What is the best spy cameraa for private investigator ? I need to attach a small camera to telescope and copy documents.

-- P.I (magnum@privateeye.com), February 23, 1999

Answers

Response to What is the best spy camera forr priviate investigator

A friend of mine in P.I business uses a black Minox LX. I once asked him why he choose that camera. He said because it is the smallest automatic camera available, he can put it in pocket and not being noticed by people because it is black.

-- Fred Mason (Fredm@starrnet.com), February 24, 1999.

Response to What is the best spy camera forr priviate investigator

Minox spy camera has always being the best choice for candestine photography due to its versatility.

FBI LAB Soviet Espionage

CIA artifact

Minox camera can be concealed in cigarette box, candy bars etc.

CIA exhibit Minox B candy bar

As for using a camera with telescope, the Minox binocular adapter is very handly not only for attaching Minox camera to binocular, but also to telescope as well. There are two mail types of Minox binocular adapter, the earlier one fits Minox A/B/C/BL, the current version fits all Minox 8x11 cameras, except EC, ECX, MX. To use, insert the Minox camera without chain attached, tripod thread side or chain connect side first into the holder, turn a knob at one end to lock the camera. Then turn a screw to open up the jaws and clamp it on the eyepiece of binocular or telescope. But I don't see how you can telephotocopy a document ? If it is open up on a table, and you are using a telescope on from a window across the street, you can only get a side view of it. Perhaps it is the notes or drawings on a black board in a board room ? Intriging.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), February 27, 1999.

The best is probably the smallest, because what a clandestine photographer is usually trying to accomplish by using a Minox is carrying the camera into places where he or she shouldn't have one, without it being detected.

Once you're where you want to be, don't try photographing anything unless you're unobserved. It's very difficult to actually use any camera, including a very tiny one, without being noticed. You wind up shooting from the hip and hoping some large, angry man doesn't see what you're doing and decide to help you eat it.

Perhaps others can comment on which Minox model has the best lens or other feature for attaching to a telescope. That's outside my experience. I'm not a PI but I know and work with PI's. None of them have ever done the kind of work which requires a Minox.

-- David Foy (dfoy@marketactics.com), April 28, 2000.

I've found by experimenting that the Minox is an excellent screen capture device. When I set my Minox to the 1'6" setting, and frame a standard 14-15" computer monitor screen in the viewfinder, I can gather a screenful of information in less than a second. To prevent scan lines, a shutter speed of 1/30th or less should be used. Elbows on the desk help steady the camera. This would be handy for an investigator snooping around in an office. It can also be used by a computer technician. When a computer crashes and locks up, it may display register numbers or error messages on the screen. Usually the keyboard locks up preventing a screen dump, so by using a Minox, you can grab all that information instantly which can help in debugging or troubleshooting later.

-- James Jones (jaj01@home.com), April 29, 2000.