Leica Mini Review and a few photos

[keithslater]

Hi All,
Just picked up a Leica Mini (The first model) a week ago. Finished my first roll today and had the film developed and scanned at the 1 hour photo. The film for these shots was Mitsubishi 100.
I really enjoy the Mini. It takes great shots, and is a good feeling camera. It is an auto-focus camera with auto everything. The only options you have are flash on, flash off, auto flash, infinity focus, and a self timer. The only thing I wish was different is, the lens has no cover.
Here are the pics:
In the shots of the trees, the one shot, I shot right into the sun and let the camera meter off the sky. In the other, I metered the camera at the base of the trees:

 

[keithslater]

The camera:

 

[GeorgeFH]

nice shots. this camera looks somewhat like Konica Big Mini. any shared heritage? Exposure lock really gives us alot of controls. just wish there is a dedicated EL button, separate from the shutter lock.
didn't even know Mitsubishi made film. what do they call it? Zeke?

 

[xichlo]

Great shot keithslater , I like the shot of two girls , very lovely.

GeorgeFH, Mitsubishi own Nikon , they make cameras, so I wouldn't be suprise that they make film 😀.

 

[keithslater]

Thanks for the comments.
I bought the film off ebay. Its pretty cheap, and not bad. Here is a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-Mitsubishi-R...ryZ74919QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[scottgee1]

SNIP!

GeorgeFH, Mitsubishi own Nikon . . .

SNIP!.

Um, since when?

ScottGee1

 

[SteveM(PA)]

Keith those are great! Nice and sharp. I have the "zoom" model of that camera (gawd I paid $349 for it back in '94). It's in a drawer somewhere...I think I'll get it out 🙂

 

[keithslater]

Steve,
That sounds like a good idea. 😀
Keith

 

[jonasv]

Um, since when?

ScottGee1

Not sure since when, but it is true. http://www.mitsubishi.com/php/users/category_result_index.php?search_id=13&lang=1

Jonas

 

[scottgee1]

Yikes! I had no idea . . . maybe the company I work for is also owned by them!!

😱 /ScottGee1

 

[Seele]

Yikes! I had no idea . . . maybe the company I work for is also owned by them!!

😱 /ScottGee1

Scott,

Nikon (or as it was then, Nippon Kogaku K.K.) was formed by the amalgamation of three small optical firms with Mitsubishi pulling the string, much like the Carl Zeiss Stiftung pulling the string behind the 1926 merger which formed Zeiss-Ikon. And Nikon has been a part of the Mitsubishi group since then.

 

[Seele]

nice shots. this camera looks somewhat like Konica Big Mini. any shared heritage? Exposure lock really gives us alot of controls. just wish there is a dedicated EL button, separate from the shutter lock.
didn't even know Mitsubishi made film. what do they call it? Zeke?

George,

It does not really look like the Big Mini; Samsung had one which does. In fact, the Leica mini was made by a company who also sold the same camera under its own name, but it sold quite poorly: would you buy a camera by Hyundai?

Mitsubishi sure makes (or at least, made) films and paper, I rather liked its black-and-white "Gekko" paper.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Was just about to post asking about this camera...finaly, a Leica I can afford!

Any idea how this compares to the Yashica T4 (the one with the fixed zeiss lens)?

 

[scottgee1]

Steve, Leica has, over the years, offered some reasonably priced cameras. A few of them are remarkably good. The single focal length 'Mini' series culminated in the version "III" is the best of the those.

There are also a number of P&S zooms. I've shot with both the Minizoom and Z2X. Very similar to each other, the Z2X succeeded the Minizoom. Both are quite good. For some reason, my Minizoom provided more Leica-like results, i.e., an almost three dimensional quality that I associate with Leica optics. I loaned it to a friend because her Stylus broke just before she left for an extended holiday. She shot lots of film, fell in love with the camera and refused to return it, insisting on buying it! I made the sort of mistake of selling it to her and wish I had it back.

You might be able to find a Minilux for a comfortable price. Single focal length lens that is exceptional, in the same league as an 'M' lens. Unfortunately, the viewfinder is very small but if you can get past that the camera is capable of making very fine images. Try to get one that has already had the shutter repaired as that seems to be a common problem as they age.

hth/ScottGee1

 

[keithslater]

Here are some more Leica Mini Pictures I took a couple weeks ago:
http://nelsonfoto.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2408

 

[GeorgeFH]

George,

It does not really look like the Big Mini; Samsung had one which does. In fact, the Leica mini was made by a company who also sold the same camera under its own name, but it sold quite poorly: would you buy a camera by Hyundai?

Mitsubishi sure makes (or at least, made) films and paper, I rather liked its black-and-white "Gekko" paper.

Well, a very general resemblance. so who actually made the Leica Mini?

 

[Seele]

Well, a very general resemblance. so who actually made the Leica Mini?

Hyundai, during the time when it was feeling creative.