Introduced in 1969, the Model C is unique in several respects: it was the longest subminiature camera Minox produced, and the heaviest at that time, due to the addition of a PX-27 battery needed to power it's built in, fully coupled CdS exposure metre. The metre was coupled to an extremely accurate electronic shutter, providing totally automatic exposure control for the first time, along with a slightly reduced range of user selectable shutter speeds. The Model C was also the first, and only , model that had it's 3 control knobs all located on the top deck of the camera (focus, shutter speed and film speed knobs); subsequent models would relocate the film speed control on the bottom deck, returning to the more traditional styling. The dual sliding filtre arrangement of previous models ended with the Model C, being replaced instead with a single sliding neutral density filtre. The famous Complan lens design was now replaced by a newer, computer designed lens with a simple "Minox" designation. The new lens design allowed Minox to dispense with the curved film plane used on previous models: the Model C holds the film perfectly flat at the moment of exposure. For the first time, the Model C's film counter now showed the number of shots left on a roll, as opposed to earlier models whose counter showed the number of shots that had been taken.

    Excellent shooters, these cameras are available on the used market for between $250 and $450 depending on condition; mint condition black models might be slightly higher.

    My thanks to Martin Doctor, who kindly donated the photograph of black Model C and matching electronic flash bulb gun above.

    Beginning in 1994, it became illegal to transport PX-27 batteries across state lines in America due to their mercury content; this effectively resulted in the battery being impossible to find. Minox cameras, and other devices powered by this battery can still be operated by purchasing the replacement battery set from Minox, USA (see the Resources section of this site for the link to their site). The user makes a one time purchase of a $20.00 battery "kit", which consists of a plastic holder and 4 button cell V-386 batteries providing 1.55 volts each. The batteries go into the plastic holder, the holder gets snapped into the camera. Thereafter, the user pays a $5.00 purchase price for a replacement set of 4 button cell batteries, minus the holder. The user retains the holder for reuse in the future. Minox cameras affected by this are the Models C, LX and EC; Minox accessories affected include the FL-4 and other similarly styled flash cube guns utilizing electrically fired 4 shot flash cubes. Both the Model BL and the ECX each use different style batteries and are not affected by this. The new battery setup provides a total voltage of 6.2 volts, as opposed to the original PX-27's 6 volts; Minox has certified the 6.2 voltage as being perfectly safe for their cameras and accessories.