Photo by Ed Romney
Minox B
"Here is a Minox neg I scanned by Sprint Scan and printed on computer. They seem sharper than those I've enlarged. I used a Minox B with Plus X film for the old German hotel at Bacharach, taken in 1983. The camera is good but the real secret is in scanning the neg with a Polaroid Sprint Scan and processing by Adobe Photoshop. Digital processing avoids all losses from lenses in enlargers, including flare, vague focusing, film bulge etc. Also Photoshop corrects contrast and allows dodging. It will also increase definition by refining the image with a control called sharpening. In addition it will give view cameras type movements with a perspective control. As originally shot, this image converged towards the top since Minox has no view camera movements. Secrets with Minox use I find include: not exposing too much, holding very steady, and using a green filter with BW film. But the real secret is mounting the Minox neg in a 2 x 2 slide and putting it in the Sprint Scan. I find this system gives quite ordinary and very small cameras a new functionality. Specifically you can now do about ANYTHING with 35mm and smaller. Note my 100x enlargement from a 1937 Leica with Russian lens in my web page, http://www.edromney.com . That old Leica also did the tools picture in the website . I must correct color again on that one when I get a chance..it is too pink. Nikon 35mm scanners are good too. The HP and Minolta scanners are weak compared to the best. Photoshop is the only photo program to use. I find the LE version fine."
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