Don't take all the reports on sharpness too seriously. For a 5R picture under normal situations, most P&S to-day are so sharp that the naked human eye cannot tell the difference anymore. What the eye can tell are the tonal quality, contrast, eveness of light across the frame, and the lack of distortion. In all of the above the Minilux is superb. 40mm happens to be a good compromise between people and scenary. If I have to carry one film camera to a trip, this is the one. Powerful flash for a P&S

Big and Heavy for a P&S, not a camera that you would like to put into your pocket everyday. No external flash capability. Shutter speed is not high enough to use f=2.4 in outdoor bright daylight situations. Cannot pre-set to no flash, one has to push the button six times to get there.

It was a tough call between Minilux and Contax T3. After quite a bit of research on the web, I chose the Minilux because of the easier control and the larger aperture. I am now a very satisfied owner. I must say my decision was biased as there were many features in the T3 which were not that important to me. As for the size, well, I usually carry a digital camera as well which is more convenient than film cameras. The rotary dials for aperture and distance on the Minilux are simple and easy to use. The distance on the dial is calibrated in such a way as to allow for the quick setting of the depth of field. For e.g. when the aperture is set at f=8, aligning the AF dot to F=8 will yeild the distance setting of 7 meters. The depth of field starts from roughly half of this distance reading,i.e. 3.5m, to infinity. What a useful feature! Some unlcky owners have had quality problems with the shutter. I suspect this is common to all retracting lens P&S as the shutter is connected to the body by wires which move in and out with the lens. I had a Minolta which broke down for the same reason. I guess it is only fair that that Leica should make this part more reliable since the price is so much higher than a regular P&S. There is a rumour this camera will be discontinued. If you do not mind paying some more for a Leica, buy one while it lasts.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Minilux Zoom, Nikon and Contax SLR. Many digital cameras

Don't take all the reports on sharpness too seriously. For a 5R picture under normal situations, most P&S to-day are so sharp that the naked human eye cannot tell the difference anymore. What the eye can tell are the tonal quality, contrast, eveness of light across the frame, and the lack of distortion. In all of the above the Minilux is superb. 40mm happens to be a good compromise between people and scenary. If I have to carry one film camera to a trip, this is the one. Powerful flash for a P&S

Big and Heavy for a P&S, not a camera that you would like to put into your pocket everyday. No external flash capability. Shutter speed is not high enough to use f=2.4 in outdoor bright daylight situations. Cannot pre-set to no flash, one has to push the button six times to get there.

It was a tough call between Minilux and Contax T3. After quite a bit of research on the web, I chose the Minilux because of the easier control and the larger aperture. I am now a very satisfied owner. I must say my decision was biased as there were many features in the T3 which were not that important to me. As for the size, well, I usually carry a digital camera as well which is more convenient than film cameras. The rotary dials for aperture and distance on the Minilux are simple and easy to use. The distance on the dial is calibrated in such a way as to allow for the quick setting of the depth of field. For e.g. when the aperture is set at f=8, aligning the AF dot to F=8 will yeild the distance setting of 7 meters. The depth of field starts from roughly half of this distance reading,i.e. 3.5m, to infinity. What a useful feature! Some unlcky owners have had quality problems with the shutter. I suspect this is common to all retracting lens P&S as the shutter is connected to the body by wires which move in and out with the lens. I had a Minolta which broke down for the same reason. I guess it is only fair that that Leica should make this part more reliable since the price is so much higher than a regular P&S. There is a rumour this camera will be discontinued. If you do not mind paying some more for a Leica, buy one while it lasts.

