My Dad bought his Minox 35 GL from Randall Cox (Photographic) Ltd. in Hight Street Arcade, Cardiff on 11th June 1979. The camera, serial number 4043973, cost £126.40 and he paid an additional £10.26 for the leather case, a total of £136.66.

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According to the Office for National Statistics, the pound experienced an average inflation rate of 4.20% per year between 1979 and 2017. Prices in 2017 are 376.7% higher than prices in 1979. In other words, £136.66 in the year 1979 is equivalent to £651.41 in 2017.

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Two years later he returned to Randall Cox (Photographic) Ltd. and bought a Minox 35 PL also.

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The reason for Dads (expensive) fascination with these cameras is that he loved great engineering; good cameras are by their very nature wonderful pieces of engineering and the Minox range of 35mm compact cameras where at the time the smallest full frame 35mm cameras ever made (only the 1996 Minolta TC-1 is smaller) - they must have had an irresistible allure for Dad, though I think at the time I would have rather had a new racer bike instead of following after my friends on a second hand Raleigh Chipper as they raced off into the distance...

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Nevertheless, here we are with an inherited Minox 35 GL that followed the Minox 35 EL in Minox's successful range of 35mm compact cameras. The lens retracts into the camera body when closed, fully opening the cover activates the battery. Different models in the Minox 35 range were identified by shutter release buttons in differing colours: the GL is quickly identified by its orange shutter release button.

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Like other compact cameras of the time the Minox 35 mm ranges used to use PX27 mercury 5.6V batteries, they are not available now. The replacement silver cell battery S27PX is 6 volts. apparently this doesn't make much difference.

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(S27Px batteries are not easy to find, I got mine from the Small Battery Company.)

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Its a fascinating little camera, I really do get it (and Dad's fascination with them). I haven't shot with this camera yet, but when I do I will update this page.