Minox Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Process Minox film?

Yes - enthusiastically. Blue Moon Camera and Machine is dedicated to processing and printing Minox subminiature films, both BW and color, for the very, very long term. Many of our staff are carrying and actively shooting Minox cameras, so it is certainly in our best interest to keep our work flow flowing. As with all of our lab processes, your work is handled in the same manner as our own.

How much does it cost?

The management of Blue Moon Camera does not feel that shooting with your Minox spy camera should be a rarified or exotic experience. We keep the subminiature print pricing schedule in line with that of our standard 35mm processing and printing.

To wit:

B&W = $6.50 to process the film (by hand) and $0.45 per print

Color= $4.00 to process the film (by machine) and $0.45 per print

Unlike most of our services, the proofing of Minox film is limited to two options. Our standard print is the unique and compelling presentation print. Our exclusive proof looks like this:

This print has a perimeter of five inches by five inches and an image size of 2 and 1/4 inches by 3 and 1/4 inches.

Our latest print size is the only machine enlargement available and looks like this:

This print has a perimeter of five inches by seven inches and an image size of 3 1/4 inches by 4 3/4 inches. These cost $1.00 per print if you have us print one of each at the time of development. Reprints follow along with the rest of our 5x7s, starting at $3.00 per print.

While we strongly recommend a nice matte finish, we do offer a high-gloss paper service, although those seeking the glossy paper will want to allow a bit more time for the return of their prints.

Black and white film is printed on color paper in a lovely, old fashioned warm tone style which looks like this:

Or this:

Do I have any other enlargement options?

Any Minox print which requires a larger than normal print size, or requires special by-hand treatment, can be handled through our By-hand darkroom services. Please refer to the By-hand section of our price schedule for the appropriate fees, and kindly allow a bit of extra time (generally about two weeks once the film has reached us) for turn around.

What kind of prints are these?

As with most of our printing services, Blue Moon Camera is proud to offer completely optical, non-digital printing from Minox negatives. We feel that working with lenses and chemistry still provides the highest quality prints. Even our machine proofs fall into this category. Forty-five cents will provide you with a lovely print produced by light passing through a lens, massaged to perfection by a dedicated human printer.

That’s nice, but can you put my film on CD?

We can. While we believe that our optical prints offer the most appealing product from a Minox negative, we recognize the occasional need for a digital copy. Our Minox scan looks like this:

Photo courtesey of Jay Rochlin. Click for full size.

Please see our Digital Scanning page for scan pricing and other details.

How long does it take?

Our lab always strives to fulfill all orders within one week of receiving your film. If you will kindly allow two weeks for the film to travel door to door, you should be pleasantly surprised. Remember, we may ask for up to a full extra week when fulfilling glossy proofing or darkroom orders.

How should I ship the film? How much does the return freight cost?

It is imperative that Minox cassettes are handled very delicately, as they are, well…delicate. Please do not expect successful shipping if you drop an exposed cassette in a regular envelope – they tend to, at best, be crushed and at worst be removed altogether. The cassette, in it’s factory provided “coffin”, should be bubble wrapped and shipped in a rigid container for maximum protection.

Return shipping: For most orders within the continental US, we utilize the USPS Priority Mail service. This costs a flat rate of $6.50 and is safe and more importantly, trackable. This box (roughly 5x7 in size) will easily hold two or three completed rolls of processing, plus a couple of unexposed films, should you need any shipped along. International customers, or those with large orders will kindly inquire for an accurate shipping quote.

Can I still get film?

The nice people at Minox Germany have pointedly explained their long term dedication to the 8x11 subminiature format, as it is synonymous with their corporate identity. They continue to prove this by providing firms such as ours with four different film emulsions in factory loaded cassettes: 100 and 400 speed BW films, and 100 and 400 speed color films.

Am I crazy? Are these cameras any good?

You’re not crazy – quite the contrary, your interest in Minox cameras and their usage goes a long way to proving how discriminating a photographic consumer you really are. The Minox cameras themselves, particularly those of the vintage variety, are the high watermark of twentieth century photographic industrial design. Incredibly sharp optics installed into an elegant and reliable camera that is easily hidden (or carried) anywhere make for one of our favorite cameras ever, past or present.

Furthermore, the best photographer in the world is powerless without a camera. The Minox system allows you to make sure that you never venture forth unarmed.