The lens, focuscontrol, the quality is as good as a SLR!

Max. shutterspeed only 1/400, minimum focusrange...

Like the Minilux very much... Sometimes I hate te carry all the heavy equipment, and the Minilux is a great solution, but not a replacement. The lens is perfect, sometimes I get more grayscales then with my Nikkor lenses!

Similar Products Used:

Nikon SLR with Nikkor lenses

Lens quality outstanding

battery last only very short time, flash often does not go off.

Camera is very strong mechanically, lens is first rate. However flash is very often not functioning. Must be the japanese component in unit.

Customer Service

slow

Similar Products Used:

Rollei 35S

I like its lense, great boken, fine sharpness, and Leica look! Very good for B/W pictures.

There is a design problem, mechanic fault (E02) ,people keep mention it on the net. I met 3 times and cost me another camera price to fix it.

I bought it used. It has a great lense, other part is so-so.

Customer Service

3 times.

Similar Products Used:

Contax T2. Contax G1.

None

None

I just want to get some serious opinions to help decide what to buy---a Minilux or a Minilux Zoom. I have tried a Z2X and a C-1, the results are disappointing---for a not-so-inexpensive P & S camera carries a Leica lable! No better than my Olympus Infinity-2000 and no comparison to my 10-year old Canon EOS-650. I simply want a sharp, sharp lens from a easy-to-carry P & S camera with a Leica label on it. Should I go for a Minilux or a Minilux Zoom? Which one takes sharper picture? If the sharpness is very close, wouldn''t it be nice to have a zoom on it? By the way, are they still made in Germany, or in Japan, as the C-1 I have now? I need help! Thanx!!! (Hope you don''t mind that I posted it here)

Similar Products Used:

None

lens, bulk (small enough to carry easily, big enough to hold steadily), price (now significantly cheaper than T3, flash (is more effective than T3 or GR1S)

viewfinder is rather tunnel-like, but is ok. GR1S viewfinder is more useful. Indication of shutter speed in VF would be a nice touch for AP mode.

My minilux has replaced a contax T3 which was difficult for me to handhold. The minilux DOES provide me with vastly better images than the T3 or Ricoh GR1S. All 3 are ''good'' but I prefer the lens character and extra bulk of the minilux - they both suit my preferences and style.

Customer Service

was supplied with camera with a serial number which was not matched by the number on the box and paperwork etc. Awaiting a "cleanup" of that situation.

Similar Products Used:

Contax T3, Ricoh GR1S, Yashica T4, Olympus trip (original type)

Quality of construction..the lens..ease of use.

There is too long a gap between firing the red eye reduction flash and the flash going off; in excess of 4 seconds. I sent the camera back to Leica. They said the lengthy delay was normal and could not be shortened to about 1 second...While in the meantime, people move having thought the picture was taken.

I had the original bulky Canon Elan which I thought was a wonderful camera but big. I also had an older Rollei 35S which I truly loved but it was completely manual. I sold both (wish i hadn''t sold the Rollei) and purchased the Leica Minilux. What a wonderful camera it is. The lens is fast and extemely sharp. The camera body feels secure in one''s hands and the construction is solid. The photo''s I''ve taken with this camera can be compared to my Canon prime lenses and in most cases are sharper and can be blown up to 8X10 easily without losing any clarity, etc.

Customer Service

Quick and courteous.

Similar Products Used:

Rollei 35S..Canon EOS 7e

Craftsmanship, consistent results, very fast lens, fill flash ("Slow On") mode.

Short battery life, certain point-and-shoot limitations.

Excellent camera, but the point-and-shoot design has inherent limitations. The Minilux has a very bright, very sharp Summarit 2.4 lens and yields consistent, thoroughly satisfactory results. Manual focus and aperture priority allow creative possibilities.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Freedom III, Yashika T-3

The Leica Summarit lens!!!!! f2.4 Really inexpensive.

Not worth mentioning

This camera is beautifully crafted and the lens is extraordinary, very sharp with superb contrast rendition. The size feels right while holding it or in my bag, ergonomics is not bad. The minilux is always by my side, loaded with Fujifilm NPC 160 or Agfapan APX 100.

Similar Products Used:

I looked at the Contax T3 in a camera store, the viewfinder of T3 is bigger and brighter, however, I found its size too small to be held comfortably.

1) Lens performance 2) Building quality 3) Easy handling

1) Small Viewfinder 2) No information in Viewfinder 3) Not for pocket carrying.

I owned both Minilux and the new contax T3 (black body with databack). I did a comparison between the two under the same conditions. Optical performance at various apertures: 1) Wide open: T3 is better than Minilux. However, the Minilux fast lens has very shallow depth of field -- a unique Leica feeling. 2) At F4 and F16, The Minilux equals to T3 sharpness. Contax T3 new Zeiss lens is a little bit brighter in Contrast than the Summarit f2.4 3) Between F5.6 to F11, the Minilux is sharper than Contax T3, especially on the edge. I consider that the Minilux is a "Weekend Camera" while the Contax T3 is "Everyday Camera" thanks to its compact design and small weight.

Customer Service

Haven''t experienced any problem.

Similar Products Used:

Contax T3, Olympus Epic (great camera with unpleasant building quality), Yashica T4 super (good lens but no aperture-control).

Marvelously fast lens. Great construction. Very attractive. Truly protable

Sometimes the maximum shutter speed of 400 left a bit to be desired but changing to 200iso seemed to take care of brighter outside shooting.

I bought my minilux after returning from a trip to England and Ireland a few years ago. On that trip I took my Canon Elan with a bag of lenses. I ended up renaming the Canon the Canon Albatross. This year I traveled throughout Italy with my Lieca Minilux. What a great camera. Inside so many churches and other magnificent buildings I constantly got great pictures due, I feel, to the fast lens. Boy, what quality. This is a super lens. I also had little trouble carrying the minilux in my travel jacket thus eliminating a camera bag etc. This camara is worth every penny I paid for it.

Customer Service

never needed

Similar Products Used:

Nikon Pronea, Canon Elph & Elph Jr.