My Dad bought this, his second Minox 35mm compact from Randall Cox (Photographic) Ltd. in Hight Street Arcade, Cardiff sometime in the early 1980's.

 

The Minox 35 PL continued Minox's successful range of 35mm compact cameras, which at the time (and until 1996) were the smallest full-frame 35mm cameras ever made. The lens retracts into the camera body when closed, fully opening the cover activates the battery. Different models in the Minox 35 range are identified by shutter release buttons in differing colours: the PL is identified by its green shutter release button.

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The PL's novel feature is its automatic exposure, using the 'A" setting on the aperture ring. Previous Minox 35 models had aperture priority exposure, the PL's aperture settings are only used for flash photography. The camera also features an electronic self-timer, with a flashing LED above the camera's name. Another change to previous models is the siting of the cable release socket to the side of the shutter release button, to prevent accidental triggering of the shutter.

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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, which I have just started to shoot with, its very easy to use and unobtrusive, but I haven't seen the results yet...

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