Balda 1000 (1978)

At 130 grams, it slips into a coat pocket. It's light, but it feels more solid than its size suggests.

Overview

The Balda 1000 is a family of 110 cartridge compacts, not a single camera. They appeared when Balda took control of the Minox 110S production line. The variants are the 1000 EL BR, 1000 EL RX, 1000 EL R, and 1000 EL Macro. These were not simple rebrands but refined versions of an already compact design. The body weighs 130 grams and measures 131x54x26 mm, barely larger than a pack of cards. It still holds a full electronic shutter and a coupled rangefinder, which are rare in the sub-35mm format. Owners report aperture-priority automation, automatic ISO detection for 100 and 400 film, and a mechanical film advance that feels more deliberate than the Minox original.

The lens defines the variant. The 1000 EL BR and EL Macro use a 20.5mm f/4 Baldanon lens, a four-element design with a minimum focus of 0.6m (0.4m in macro mode). The RX and R models step up to a 25mm f/2.8 Rodenstock Ysarex lens, which is faster, sharper, and more desirable to collectors. Add the rangefinder and parallax compensation, and that f/2.8 aperture points to serious photographic intent for such a tiny body. The EL RX has both a cube flash and an electronic flash connection. The EL R omits the cube flash but keeps the electronic sync. The EL Macro, despite its name, likely gets close focus through an auxiliary system rather than a true macro lens, with minimum focus reportedly down to 0.4 meters.

Power comes from two 625U batteries, also known as Varta 7203, 246, or Mallory MN625. They feed the electronic shutter, which runs from 4 seconds to 1/1000. There is no LCD, just aperture priority and a clean optical viewfinder with the rangefinder patch. Collectors note the build quality as a key difference from the Minox 110S. One owner says the film advance "feels more solid," and others find the Balda versions sturdier overall. It's a luxury item disguised as a pocket camera, with a price to match at launch.

Specifications

Historical Context

Balda built the Minox 110S from 1974 to 1978, manufacturing the camera on behalf of Minox. Minox abruptly discontinued the 110S in 1978. Balda kept going under its own name and launched the Balda 1000 series as direct successors. These were not clones but refined versions, and the Balda 1000 EL and EL BR models are described as the high-end equivalents of the Minox 110S. Approximately 40,000 Minox 110S units were made. Production of the Balda 1000 EL BR was far more limited at around 2,500 units, which is why it is relatively rare today. The 1978 production date applies to the EL BR, EL Macro, EL R, and EL RX variants.

Collectibility & Value

The Balda 1000 EL/BR originally retailed for $87.50, a rather high price for a sub-35mm camera at the time. Owners call it a "luxury camera with advanced features," and its build quality, lens options, and rarity support that. The EL R variant is estimated to fetch $80-90 in very good condition and $100-120 when mint, according to the CollectiBlend Average Index. Actual eBay sale prices as of 2008 ran lower, with all variants (EL-BR, EL Macro, EL-R, and EL-RX) selling between $40 and $60. Collectors note the cameras are quite rare, and some report it took years to find one. No data is available on common failures, maintenance, or spare parts. The 625U batteries are now obsolete, which may make regular use harder.

Market Value

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BALDA 1000                                                      Aug 2026 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ High      $215                                    Latest            $137 │
│ Median    $133                                    Trend         ▶ Stable │
│ Low       $49                                     Volume          ~50/mo │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   $300 ┤                                                                 │
│        │                                                                 │
│        │                       .                                         │
│   $171 ┤ .  ..  .           .        .  .     . .  ....            .     │
│        │  . .. . .. ... . ... ....... .................. ..... .   .... .│
│        │...    .   ..     ..  ........    ...  ..... ..         .  .. .  │
│        │  .. .....     . . ...  .. . .  . .....  . ...   .    ....    .. │
│     $0 ┤                                                                 │
│        ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│    vol │▃▃▅▁▂▅▁▄▄▂▁▁▂▁▁▁▂▁▂▄▃▁▅▄▄▄▃▅▃▃▂▁▄▄▇▆█▃▇▄▆▆▂█▅▆▄▁ ▃▁▁▁▁▁▄▃▁ ▅▃▁█▂▂│
│        └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│         2026-04                      2026-06                      2026-08│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

eBay Listings

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