giganova
Well-known
I thought I do a little (unscientific) shootout and comparison of four rangefinder 35mm f/2.8 lenses. One premium camera and three el cheapo point and shoot cameras. Below is a full-frame image. At the screen resolution, all images of the four cameras look identical, perfectly exposed and very sharp, so I only post one full-frame image below (shot with the Summaron) and some detailed crops.
1) Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8:
Much has been written about this lens. It is superb.
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
I bought this camera for $20 at an estate sale last weekend. Came with the original sales receipt, in absolutely mint condition and loaded with a film and battery that expired in the 90s! ;-)
Plus: Absolutely brilliant camera with a superb lens! Here is the surprise kicker: this lens is just as sharp as the Leica Summaron! I actually think it is sharper. Plus, I took some photos against the sun and there was virtually no lens flare whatsoever. Amazing! The viewfinder is super bright and very sharp with a large eye relieve, so even if you wear glasses, you can see the full frame. Best viewfinder I have ever seen. Plus, the sliding door mechanism to open the lens and power the camera on is very convenient and offers great protection. While the flash is not very powerful, it has a flash fill-in setting.
Minus: the viewfinder has no frame lines, what you see inside the finder is (roughly) what you get on film. When the camera spools the film back, the film lead will disappear inside the film canister. Also, while it has a built-in flash, it is tiny and not very powerful. Unlike the Minox, there is not much to control here, you press the shutter button and hope for the best.
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
This is the 4th Minox ML that I bought overt the past couple of weeks. All of them were advertised as in “Excellent condition and battery tested”. Well, turns out that none of them works properly: one was dead on arrival, on one the shutter didn’t fire, and on one the aperture was stuck. This forth one works, sort of, in program mode, but it is stuck in program mode and aperture priority doesn’t work. But if you can find one in working condition, it is a brilliant little camera:
Plus: I love the (tiny) form factor of that camera, that it has aperture priority and program mode, manual focus and manual film rewind. It also has a +2 exposure button. A real shooters camera! However:
Minus: The aperture and focus rings are tiny and very difficult to operate. Of the four lenses that I tested here, this is the softest, has significant barrel distortion, and the viewfinder lack sharpness and brightness. When shooting against the sun, you get tons of ugly lens flare. Overall, I am disappointed by this camera and the lens. I heard that people rip out the lenses of dead Minox 35 cameras and mount them on Leica M's. Given that this is the weakest of the lenses tested here, it doesn't make much sense to me.
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
This is the cheapest of the bunch. Bought it on Ebay for $18 in mint condition. Yes, that’s right, $18 for a superb camera.
In other words, you could get one hundred of them for the price of one Leica M4 + Summaron lens!
Plus: Superb lens! Just as sharp as the Summaron and the Olympus Mju, maybe even a touch sharper. I also love that when the camera spools the film back, it leaves a bit of the film lead outside the film canister. It takes regular AA batteries that you can find anywhere (which is a bit of problem for the Minox and Olympus cameras). The flash is great, too, more powerful that that of the Olympus.
Minus: The camera is very plasticky and it is not nearly as small as the Minox or Olympus. Like the Olympus, this is a “point and shoot” camera with no controls whatsoever.
Bottom Line: To be honest, I expected the Summaron to blow the other three lenses out of the water, but it didn’t. Each of these four cameras and lenses are absolutely brilliant! To me, the Olympus Mju II is the surprise winner of the point-and-shoot cameras. Being so tiny and light, its the perfect camera to always have with you. I wanted to love the Minox for its controls and silent “stealth” operation (no loud automatic film winding!), but of the four Minox that I bought, none of them worked properly. That’s a 100% failure rate. I also like the Nikon: the images are superb and for that small amount of money, there is no reason to not bring it to the next party, wedding, or do some other photography where you don’t have to worry if the camera gets stolen and damaged.
1) Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8:
Much has been written about this lens. It is superb.
