after shooting 2 rolls of mostly keepers on my Minilux Zoom last week in Karachi, Pakistan. I bought a Minilux and am waiting for it anxiously over the mail.
Is the E02 error inevitable ? Rephrase it another way, any of you regular minilux users still shooting it after all these years ?
I love the summarit 40/2.4 images from Minilux club!
raytoei
"B-B-Q Tonite", Karachi, Pakistan
Pictured captured on Minilux Zoom
Film used is Delta 400 Developed in XTOL
Yours is an interesting question. I have a precarious history with cameras/lenses and it seems that every camera I buy has an inherent problem at time of purchase or later develops problems.
I purchased a black Leica minilux with accompanying leather case and straps (very sexy, more like an S @ M outfit than a case a for a camera. This was a Leica after all and I wanted to splash out and get the black as I love black cameras.
I used and abused my Minilux for a year of constant shooting as I was enthralled with the thing after lugging around my M2. I was in Japan at the time working and living when I bought it. Anyway, I clearly remember the day it developed the dreaded E02 error. I had been shooting in the dead of winter and the batter was low. I kept trying to force more shots when there clearly wasn't enough power in the tank - the battery sign was at half. So, then E02 came up.
I trundled off to the Leica repair centre and the serviceman in white coat laughed and said in broken English E02. He then proceeded to tell me that E02 is more likely to happen if the BATTERY IS LOW. The power drain is linked to this particular malfunction.
They repaired it at almost the cost of another normal Minilux. Because mine was a sweet black model I couldn't let it sit as a paperweight as we had so much fun together in the past.
So, I continued to use it for the next 6 months. In that time I DROPPED it twice from face height as I was about to take a shot (someone bumped me). It landed on its corner on hard pavement. It still bears the scars. I then did it again from a table. It has also has the scar from that. I don't think many other high end point and shoot could withstand such abuse. I had a Contax T3 once and I was scared to handle it it felt so light. The T2 i still have is more likely to withstand a fall.
But guess what - it is still going! The shutter seems more reponsive after the fall. So for its electronic faults it has other positive attributes. It is built like a Sherman tank. And not to mention that sweet single coated Summarit lens. Just dreamy and EXCELLENT for black and white work. The contrast from the Contax T2/T3 is so strong on sunny days that this Leica will leave a wonderful rendition. Also, the T3 had such an annoying function of pressing your distance in instead of the dial that T2 employed. I lost many shots on the T3.
I also love the manual focus - just dial it to between 2m and 3.5m at f8/f11 and shoot away. There is less delay as it doesn't have to lock onto anything.
I also once owned a Leica CM. That lens had more coating and the contrast seemed slightly higher. It was remarked somewhere on the net that the CM and Leicas summarit M range of lenses were identical. I also loved that camera as it had a better viewfinder than the Minilux. I had to sell due to financial reasons.
So, anyone contemplating getting a Minilux I say do it. They are so cheap on the internet at the moment and you are getting a jewel of a Leica lens at a cheap price. She may be tempermental getting her wires crosses, but if she falls out of bed, I bet she will still be in one piece when you drag her back under the sheets.
good luck
