A bit of Minox history from 1978: Project 645

[Jeroen]

Hmm, this camera definitely would have been an interesting piece of machinery - especially when you see the Minox board's "wish list" from around 1978:

FILM: 120 roll film (16 exposures), nominal size 4,5x6 cm.

FOCAL LENGTH: 60-65 mm.

MAX. APERTURE: 2,8.

EXPOSURE: Aperture priority with automatic electronic shutter and shutter speed indicator in the viewfinder.

RANGEFINDER: Dual image, better still, split image range finder.

VIEWFINDER: Bright frame viewfinder with automatic parallax balance, rangefinder measuring field, time and shutter indication.

SIZE: Flat, flat, flat (max. 45 mm greatest thickness, better 42 mm). The camera should easily fit into the side- or inner pocket of a normal man's jacket. Very rounded edges.

BODY: Matte-black varnished synthetic material like the 35EL, no leathering or scarring.

WEIGHT: 300-350gr.

PRODUCTION COST: DM 250-300 at a rate of 25,000 - 30,000 pieces per year.​

It was never put in production, but with a funky Tessar it would have been great competition in the rangefinder market... Minox, if you're reading this - you still have the sketches, right?

 

[Jeroen]

It does make one think, by the way: how difficult would it be to build a flat 645 rangefinder like this one all by yourself? I've seen crazier projects on Photo.net (Huw Finney!) Besides, only Fuji and Bronica have built 645 rangefinders. Or?

 

[Photar]

Besides, only Fuji and Bronica have built 645 rangefinders. Or?

Plaubel in Frankfurt/Germany used to produce a 6x4.5cm folder with coupled rangefinder called Roll-Op II in 1935 for type 120 roll film. The camera had a fixed 2.8/7.5cm Plaubel Anticomar lens in Compur shutter and was very small. I guess there were other 645 rangefinders in pre-WWII Germany.

 

[jlw]

I guess there were other 645 rangefinders in pre-WWII Germany.

I'm sure we'll be hearing from all the Zeiss Super Ikonta A owners as soon as they recover from their fits of coughing and spitting in indignation...

 

[jlw]

Besides, only Fuji and Bronica have built 645 rangefinders. Or?

Don't forget the Konica Pearl series. The Pearl IV was one of the most sophisticated rollfilm folders ever: along with automatic film stop and film loading (no red window required) it had a coupled rangefinder with projected frames for parallax compensation and field size correction. I don't believe a projected-frame finder ever made it into any of the German rollfilm folders -- or anybody else's, for that matter, until the Fuji GS645 came along.

I believe there also were coupled-rangefinder folders from Minolta and Olympus, among others, in the 645 size; often these have "semi" in their model names, probably because the frame size was half of the 6x9cm dimension that was the original standard for 120 rollfilm cameras.

 

[Jeroen]

Hmm, I was referring to modern manufacturers, ofcourse... Anyway, the description sounds like a crossover between a Minox 35 and a Plaubel Makina 67. With a Xenotar 2,8/62, ofcourse. Too bad they had these troubles with the electronics.

 

[P C Headland]

I would love a Minox 645. If they managed to keep the same principle as the 35GT series, scaled up the very good lens to cover 6x4.5 and added a CRF, I'd definitely buy one!

 

[Pherdinand]

There was also a Welta model of 645, i think. And some more, less known brands, like Ensign (Selfix Someting-20?) ...

 

[rbiemer]

Hmm, this camera definitely would have been an interesting piece of machinery - especially when you see the Minox board's "wish list" from around 1978...
It was never put in production, but with a funky Tessar it would have been great competition in the rangefinder market... Minox, if you're reading this - you still have the sketches, right?

The article mentions PICTURES but they don't seem to be part of that page?
How about sending this idea off to Voightlaender?
I'm not ordinarily a fan of 6x45 but this one I could go for!
Rob