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Minox Copy Stand
Document photography aid

As real Minox spy cameras have a minimum focussing distance of 20 cm, they are ideal for making close-ups of documents. In real life however, documents are generally photographed in the dim conditions of, say, an office. Such low-light environments would require the use of additional lighting (e.g. flash lights) or a longer exposure time. The latter attracts the least attention, but requires the camera to be steady for the duration of the exposure.

A possible solution to this problem is the Minox Copy Stand, shown in the image on the right. It consists of six main parts: four legs, a shutter release cable, and a camera bracket. The camera bracket is already mounted to the actual head of the copy stand. It's a black metal disc with 4 holes for the legs and a rectangular hole at the center, through which the camera can 'see' the document.

The camera is locked inside the bracket using the latch of the measuring chain. The shutter release cable is mounted to the bracket.
  
The copy stand in action, photographing an A6-size document.

The four legs are telescopic and consist of three parts each. They can be extended by releasing the screws at the end of each section. The minimum height of the copy stand is 20 cm, which exactly matches the minimum focusing distance of the Minox camera. When all legs are fully extended, the maximum height of 55 cm is reached, ideal for photographing A4+ documents.

The middle section of each leg has three carved marks (rigs). They allow the stand to be extended to a fixed pre-determined height. When extending a leg, you can feel a slight 'click' when it reaches a mark. At the end of each leg is a rubber foot to stabilize the copy stand.

The 6 parts that make the copy stand
Camera bracket and head
Camera bracket and head
One of the legs mounted to the head
Two legs: one half-extended, the other in the shortest position.
Three markers (rigs) in the middle section of the legs
Shutter release cable fitting
Shutter release
A Minox B camera mounted on top of the copy stand. Close-up of the shutter release cable.
The camera window
A Minox B camera fitted on the copy stand.
Frontal view of the copy stand at 20 cm height.
Frontal view of the copy stand in action. The release cable is used to control the shutter.
The copy stand in action, photographing an A6-size document.
The copy stand with the middle section of the legs extended. Ready to copy an A5-size document.
Copying an A5 document
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The 6 parts that make the copy stand
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Camera bracket and head
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Camera bracket and head
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One of the legs mounted to the head
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Two legs: one half-extended, the other in the shortest position.
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Three markers (rigs) in the middle section of the legs
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Shutter release cable fitting
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Shutter release
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A Minox B camera mounted on top of the copy stand. Close-up of the shutter release cable.
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The camera window
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A Minox B camera fitted on the copy stand.
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Frontal view of the copy stand at 20 cm height.
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Frontal view of the copy stand in action. The release cable is used to control the shutter.
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The copy stand in action, photographing an A6-size document.
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The copy stand with the middle section of the legs extended. Ready to copy an A5-size document.
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Copying an A5 document

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© Crypto Museum. Created: Friday 02 April 2010. Last changed: Tuesday, 13 June 2017 - 07:59 CET.
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