. Some of the instructions are just plain wrong, such as the discussion of primary and secondary colors, which are incorrectly described on pages 113 and 114. The rest is simply boring, especially chapter 13, which is devoted to darkroom technique. I can't help but think that the author, Mr. Young, felt he needed to add some fluff to this 186 page book. The overall printing quality of the book, which is paperback with black and white illustrations, is quite poor, considering it sells for $18. The photos are fuzzy and unclear, which I thought was ironic when reading "Chapter 12 : The Technique" page 129, in which the author discusses the importance of picture quality in technical photography. The copy of the book I received was cut unevenly, something I've never encountered, even in a cheap paperback. The saving grace of "Minox, Marvel in Miniature" is the portion devoted to the genius of Walter Zapp and his historic conception and development of the Minox camera. I only wish the author explored this history more fully.