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Minilux Zoom, Nikon and Contax SLR. Many digital cameras

1) the lens: optical quality and speed 2) body: titanium durability 3) size: not too big, not too small 4) weight: not too heavy, not too light 5) ELEVEN manual focus settings

1) The lens does not move into the manually-set-focus-distance position without having to depress the shutter release button halfway. This contributes to a longer shutter lag. And after release, the lens moves back into its "ready" position. 2) Forgets flash setting when turned off. 3) The design engineers could have added just one more dial--it's not much to ask, is it?--for setting compensation, instead of opting for the button. Enumerating the weaknesses above does not mean I can't live with them. Neither does it mean I can't work with them.

The Minilux is such that I forget it is a point-and-shoot camera. For one, its size is just a little smaller than an M6--and I thank the Leica designers for not making the camera any smaller--that I can still comfortably handhold exposures to 1/4 sec. I like the weight--not too heavy, not too light. The lens is nothing short of stunning; it's on par, if not better, than the Contax G 45mm lens; the pictures glow. The titanium casing is very solid. Although I haven't totally forsaken my N90s, I forsee using this little beauty of a machine more than my Nikon.

Customer Service

No experience yet. I'm hopeful not ever.

Similar Products Used:

Contax G1

lens, design, image, manuell adjustable

price

The results are phantastic, superb sharpness, brilliant colours, especially under difficult light conditions. When my family and me saw the developed photos of the first "minilux" - Film, we were enthusiastically. So I decided to take only the minilux, equiped with slide film, to our holiday in Thailand (I als own a Pentax K 1 and a Canon EOS 50 E). You feel free and very movable, no heavy equipment, no big bags, and nevertheless stunning pictures. In the meantime, I used 25 films in this camera, there were no technical problems.

Customer Service

no experience

Similar Products Used:

Olympus mju 2

Great images.

Apparently poor quality control.

I hate to give the Minilux a mediocre review because, in certain respects, it is an excellent camera. The lens is superb. The focusing and exposure systems, including fill flash, are very good indeed. Yet the camera is not all one should expect for a very high price from the maker of the wonderful M6. Like other reviewers, I have experienced multiple shutter failures, each of which required a $100 repair. Also, the automatic film advance fails occasionally, especially after self-timer exposures. I can only conclude that Leica's effort to expand out of its traditional niche (precision manual instruments) has not been entirely successful. For the money, I would strongly recommend over the Minilux a Contax T3 or, perhaps, a Konica Hexar Silver.

Wonderful lense

Small viewfinder. WEAKEST: E02

I bought my Minilux two years ago, and have put through it about 30 rolls of 36-exp films. The pictures taken by Minilux are very beautiful. However, I have experienced E02 for two times. The money paid for the repairing is VERY VERY expensive, and almost sufficient to buy a new Minilux. I have lost confidence in Leica and just cancelled my order of M7 (a camera with electric shutter).

Customer Service

So so.

Similar Products Used:

Contax G2, M6

I currently own both the minilux and the T3 and have, in the past, used (1) the minilux zoom (2) the TVSII, and (3) the T2. Of the five cameras the Minilux 40mm is my preference. Both the minilux and the T3 are exceptional cameras, exceedingly capable of providing the photographer with faithful images. My personal experience is that where the T3 images are just slightly sharper, the minilux has more pleasing (not necessarily better) color rendition and tonal gradation -- the latter quite evident when using chromogenics (e.g.s TCN-400 or XP-2). Yes the T3 is smaller, easier to handle, has a better viewfinder and more useable controls. Technically, it’s closer to perfection. But it doesn't instill the same level of passion in me that the minilux does. Physically the T3 looks like a gem, but is seemingly indistinguishable from the mass of digital cameras produced today. The minilux charms with its retro, boxy frame and faux leather trim. Both promise optimal freedom in photography without being belabored by excessive equipment; but the minilux, with all it's inherent "faults", consistently delivers the glowing pictures which demand to be viewed repeatedly. In the end, you will not go wrong with either instrument. However, it’s the incommunicable quality of the pictures and the pleasing character of the camera body that continues to direct me to take pictures with the minilux rather than with the t3…or the AX…or the Nikons…or the G1….

