Subminiature photography

In miniature cameras are photographic cameras with an aspect ratio less than about 2 cm edge length.

• 3.1 Minox 8 mm × 11 mm
• 3.2 16 mm film
• 3.3 Type 110
• 3.4 Disc Film
• 3.5 Digital Sensors

• 4.1 Size and Weight
• 4.2 cost
• 4.3 Depth of field
• 4.4 Image Quality

History

The (not yet standardized ) miniature cameras of the 1850s often used photographic plates with a side length of 2.5 cm, such as the apparatus of Thomas Skaife (1858 ) and Charles Piazzi Smyth (1859 ff.) These negatives were - which at that time was completely unusual - enlarged.

Camera types

Point & Shoot Cameras

Analog miniature cameras are almost invariably offered as a viewfinder camera. With digital viewfinder cameras, it is often possible to use the viewfinder instead of the rear display.

Single-lens reflex cameras

With Minolta and Pentax Asahi offered only two manufacturers in a single-lens reflex camera pocket, for the other types of film there was no lens reflex cameras. The two models found in professional circles a great deal of attention and then even a modest distribution. However, they remained the exception.

Movies and formats

Minox 8 mm × 11 mm

The Minox 8x11 cameras for the size 8 mm × 11 mm are especially true miniature cameras, strictly speaking, one would again between this and 16 mm cameras are different, the jump from the small format 24 mm × 36 mm for Pocket movie is in fact as large as the Pocket format for Minox. Not only the size but also the film itself is extremely small, its width is 9.5 mm. This is especially for spy applications of importance to transport it possible undetected can. In private hands, the Minox system has only been used by some amateur enthusiasts, but it has found over many years a constant modest distribution.

16 mm film

In the early 1960s, several cameras were used for the 16 -mm cine film on the market. However, this format was not widely prevalent and came with the publication of the Pocket film into oblivion. This was because Kodak did not offer film cartridges for it. So Rollei had for his Rollei 16 self assemble and distribute films. Another well-known German camera is the Edixa 16, she used the same cartridge according to the DIN standard 19022nd Both cameras exposed the format of 12 mm × 16 mm. Originally double sided perforated film was used, the assembled themselves, allowance had to be wrapped by a cine-camera reel. Minolta introduced in 1970 a pre-assembled cartridge with 16- mm film, which also used the recording format 12 × 16 mm.

Type 110

By 1972 presented by Kodak Pocket film miniature cameras were very fashionable, this film with the format of 13 mm × 17 mm was extremely widespread in the 1970s, which then changed again during the following decade. He had a considerable importance not only for entry-level cameras, but also for those of the middle price range by 300 DM.

Disc Film

Kodak tried using the disc film, a disc-shaped film with an image size of 8 mm × 10 mm to revive the idea of ​​the pocket camera new, but it remained at a barely significant success in the 1980s. In contrast to the Pocket film also very few camera manufacturers have purchased a license, sophisticated models there was absolutely not to buy, so this film for amateur photographers gained no meaning.

Digital sensors

Since large digital sensors are expensive to produce, the first consumer digital cameras published in pocket format. They found very quickly widespread and today account for the largest share among the cameras from. Forerunner of the digital cameras were the still video cameras of the outgoing 1980s, she recorded an analog signal to a floppy disk on.

Properties

Size and weight

In upscale miniature cameras the size plays a significant role, they are complicated constructed on the smallest possible dimensions. Simpler models, especially the standard pocket cameras of the 1970s are only to some extent, but not extreme kept small. With the digital cameras, manufacturers usually offer two product lines, for an extremely small cameras which take the position of pocket cameras, and some larger models that can be operated mostly easier to have a swiveling display and be equipped with a filter holder for the lens can.

Costs

Analog miniature cameras are both in the acquisition as well as in the operating costs at the level of film cameras. Only for extreme miniaturization to a surcharge is required, this is especially true for the Minox cameras. For the digital cameras for micro image sensors are less expensive than for a small image which, consequently also applies to the entire camera. Again, however, extremely small cameras are a bit more expensive.

Depth of field

Miniature cameras possess due to the short focal length lenses of their invariably a large depth of field, it is almost impossible with them to make the background stand out by blurring the foreground. On the other hand, are easy to make widely separated objects in focus simultaneously, which effects are possible, is not to think of that already in the case of miniature cameras. The large depth of field allows also easy to be content with an approximate focus.

Image quality

With its pocket format, only a limited picture quality is naturally possible, but already reached an amazing level with careful work. The answer is that it is possible objectives for a small image circle with a particularly high resolution design. The Minox cameras, the extremely small recording format has only one for prints in the format of about 13 cm × 18 cm sufficient resolution. When used as a spy camera so a special processed film is used, which has an extremely high contrast, so again are no shades of gray, but is extremely high resolution.

Areas of application

Miniature cameras can be hardly used really universal, most are optimized for their size.

As a compact, winking and Always - case solution for snapshots, most of the ready-made for the type -110- film cameras are well suited. For the wide dissemination of the similarity may have contributed to the spy cameras from Minox and the most robust, handbag suitable model and size. In the long run, the compact film camera with sometimes only slightly larger design thanks flash, zoom and movies was superior.

But even for system camera Pentax auto 110 was not a comprehensive lens range. However, this has no technical reasons, it would be quite possible to develop a comprehensive system. Advantage miniature cameras are the use of binoculars or telescopes, with an adapter they work it very well. While toy cameras are both to be found in the 110 format as well as in regular format 135, disposable cameras appear to remain the domain of the more common 35mm format.