Minox
German camera manufacturer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Minox (pronounced /ˈmiːnɒks/ MEE-noks) is a manufacturer of cameras, known especially for its subminiature camera.
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Industry | cameras, binoculars and other optical equipment |
---|---|
Founded | 1945 |
Founder | Walter Zapp |
Headquarters | Wetzlar, Germany |
Key people | Wolfgang Venzl |
Number of employees | approx. 30 |
Website | www.minox.com |
The first product to carry the Minox name was a subminiature camera, conceived in 1922, and finally invented and produced in 1936, by Baltic German Walter Zapp.[1] The Latvian factory VEF (Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika) manufactured the camera from 1937 to 1943.[2] After World War II, the camera was redesigned and production resumed in Germany in 1948.[2] Walter Zapp originally envisioned the Minox to be a camera for everyone requiring only little photographic knowledge. Yet in part due to its high manufacturing costs the Minox became more well known as a must-have luxury item.[citation needed] From the start the Minox also gained wide notoriety as a spy camera.[3]
Minox branched out into 35 mm film format and 110 film format cameras in 1974 and 1976, respectively. Minox continues to operate today, producing or branding optical and photographic equipment.