tripods | tripod attachments | Riga ball | Riga rotating | 3/8" | 3/8" lock | 50s fur grey | 50s grey blue | 50s grey blue white | 50s grey off white | 60s | 60s black wheel | 60s long arm | 70s | LX | small fixed stud
After a flash unit the most popular accessory for a Minox is the Minox tripod with tripod attachment. Besides a number house style changes in packaging there have been subtle changes in the tripod itself.
The tripod attachment was first made for the Riga. Lacking any anchor point the camera can only be used vertical or upside down and so resting on the adjustable arm that holds and places the cable release over the shutter release button on the camera. There are two forms of tripod adapters made for the Riga, both of stainless steel and having a 3/8" tripod bush.
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The first post war tripod attachments have a smaller tripod bush, still 3/8" and are made of aluminium. The cradle was increased in size a little to provide extra support and the arm now has a cross bar that extends in front of the camera and gives a counter point for the pressure put on the release button by the cable release. It was not until the mid-50s that the locking device was added. This is a knurled screw that uses the camera's chain socket to fix to the camera. The camera can now be used in any position to take the photograph. |
| During the 1950s a small aluminium tripod bush with a fix stud to lock the camera chain to was made. This is similar to the first form of the cold shoe. It is un-marked and not documented in any of the Minox prices lists, brochures or authoritative books published on Minox cameras. | |
| The Minox C uses long filters that cover the lens and light meter cell. To allow the tripod to be used with these filters the tripod attachment arm was moved to the back of the camera. The cross bar for the cable release now comes from the back and is longer. The tripod case from this period where made larger to accommodate the new tripod attachment. The knurling knob was changed from aluminium to black plastic. | |
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On the LX a normal 1/4"-20 socket was added so that the camera will attach to any tripod BUT you still need a black plastic adapter to the cable release in place. The shutter release button on the LX is in a different position requiring new binocular attachment and copy stand head. Instead of modifying the tripod attachment in the same way a new plastic holder for the cable release was made for the LX. |
The packaging for the tripod attachments followed the house style. The earliest tripod attachments were in black boxes with silver edges. The top row (below) has the 1950/60s grey boxes. The first has a fur type finish and the Minox eye logo is in gold. The grey boxes have a blue band around the edges. The earlier form is blue has a blue interior, then just a blue with a white interior. The later grey box has an off white interior.
The 60s style (second row, below) bluish green boxes display a diagram of the tripod attachment on the top. During this period the aluminium thumb wheel lock was changed to a black plastic one.
The long arm version, associated with the Minox C's use of long clip on filters first appeared in this style box. The colour is a stronger blue. The final version, the 1970s style bright blue with a photograph of the tripod attachment on the top.
The photographs below show the progression of the thumb wheel version of tripod attachment from the 3/8" thread through to the long arm version for the Minox C.
In the middle of the arm is a folded over piece. This braces against the side of the camera. The earliest forms have a wider piece and the last form none at all. The Minox eye logo did not appear on the attachment until later; on the second 1/4" screw thread version.
Last Updated on 25th October 2005