I'm new to photography. I recently purchased a stylus epic based on Phil Greenspuns recommentation and was so impressed I am now looking for a high quality 35mm point and shoot with a great lens. Minox GT-E/GT-S lens has a very good buzz but I don't understand how they focus? Thank you Paul Kerfoot

-- Paul Edward Kerfoot (kerfoot1@airmail.net), January 19, 2000

Answers

Response to How is focus accomplished on minox GT-E / GT-S

The above answer is a good one. A little tip, tho', some models are available in "US" and some in metric. Which do you measure in? I have had both versions in earlier models and they fundamentally work the same, but if I failed to concentrate, distance errors occurred. The film speed settings for the meter also relate to metric or US. Nice little cameras, I still use them once in a while. Very quiet, small and very sharp lens.

-- Jeff Drew (jdrew@westlandbank.com), January 20, 2000.

Response to How is focus accomplished on minox GT-E / GT-S

Paul, good question.

There are basically the following types of focusing mechanism

1. Focusing by ground glass: large format, some medium format cameras
2. Focusing by rangefinder: Leica M6
3. Single Lens Reflex : Focusing by microprism or split image alignmment and.or ground glass
4. Autofocus: most p&s cameras, all APS cameras. Majority of SLRs.
5. Scale focusing: Minox 35mm series, Minox 8x11mm, Rollei 35,etc. You estimate the distance, then turn the lens to set that distance.

One distinction of Minox 35mm camera with Epic is the later has no depth of field scale, Minox has. You learn more about photography principles using Minox.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 20, 2000.

Response to How is focus accomplished on minox GT-E / GT-S

Thank you all for the feedback. I found martins thread on how to make a rangefinder on the back of a business card after I wrote my question. Works great, takes about 2- 3 seconds and is surprisingly accurate. Finally figured out that the numbers in the thread were probably for martins eye to eye distance and arm length so will generate one for my own dimensions, that should make it even more accurate. I Hope my purchase approach of finding a great lens first then looking at the remainder of the camera is sound. Paul Kerfoot

-- Paul Kerfoot (kerfoot1@airmail.net), January 20, 2000.

Response to How is focus accomplished on minox GT-E / GT-S

Hi Paul If You find it difficult to estimate distance then You could buy a rangefinder. I don't mean a rangefinder camera, but a little device you look into and turn a wheel until the two images become one and the scale on the wheel tells you the distance. I have only seen them an fleemarkets but then they are only 7-15 $. You can mount it in the flashbracket or just hold it in Your hand. You can also use it for training distance estimation. Guess the distance and check it with the rangefinder. The beautifull about them, is that they are most accurate at closer distances, just where you want accuracy.

-- p bekker-hansen (pbekkerh@post6.tele.dk), January 26, 2000.

I have just bought a Minox GT, I have previously used a depth of field calculator for small apertures/reasonable distance with my Olympus Trip, jotting them down on a piece of paper. A good calculator can be found at http://www.outsight.com/hyperfocal.html

-- Grant M Harrison (ustupidboy@btinternet.com), March 11, 2001.

The human eyes with a base line separation of about 70 mm is a superb rangefinder, matching the accuracy of good rangefinder camera and better than SLR and Olympus XA

To learn more about how to use your own eyes as an accurate rangefinder see How to make a rangefinder card for Minox camera

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), March 15, 2001.