EC - Minox 8x11 - introduction

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year 1981-1997
serial 2700001 ~ 2854070
lens 4 element 3 group MINOX 15mm / f/5.6
dimensions 80 x 30 x 18 mm 3-1/8 x 1-3/16 x 3/4"
weight 45g 1.6 oz
shutter 1/500 - 8s
battery 5.6V PX27 OR four 386 +ADAPTER
finish black macrolon, MINOX EC in white on the front

5 variations black, square (light meter) grey (lens cover)/ circle (light meter) [grey/black lens cover] - Minox state than no non-black versions were sold by them, until the Minox Club special edition..

Finish Meter shape lens cover Markings
black square grey  
circle grey  
circle black  
MHS logo special member's edition
blue Minox Club logo special member's edition

A kind of "poor-man's Minox" aimed at users who can't afford a Minox LX. The EC is the shortest Minox ever (same as the original Riga, but wider at 30mm), is made of black plastic and at 58 g (including battery and film) the lightest ever.  It has a f/5.6 lens with fixed focus from 1m (3-1/2 feet) to infinity, has no filter at all, and has a maximum speed of only 1/500th. Even more significantly, it has no manual mode-plus other differences from its forebears. Introduced in 1981, it is essentially a simple point-and-shoot camera. While it has relatively little in common with the other 8x11 cameras, it probably has sold a lots of Minox film!

In 1985 the window for the exposure meter was changed from a rectangular to a round shape. Since 1988 a closed EC displays a black lens cover instead of the original grey. Different package combinations were introduced. The original camera had a flash cube option in the presentation box. The EC-Exclusive set was an EC plus a subminiature electronic Minox 8x11 flash. The Minox Outdoor Combination was an EC, 8x11 flash and T8 pocket telescope.

Samples were produced in white, brown, red, blue, grey and other colours. A display case at Minox had 20 different colour samples. These were never marketed by Minox.  Morris Moses in Spy Camera claims some white versions were sold, and possibly also in brown; but Minox GmbH deny this was so. Only the 35mm AL was sold in a white painted version. 

When closed there are no dials exposed and was designed to be pocked without additional protection. The EC was supplied with a snake chain, like the other 8x11 cameras but without notches for measuring focus range. A neck cord was available as an extra and a simple slip on leather case. 

Serial numbers begin at 2700001-more than 154070 built as of 1995 when it was replaced by the improved ECX, making it the third most numerous model. New, the camera costs around $300; a package including electronic flash and other extras is about $100 more. Unless you really want a plastic fixed-focus snap shooter, you're better off getting one of the other models used for less money. However a used one is typically just over $100 and makes a very affordable introduction to the world of subminiature photography. Even seasoned Minox users like them for snapshots because they are lighter and smaller than their metal cousins. 

Not content with the choice of f5.6 and the focal point chosen by Minox owners have requested their cameras to be modified.

1) shift the lens closer to the film plane so as to shift the point of sharpest focus farther away than Minox set it. For example, move the focus point from 2 metres (the hyperfocal distance) to 3 or 4 metres in order to get a sharper image at infinity.

2) shift the lens farther away from the film plane in order to make a dedicated document copier; one might set it for the distance needed to copy one or two standard A4 pages.

3) pull the Waterhouse stop and let the lens be the f/3.5 again, the hyperfocal distance becomes about 4m (12'), same as on cameras which focus.

In October 2002 Minox made a special edition EC for members of the Minox Historical Society with the MHS logo, and included a different pouch, a wrist strap (line on the digital cameras DC1311), a small wooden box with the MHS logo, a mat (not really a mouse mat and no mouse logo but a mat with one side the Minox logo and the other a GT-E and Minox logo), the Video tape of Walter Zapp's monologue. In the original presentation box is the camera, strap, film and battery pack and four button cells.

In 2003 a stock of EC and EC Exclusive set were released for sale and in December 2003 the Minox Club Special Edition EC was sold to club members. This edition included a wooden box with Minox Club logo, desk mat, soft case and the camera itself is finished in Riga blue with the Minox Club logo and the signature of Walter Zapp on the bottom in white. Only 111 of these blue Minox EC cameras have been made.

