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The Minox, the archetypal sub-miniature camera, was invented by the engineer Walter Zapp of Riga, Latvia, in 1936. Production in Riga at VEF ran from 1937/1938 until 1944. After WWII, production was re-started in Germany from 1948.
Although primarily marketed as a luxury item, the Minox was also used as an espionage camera. Its close-focusing lens and small size made it perfect for covert uses such as surveillance or document copying. The Minox was used by both Axis and Allied intelligence agents during World War II. Later versions were used well into the 1980s. The Soviet spy John A. Walker Jr., whose actions against the US Navy cryptography programs represent some of the most compromising intelligence actions against the United States during the Cold War era, used a Minox C to photograph documents and ciphers. The espionage use of the Minox has been memorialized by Hollywood movies, and some Minox marketing efforts played up the "spy camera" story in an effort to boost sales.
The Minox cameras use a small cartridge of 9.5mm film, one-quarter the size of 35mm, capable of holding up to 50 frames.
 Minox subminiature "spy" camera Minox 8x11 camera models
- I
- II
- III
- IIIc
- B - ultralight aluminium shell, produced from 1958 to 1972
- C - introduced in 1969, used by spy John A. Walker, Jr.
- LX - electronic
- EC
- ECX, replacing EC
- TLX, tantanium coated
- CLX, chrome plated
The earlier mechanical cameras are collector's items. Newer electronic versions, such as the Minox LX, remain in production yet today, essentially unchanged in general features since the 1970s.
Other products
Minox has also made a very compact plastic bodied 35 mm camera series,
Minox EL, 1974
MINOX GL, 1979/81
MINOX GT 1981/91
MINOX GT-Golf 1984
MINOX GT-E 1988/1993
MINOX GSE 1991/1994
MINOX PL 1982/83
MINOX 35ML 1985/1995
MINOX AL 1987/88
MINOX AF 1988/90
MINOX MB 1986/99
MINOX MB Touring 1900
MINOX Goldknopf 1991/93
MINOX MDC 1992/95
MINOX MDC Collection 1993/1994
MINOX GT-X 1998/1999
MINOX GT-E(II) 1998/2001
as well as 110 film cameras. Recently, Minox introduced a line of compact binoculars and a range of digital cameras and Classic cameras
Minox Leica IIIf, Minox Leica M3, Minox Leica Rolleiflex TLR 2.8, Minox Hasselblad SWC
Company
After a management buyout in August 2001 and a reduction of Leica-held shares down to 49%, Minox is no longer a division of the Leica company.
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