Similar Products Used:

minilux zoom, TVS, T2, stylus epic, prego 70

Lens Aperture Priority LCD display shows the shuuter speed and aperture setting Simplicity Built Quality

Wish it had a faster shutter Cannot focus on anything within 70 cm or 2.3'

I had a budget of about $800 to spend on a camera, after months of research on SLR film cameras as well as digital cameras, I gave up looking because they all seemed to be built with many useless features and cheap plastic. Then I came across this beauty on my vacation in Taiwan, I bought it without thinking twice about it. Yes it cost more than the Japanese ones, but it's worth every dollar. The quality of the pictures is simply stunning due to its outstanding lens. It's good to know that at least Leica still makes cameras the way they should be made. I know mine will be with me for years to come.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Infinity Twin, Minolta Maxxum 7000

THE LENS HAS A "SOUL". MOREOVER, IT IS INCREDIBLY SHARP. SILENT INVISIBLE (ESPECIALLY THE BLACK RARE VERSION, WHICH WAS THE LAST CAMERA OF CARTIER-BRESSON). COMPACT. BEAUTIFUL! POSSIBILITY OF MANUALLY INTERVENE ON THE EXPOSURE, FLASH, FOCUS

SLIGHTLY SMALL VIEWFINDER BUT YOU GET USED TO IT DON''T WORRY. EXPOSURE TIME ONLY TO 1/400.

LISTEN. I have been looking for more than one year for the perfect camera for me. I am a PhD student in anthropology at Cambridge and I do a lot of mountaineering and travelling. I was looking for a camera with the following characteristics: 1) an outstanding lens; 2) the possibility to intervene on the exposures; 3) small enough, silent, fast and not visible by people when taking pictures; 4) not too expensive. I did not want to scare people while on fieldwork. To find such a camera became really an obsession for me. I read tons of magazines, checked tens of webpages, asked to all the photographers I know. I tried a small slr like the Contax 139Q with a Carl Zeiss 50/1.4, a yashica T5, a Rollei 35s but I was not satisfied. I finally decided to choose between a Contax G1 and a Leica Minilux. Yet I realized that the Contax G1 is not a compact camera, it does not fit into your pocket. One day I went into a shop in my hometown and I saw a beautiful rare mint Leica Minilux. I fall in love immediately. LISTEN. It is true that the viewfinder is small and it is not informative but believe me this is a plus because it forces you to concentrate only on the composition. LISTEN. This is an outstanding camera. Its sharpness its equal to my Carl Zeiss 50/1.4. LISTEN. If you like to shoot colors and YOU LIKE oversatured colors choose a Zeiss lens or a Zeiss point and shoot like the Contax T3 which is also smaller than the Minilux. But if you like black and white the lens of the Minilux is better than any Zeiss lens. No comparison. Leica BW pictures have a soul. I took some portraits with this camera on a Ilford xp2 400 film. Yes, the lens is a 40 mm but it does not have significant distortion if you do not take full face portraits. LISTEN. I have never been so thrilled like when I saw the pictures developed. Amazing. I saw the texture of the wool sweater of my friend. I counted the hair of his short beard. Of course, this camera has some weaknesses, THERE IS NO PERFECT CAMERA. What would I change? I would rise the exposure time to 1/1000, since sometimes you cannot shot in full sun or on a glacier with a 400ISO film. I would add a filter thread. I would reduce just a bit the size to fit the camera in a blue jeans pocket in summer (but the not so small size is fine because it gives you the feeling of having a real camera in your hands). I would make the autofocus fast as

Similar Products Used:

Yashica T5, Carl Zeiss 50/1.4, Olympus XA

Lens and features need for P&S

02 error

"Before having it, feel not worth to have it for so high price for P&S." Until my friend load me his... "After having it, I love it"

Customer Service

No experience.

Similar Products Used:

Contax T2, Minox GT-X, Konica Hexar Silver, Ricoh GR1s