Auction Results Ebay EC | EC Exclusive

Minox EC Ebay

* 01/05/26 189DEM grey
01/08/28 92GBP box, case, film
01/09/01 214DEM black, box, flash
01/09/06 91USD grey
* 01/09/16 147DEM grey, box, #2813480
02/02/02 86USD
02/02/09 73.51EUR
02/02/13 49.50EUR (broken)
02/02/16 61.02USD
02/02/17 73EUR box
02/02/24 66EUR
02/03/03 81USD
02/03/14 51GBP
02/03/15 163.02USD
02/03/28 79USD
02/03/28 80USD box
02/03/30 69USD box
02/04/11 73EUR
02/04/21 137.50USD
02/04/21 158.50USD
02/04/21 62.51USD
02/04/22 62.51USD
02/04/26 143.50USD
02/04/26 43EUR
02/04/27 91USD
02/04/29 51EUR
02/04/29 71.60EUR
02/05/01 102.50USD
02/05/01 60EUR
02/05/02 40.50EUR
02/05/07 51EUR
02/05/09 53EUR
02/05/14 35EUR
02/05/15 68EUR
02/05/19 83EUR box
02/05/19 83EUR
02/05/22 80GBP
02/05/28 51EUR
02/06/02 115GBP
02/06/02 43.50EUR
02/06/02 43.50EUR
02/06/02 45.50EUR
02/06/02 45.50EUR
02/06/03 50EUR
02/06/09 173.50USD 6 films
02/06/09 51USD
02/06/09 64EUR
* 02/06/09 66EUR
02/06/10 80.02EUR
02/06/11 77.01USD
02/06/12 155.05USD
02/06/14 90EUR 8x11 flash
02/06/17 61.99EUR
02/06/24 102.50USD
02/06/26 61EUR
02/06/26 70EUR
02/06/27 73.77EUR
02/06/28 56EUR
02/06/28 56EUR
02/07/03 62EUR
02/07/07 45.50EUR
02/07/07 81USD
02/07/14 81EUR
02/07/16 35.50EUR
02/07/16 36.50EUR
02/07/17 121USD
02/08/02 73EUR #2795478
02/08/06 92EUR
02/08/10 61EUR
02/08/18 69EUR
02/08/19 53EUR
02/08/19 70EUR
02/08/21 61EUR
02/08/22 40.50EUR
02/09/01 106.03EUR
02/09/04 103.50USD
02/09/17 132.50USD
02/09/18 102EUR
02/09/26 43.70EUR
02/09/26 86EUR
02/09/29 104.50USD
02/09/29 37.50EUR
02/09/29 40.50EUR
02/10/16 40.50EUR
02/10/19 100EUR
02/10/21 61.56EUR
02/10/27 60EUR
02/11/04 78EUR 90s developing tank
02/11/17 82GBP
02/11/24 157.50USD
02/11/26 111.57EUR
02/11/30 26.50EUR
02/12/05 51EUR
02/12/08 50GBP
02/12/12 94.50EUR
03/01/12 110USD
03/01/12 51EUR
03/01/13 110USD
03/03/12 66USD
03/05/30 54.10EUR
03/06/14 35.50EUR
03/06/15 42.35USD
03/06/30 31.30EUR
03/07/13 49.50EUR
03/07/19 56.15EUR
03/07/24 39.50EUR
03/09/08 95USD #2733390
03/09/10 85USD
03/09/14 15.50EUR black, box, flash
03/09/14 23EUR grey, box
03/09/14 46.51EUR grey, box
03/09/16 99USD
03/10/05 89USD boxed
03/10/12 40.50EUR
03/10/12 49.50EUR
03/10/19 44.30EUR
03/10/26 46.35EUR
03/11/02 76EUR
03/11/16 46USD
03/11/19 30.56EUR (box)
03/11/24 73.06USD
03/11/26 70USD
03/11/27 69USD
03/11/28 66.02USD
03/11/30 75.99USD
04/02/08 81USD
04/03/13 42.06EUR
04/04/14 41.06USD
04/04/14 74.99USD
04/04/19 56USD
04/06/13 66USD
04/06/14 46.67USD
04/09/04 29.99GBP #2760398
04/12/06 8.88EUR
05/01/03 10EUR
05/01/13 103.50USD
05/01/30 36GBP box
05/03/11 29.99EUR
05/04/03 53.20GBP box
05/04/05 69USD #2749182
05/05/11 82GBP
05/05/21 33.50EUR
05/06/02 53.88USD
05/06/03 30.50EUR box
05/06/06 60.59USD box
05/06/07 51.99GBP
05/06/07 61USD box
05/06/07 63.59USD box, viewer
05/06/08 69.59USD box
05/06/09 31.05EUR box
05/06/27 49.99USD box
05/06/30 51USD box
05/08/24 101.11USD
05/08/28 71USED
05/10/02 25.50EUR box
05/10/05 28.25GBP
05/10/23 114.38USD (airline pack)
05/10/24 41USD (airline pack)
05/11/04 45GBP (airline pack)
06/01/05 39.09GBP (box)
06/02/06 99EUR (airline pack)
06/02/11 21.50EUR (box)
06/02/12 52.60EUR (box)
06/02/16 36.05EUR (box)
06/02/19 22.50EUR (box)
06/03/03 41USD (box)
06/03/23 31.99GBP (box)
06/03/24 40USD (box, grey window)
06/03/30 49GBP (box, cube)
06/04/29 29EUR (combi case and 8x11 flash)
06/04/29 50USD (box, cube)
06/06/10 45USD (box, cube)
06/08/23 57USD (box, cube)
06/10/07 59.99USD (box, cube)
06/11/05 55.50USD (cube)
07/03/05 32GBP
07/03/18 26.10EUR (box, cube unit)
07/04/24 30EUR (box, cube unit)
07/08/11 97/76USD (box, cube unit)
07/12/19 56.55USD (box, cube unit)
08/01/13 25.50GBP (box, cube unit)
08/08/14 37.56USD (cube unit, film)

Minox EC Exclusive Ebay

02/02/17 101EUR box
02/04/13 112EUR
02/04/14 91EUR
02/05/12 58.50EUR
02/08/10 111EUR
* 02/08/18 104EUR
* 02/08/25 113EUR #2844356
* 02/11/03 56EUR
03/09/26 67EUR
03/09/27 67EUR
03/09/30 69.99EUR
03/11/18 61EUR
04/02/04 104.77USD
04/06/21 57.70EUR
04/12/01 47EUR
05/02/23 41.63EUR
05/03/28 133.50USD (1988)
05/03/28 152.50USD (1988)
05/03/28 76USD (1981)
06/02/03 58EUR
06/02/07 51.55EUR
08/01/20 51.01EUR
08/01/24 40.50EUR

Minox EC Outdoor Kombi
Ebay 2007/01/14 170EUR


Last Updated on 28th September 2008