Canon Prima Mini II a.k.a. Sure Shot Sleek

[Dr. Strangelove]

I normally would not consider a film P&S with a slower than an f/2.8 prime lens, but since wider than 35 mm P&S cameras are so rare, I would like to have your opinion about the Canon Prima Mini II. It has a 32mm f/3.5 (3 elements in 3 groups) lens and decent features (AF, metering range EV 3 - 17). I have been offered one for a low price (few euros) and the 32 mm lens is noticeably wider than the typical 35 mm, but I wonder about the three element lens.

I noticed that Canon used a similar lens construction in several mid to low price prime lens P&S cameras in the 1990s, including the original Prima Mini (a.k.a. Sure Shot M), Prima 5 (a.k.a. Sure Shot Max), Prima AF-7/AF-8 (a.k.a. Sure Shot Owl) and probably the later Prima (Sureshot) AF/BF series cameras as well.

Usually three element lenses are not very sharp unless stopped down at least 1.5 stops, so I wonder if the Prima Mini II lens can provide acceptable corner sharpness wide open for anything larger than 10x15 cm (4x6 inch) prints. On the other most three element lenses I have experience with were designed in the 1950s, so perhaps the newer ones are a little bit better wide open? Does anyone have any experience with the Prima Mini II or any of the other cameras mentioned above?

 

[kuvvy]

A friend of mine has one of these and she takes some nice snaps with it but to me the lens is just an average performer. The Pentax Espio Mini is the camera to challenge it. With a 32mm f.5 lens and a whole host of features all in a camera the size of a pack of playing cards. I have two and I think the lens rivals the popular Olympus Mju-II. I have some examples in my gallery.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

A friend of mine has one of these and she takes some nice snaps with it but to me the lens is just an average performer. The Pentax Espio Mini is the camera to challenge it. With a 32mm f.5 lens and a whole host of features all in a camera the size of a pack of playing cards. I have two and I think the lens rivals the popular Olympus Mju-II. I have some examples in my gallery.

They look very nice indeed. Good pictures too from artistic point of view and some of them I could not guess to be snapshots if I didn't know. I could not see any corner sharpness issues, although the resolution of the pictures is so small that they would have to be really severe in order to be visible. The bad thing is that used Pentax P&S cameras are quite rare and difficult to find where I live and I don't want to buy from foreign eBay sellers.

 

[kuvvy]

Dr. Strangelove, edge sharpness is very good with the Pentax while I think you would be disapointed with the edges on the Prima. I noticed it when my friend showed me her first shots. There is a definite fall off in sharpness compared to the centre.
Know what you mean about buying from ebay seller abroad. I have bought and sold to 'foreign' ebayers and never had a problem though. Whereabouts are you?
If you're interested I would part with one of my Minis if it would help you out. Also you wouldn't be dealing with a foreign seller because.....I'm English..Ha-Ha!

 

[Henrik]

I've shot a couple of rolls with this camera. As kuvvy said the edge sharpness is not very good and the camera is also rather loud when taking a picture and advancing the film. But it's a nice camera to always have in your pocket. Here's a sample picture:

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=334240025&size=Large

Tmax 400 pushed to 800.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I've shot a couple of rolls with this camera. As kuvvy said the edge sharpness is not very good and the camera is also rather loud when taking a picture and advancing the film. But it's a nice camera to always have in your pocket. Here's a sample picture:

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=334240025&size=Large

Tmax 400 pushed to 800.

I can see some softening towards the corners, but it is still not very bad. Of course in that picture it does not matter artistically either. What kind of light did you have? Since you were using relatively fast film, I wonder if the diaphragm was completely open. Of course I would also use at least ISO 400 film in poor light, but it can get pretty dark around here (Finland) in the winter.

 

[Henrik]

It was an overcast day - I do not believe that the diaphragm was wide open. I have some other examples taken in real low light where the corners are really bad!