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
I bought this camera for $20 at an estate sale last weekend. Came with the original sales receipt, in absolutely mint condition and loaded with a film and battery that expired in the 90s! ;-)
Plus: Absolutely brilliant camera with a superb lens! Here is the surprise kicker: this lens is just as sharp as the Leica Summaron! I actually think it is sharper. Plus, I took some photos against the sun and there was virtually no lens flare whatsoever. Amazing! The viewfinder is super bright and very sharp with a large eye relieve, so even if you wear glasses, you can see the full frame. Best viewfinder I have ever seen. Plus, the sliding door mechanism to open the lens and power the camera on is very convenient and offers great protection. While the flash is not very powerful, it has a flash fill-in setting.
Minus: the viewfinder has no frame lines, what you see inside the finder is (roughly) what you get on film. When the camera spools the film back, the film lead will disappear inside the film canister. Also, while it has a built-in flash, it is tiny and not very powerful. Unlike the Minox, there is not much to control here, you press the shutter button and hope for the best.
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
This is the 4th Minox ML that I bought overt the past couple of weeks. All of them were advertised as in “Excellent condition and battery tested”. Well, turns out that none of them works properly: one was dead on arrival, on one the shutter didn’t fire, and on one the aperture was stuck. This forth one works, sort of, in program mode, but it is stuck in program mode and aperture priority doesn’t work. But if you can find one in working condition, it is a brilliant little camera:
Plus: I love the (tiny) form factor of that camera, that it has aperture priority and program mode, manual focus and manual film rewind. It also has a +2 exposure button. A real shooters camera! However:
Minus: The aperture and focus rings are tiny and very difficult to operate. Of the four lenses that I tested here, this is the softest, has significant barrel distortion, and the viewfinder lack sharpness and brightness. When shooting against the sun, you get tons of ugly lens flare. Overall, I am disappointed by this camera and the lens. I heard that people rip out the lenses of dead Minox 35 cameras and mount them on Leica M's. Given that this is the weakest of the lenses tested here, it doesn't make much sense to me.
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
This is the cheapest of the bunch. Bought it on Ebay for $18 in mint condition. Yes, that’s right, $18 for a superb camera.
In other words, you could get one hundred of them for the price of one Leica M4 + Summaron lens!
Plus: Superb lens! Just as sharp as the Summaron and the Olympus Mju, maybe even a touch sharper. I also love that when the camera spools the film back, it leaves a bit of the film lead outside the film canister. It takes regular AA batteries that you can find anywhere (which is a bit of problem for the Minox and Olympus cameras). The flash is great, too, more powerful that that of the Olympus.
Minus: The camera is very plasticky and it is not nearly as small as the Minox or Olympus. Like the Olympus, this is a “point and shoot” camera with no controls whatsoever.
Bottom Line: To be honest, I expected the Summaron to blow the other three lenses out of the water, but it didn’t. Each of these four cameras and lenses are absolutely brilliant! To me, the Olympus Mju II is the surprise winner of the point-and-shoot cameras. Being so tiny and light, its the perfect camera to always have with you. I wanted to love the Minox for its controls and silent “stealth” operation (no loud automatic film winding!), but of the four Minox that I bought, none of them worked properly. That’s a 100% failure rate. I also like the Nikon: the images are superb and for that small amount of money, there is no reason to not bring it to the next party, wedding, or do some other photography where you don’t have to worry if the camera gets stolen and damaged.
giganova
Well-known
1) Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8:
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
giganova
Well-known
1) Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8:
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
2) Olympus Mju II 35mm f/2.8:
3) Minox 35 ML 35mm f/2.8:
4) Nikon One Touch 35mm f/2.8:
DwF
Well-known
Fun to see! Thank you for taking the time to do this and share here. I guess as with comparisons I've done for myself in the past, when results are close as shown here overall, it comes down to factoring also rendering, and which camera I really feel most comfortable using. I really enjoy using my XA and find the rendering keeps it in play against so to speak "better" or faster glass.
David
David
giganova
Well-known
Yeah, that's the big surprise to me: I could go and take some really cool street photos, and nobody could tell the difference if it was shot with a $18 or a $1,800 camera!
nukecoke
⚛Yashica
Official Olympus MJU II page:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_archived_product_details.asp?id=291&fl=4
Four elements in four groups, probably a Unar/Tessar variation.
