The Minox daylight developing tank holds one 50 exposure roll of film and just 56 ml of solution, and can be used in ordinary room light throughout the loading and developing process. The developing tank has three main parts: the drum, the sealing ring and the tank. The drum screws into the sealing ring, the end of the film hooks onto the drum, the film cassette goes inside a compartment in the sealing ring, and the sealing ring goes onto the tank. The interior of the tank is light tight. Turning the drum pulls the film from the cassette in total darkness and the film spirals, emulsion side out, around the drum as the drum screws into the tank. With 36 exposure rolls of film the drum does not go all the way into the tank. The tank is still light tight, but it uses about 10 ml more solution because the drum doesn't completely fill the interior of the tank. To help reduce developer waste, Minox had a doughnut shaped stop ring to take up the extra space. Once the film is loaded the chemicals for processing film may be poured into the tank. A thermometer inserted into the top of the drum monitors the temperature and serves as an agitator rod. Moving the thermometer up and down pumps the solutions around the film. After the film is processed and washed in the tank, the sealing ring is removed and the film is unwound from the drum and hung up to dry. The negatives are then cut into strips for filing in negative sleeves. Minox made an enlarger capable of making 11x14 inch prints from an 8x11 mm negative, a 30 times enlargement.
Tank, Drum, Sealing Ring and Stop Ring
Film Hooked to Drum
Assembled and Ready for Processing
Minox had many accessories for sub-miniature camera photography. There are more episodes to come.
From a negative developed in a Minox daylight developing tank.
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