Minox Film Loading Jig
MIN-O-MATIC, the Minox Film Loading Jig, is designed to simplify the process of loading film into Minox cassettes. It provides a stable and secure platform, minimizing the risk of damage to the delicate components of your Minox camera’s film cassettes. This jig is essential for any Minox enthusiast, ensuring efficient and reliable film loading, saving you time and preventing costly mistakes.
Description
Load your Minox film cassettes with ease: MIN-O-MATIC allows you to handle delicate Minox cassettes without risking damage. The MIN-O-MATIC will come in clear bright colours to help spot the cassette’s components on the board. It could be yellow, white, green, azure, ornage… It depends on what materials I have available at the moment of printing… If you have any colour preference, just let me know in the order’s note and I’ll do what’s possible 🙂
Instructions for Use:
Follow these step-by-step instructions to load Minox film into its cassette. For a clearer understanding of the entire process, refer to the video at the bottom of this page.
- Preparation:
- Disassemble the Minox cassette into its components: cap, spool, and spool cap.
- Place the components in the designated slots on the jig.
- Place the main part (cassette) in the loading slot.
- Film Insertion (in darkroom or changing bag):
- Carefully coil up the film so it is small enough to fit into the film cassette. Hold the edges of the film between finger and thumb and gently tighten it up (worth practising it in the light beforehand with a length of spare film)
- Slide the film leader through the cassette’s thin gate while you put the film in the .
- Place the cap on the cassette and secure it with tape.
- Spool-film Attachment:
- Place the cassette into the Cartridge Slot with the protruding film leader uppermost.
- Correctly orientate the spool and attach it the end of the film with tape (recommend tape on both sides). The Cartridge Slot will hold the cassette still for you when you do this.
- Final Assembly:
- Return the cassette with the spool taped to the end of the film to the LOADING Slot – this will hold it securely while you carefully slide the film through the take-up spool’s film gate. It helps to have a couple of centimetres of film to play with as it can be a bit tricky to manoeuvre the spool and film.
- With the spool and film in place, put the cap on the take up spool – it helps to use a pair of tweezers to centre the spool under the cap.
- Secure the cassette again with tape.
Benefits
Protection: The jig minimizes the risk of breaking the cassette’s fragile plastic bridge.
Organization: Keeps all the small Minox cassette components organized during the loading process.
Stability: Provides a stable base for easier film loading, especially in the dark.
Additional Tips
- Work in a darkroom or use a Dark Changing Bag
- Handle Minox cassettes with care due to their fragility.
- Secure the cassette caps with tape to prevent them from popping off accidentally.
This product is developed in collaboration with Andrew Long
Andrew Long (www.andrewlong.info) is a keen amateur photographer, based in the southwest of the UK. After a career in marketing, he relocated to Cornwall and began writing, having several books published on the history of the Cold War. Since picking up a film camera again in 2024, Andrew is seldom without one in his pocket or bag, shooting exclusively film across a variety of formats, but enjoys the challenges of sub-miniature photography, shooting 8×11 Minox, 16mm, and 110 in a growing collection of vintage cameras. Wishing to take the process from start to finish, Andrew is a big fan of the Camerhack MINICUTTER and uses it to slit down 35mm to Minox and 16mm/110. He also develops, scans, and prints from his negatives.
In this video Andrew shows his self made jig that inspired the MIN-O-MATIC. The operations are very well described so it’s strongly suggested to watch it more than reading the rest of the page 🙂
Hook up with Andrew: andrewlong.info/photography, facebook.com/andrewlongbooks or instagram.com/andrew_long_books
SHIPMENT methods and times
You can select the preferred shipping method at the checkout page. Usually the kits are shipped within a couple of weeks: all kits are produced in small batches, assembled and tested one by one. Check the FAQ Â page for details.