I read it elsewhere that there is at least one aspherical lens element in it. Can't find the page now.
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_archived_product_details.asp?id=291&fl=4
Four elements in four groups, probably a Unar/Tessar variation.
I read it elsewhere that there is at least one aspherical lens element in it. Can't find the page now.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
Giganova, You Crazy...Crazy Good Crazy Fun !!!
Now me wants an Olympus.
Now me wants an Olympus
. 
BillBingham2
Registered User
.....Now me wants an Olympus
I had it's Digital Sister, Olympus D-100 many moons ago. LOVED the side, the slide and at the time, the quality.
The low cost of the Nikon has me thinking, while a lot bigger, I'm too much a Nikon-aholic to not.
B2 (;->
BillBingham2
Registered User
BTW Giganova, THANK YOU for sharing your finds and fun!
B2 (;->
B2 (;->
BernardL
Well-known
At what aperture (presumably same for all four cameras) were the test pics made? f:2.8?? And how did you control the aperture for the Olympus Mju or the Nikon One Touch? In case the apertures are different, the test does not prove much.
Huss
Veteran
Excellent test! I have the original Mju/Stylus and frankly hate it. I push the shutter button, delay, delay, delay, then it takes the pic Mine has the 3.5 lens, not the 2.8 on yours.
I performed a similar albeit unintentional test where I shot the same still life scene with an Argus Autronic C3 and Leica M3 with Summicron 50 DS. $20 vs $2000.
I shot at f8 and could not tell which came from which. Wide open I'm sure there would have been a difference.
I performed a similar albeit unintentional test where I shot the same still life scene with an Argus Autronic C3 and Leica M3 with Summicron 50 DS. $20 vs $2000.
I shot at f8 and could not tell which came from which. Wide open I'm sure there would have been a difference.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Well, among fancy small cameras with RF or scale focus like Rollei, AGFA, Olympus, the Minotar lens was most pleasing (to me). Sharp and with some not aggressive character.
But two Minotar cameras I have were prone to failure. Which is their common and well known issue.
But two Minotar cameras I have were prone to failure. Which is their common and well known issue.
stompyq
Well-known
There must be something wrong with yours. I bought one off ebay and its faster than the 6 Hexar AF's I've had on and off. AF speed is very inpressive
stompyq
Well-known
Always knew the Summaron sucks. Overpriced junk lens
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
That Oly lens is pretty sweet.
Oddly enough I don't think too much of the OM Zuiko 35mm f 2.8 lens for my OM SLRS, I had better in other SLR systems with my favourite being the 1960s vintage Rokkor 35mm f2.8 lens for the SRT Minoltas.
Oddly enough I don't think too much of the OM Zuiko 35mm f 2.8 lens for my OM SLRS, I had better in other SLR systems with my favourite being the 1960s vintage Rokkor 35mm f2.8 lens for the SRT Minoltas.
Huss
Veteran
Nope. Others I've tried are the same. As in this review:
https://www.casualphotophile.com/20...ity-stylus-mju-point-and-shoot-camera-review/
stompyq
Well-known
Weird. Well I'm genuinely impressed by mine. Beats the Hexar AF. Certainly no speed demon but very useful for the type of stuff I do
Huss
Veteran
Anyway, back to giganova's test. It would be cool if u could try it at larger lens apertures.
Pretty much any lens looks good at f8 etc
But the truth to the matter is these cameras do have good lenses. What leads to unsharp pics (and thus people thinking they don't have sharp lenses) are technique issues - mis-focus, camera shake etc. It is easy to mis-focus with my Mju as you don't really know exactly on what the camera has focused.
02Pilot
Malcontent
I don't know if that particular version of the Nikon is equipped with the Sonnar-type lens (I can't find anything definitive in a quick search), but the original L35AF lens can produce some rather special photos among cameras in this class. It's good enough that I converted one to LTM so I could have some more control over it.
rlouzan
Well-known
Hummm The Minotar on my Minox MB was tack sharp.