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Thank you for your replies, kuvvy and Henrik. I will really have to consider whether I actually need this camera or not. It is all too easy for me to let my evil collector side out and purchase gear I will rarely use in practice. I have several good P&S cameras with excellent 1:2.8/35 lenses, including the Yashica T3 Super and the Konica Big Mini F, so the wider lense would really be the only reason for me to buy it.

 

[daniel~]

The photos I've seen from these wider-angle compacts, including Canon Prima Mini, Canon WP-1, Pentax Espio Mini, and Ricoh R1s, all exhibit considerable lightfall at the image corners.
Not that it's a big problem (kind of love it actually 😛) but it is there.

I agree the slightly wider-than-35mm angle is favourable--quick & easy to make good composition! but unfortunately image-wise, I have not been impressed with any of the above.

ps.
1. Espio Mini & Ricoh R1s are more sophisticated than the Canon series. R1s even has an extra 24mm lens though at slow f/8.
2. Both Prima and Espio have viewfinders too small for me. Ricoh's viewfinder is better but its LCD is known for QC issue.

 

[arzitek]

Picked up a Prima Mini II today in a thrift store for 3€ :bang:. Will give it a try. It probably won't compete with better cameras for edge sharpness but I can use my SLRs with best glass when I need that. Just heavier.

 

[farlymac]

I've got a roll in my Sure Shot M (North American version) right now. When I finish, I'll let you know what I think.

PF

Oops, just looked at the Canon Museum site, and mine is the model that prior to the Sleek. But it has the same lens, they only made improvements to the flash selector, and frame counter.

 

[farlymac]

And here are the results. Same lens as in the Sleek. Not the sharpest one in the bunch. Pretty good distortion control, though. Other than the composite, and the shot of the camera itself, these are uncropped, and uncorrected. Fujicolor Superia Xtra 400, processed and scanned at CVS on a Kodak CD.


003_3 Hiding Out Back by br1078phot, on Flickr


007_7 Pincushion Test by br1078phot, on Flickr


009_9 Dome Sweet Dome by br1078phot, on Flickr


013_13 Ground Grafitti by br1078phot, on Flickr


Three Little Piggies by br1078phot, on Flickr


Canon Sure Shot M by br1078phot, on Flickr


PF

 

[keytarjunkie]

I just bought the model above (Esprit, Prima Mini, Sure Shot M, etc), for $1

I'll shoot a roll off and post the results soon.

 

[arzitek]

Picked up a Prima Mini II today in a thrift store for 3€.

I'm not unhappy with the results. This is one of the rare compact AF cameras where you can disable the flash permanently. The lens doesn't protrude out of the sleek body. It is fast to shoot and didn't miss AF too often. The 32mm is really wider than most others. It would be so much better with some level of manual control but hey it's a P&S right?

 

[analogpics]

I just got one off ebay, and its strange...with no film loaded, all the functions...flash, shutter, lens, etc. are working fine. As soon as i load a roll of film in there, everything shuts off. I can't even close the lens. Anyone that owns this camera, any idea what's going on? Thanks 🙂

 

[ndiemer2]

I just got one off ebay, and its strange...with no film loaded, all the functions...flash, shutter, lens, etc. are working fine. As soon as i load a roll of film in there, everything shuts off. I can't even close the lens. Anyone that owns this camera, any idea what's going on? Thanks 🙂

Just had this happen to me and figured out a solution so I wanted to respond even though it's more than 7 years later - It seems the camera freezes up if you don't load the film onto the takeup spool enough. I thought it would auto-load by just placing the leader on the little gear-wheel, but this caused it to freeze exactly up like you're describing. All I had to do was open the back up (first in a dark room to be safe) as it hadn't actually spooled the film at all, then I turned the camera off. Next I reloaded the film and made sure I pushed enough of the leader to the left onto the takeup spool, then it worked just fine. Hope you either figured this out or that this helps someone else!