mju-2 vs Pentax Espio Mini ?

[Lobo]

hi,

on my photographic experiences i came to i point where i focus myself more on the objects an less on the use of the camera, so i use more p&s cameras these days.

besides my rangefinders and classic cameras i use a olympus mju-1 and a leica mini 3. i thing the mju has a better contrast and colorsaturation, but the leica has +EV, Bulb, slow sync and wider angle 32mm, so i have no favorite among these two.

my canon prima mini (sure shot in USA) was a big disapointment.

i plan to get myself a better p&s but i'm on a low budget:
my mju-1 cost me 3euro at a fleamart,(there was a second camera too, but i needes only one). my leica came to me via a trading.

without the expensive cameras, like yashica, ricoh etc there are only 2 main alternatives: olympus mju-2 and pentax espio mini.
which one do you prefer and why? i have read many things about the mju-2, but how good is it compared with the pentax?

PS: wish the fujifilm tiara would be cheaper, it looks like a great camera, but costs around 150euro. the mju sells here from 35-50euro om e(vil)bay. i had few weeks ago the chance to buy one on a fleamarkt for 5 bucks, but i refused it. my worst decision of the whole year! the pentax should be a bit higher but not too much than the mju-2 on the bay.

 

[kuvvy]

Lobo, I've always preferred the tiny Pentax to the Mju. Although the lens is a tad slower at 3.5 it is a midge wider at 32mm but an excellent performer being very sharp and contrasty. It has moving framelines, B setting, panoramic mode. This is the only AF p&s compact I hung onto. That said, digital has taken me over in recent years and I rarely shoot film nowadays so this tiny cam never gets used now. Here's a shot of it along with the remote release.

 

[jwicaksana]

without the expensive cameras, like yashica, ricoh etc there are only 2 main alternatives: olympus mju-2 and pentax espio mini.
which one do you prefer and why? i have read many things about the mju-2, but how good is it compared with the pentax?

PS: wish the fujifilm tiara was cheaper, it looks like a great camera.

I faced the same dilemma some months ago, and decided to go with the Espio Mini.
Here's a little piece I did for JapanCameraHunter, hope it will help:
http://japancamerahunter.com/2012/05/mini-review-the-pentax-espio-mini/

 

[wojtek]

Be careful, though - three Espio Mini's that I've had were broken. There's an IR film sensor built in for counting the frames, and when my cameras were 'squeezed' in hand, they were rewinding film accidentally.

 

[rbiemer]

I prefer the Pentax--mine is the "UC-1" . It is functionaly very similar to the miju/stylus. I like it bettter because it is a little bigger and a lot more rectangular. For me it iis easier to handle.

I don't think I could tell from my photos which one I used.

I have seen the pentaxes selling for more than the olympus--I think there are quite a lot more of the miju cameras around.

Rob

 

[Lobo]

I have read your article, its very good written, thx. in a german blog i read two articles, which come to conclusion that the pentax has slightly better pictures. http://www.glamorous-pictures.de/in...id=36:kompaktkameras&Itemid=56&layout=default

mju-2:
35 mm, f/2,8, 1/1000 – 4 Sek. (no Bulb), closest: 0,35m, changeable to Spotmetering, waterproof, 135g


pentax espio mini:
32 mm, f/3,5, 1/400 Sek. – 2 Sek.(Bulb to 5 Min.) closest: 0,3m, 155 g


I want to take the camera to my (one and only) holyday in 2 weeks (together with a digital one) and it should be a good, light, versatile and robust allrounder.

I faced the same dilemma some months ago, and decided to go with the Espio Mini.
Here's a little piece I did for JapanCameraHunter, hope it will help:
http://japancamerahunter.com/2012/05/mini-review-the-pentax-espio-mini/

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

My 2p worth is to say that I've had all those mentioned in your opening post and see little real difference between them. That's a difference worth worrying about in real life shooting and not test shots on a tripod and so on.

More to the point, any one of them will be second-hand and how it behaves will be a matter of luck when buying. As you know a three euro camera can pull its weight and more.

And the two cameras you have now work for you and you know their ways. Better to take one you know rather than an unknown one. (And spend the money saved on film... ) A new-ish, dud one could ruin the holiday for you.

But it's just my 2p worth.

Regards, David

 

[Ronald_H]

I never used the Pentax, but I have dragged around and worn out a Mju-II over a period of 11 years. It is the camera I have used the longest by far.

Bought a near mint spare for 2 euros at a local flea market last May. With my original Mju now succumbing to light leaks it will have to take over.

The Mju has a good lens, is sturdy and small and is utterly, utterly foolproof regarding AF and (flash) exposure. And above all else it is faster than anything I have ever used. I wouldn't want to live without one.

 

[btgc]

What David said, agree to it. Used cameras, P&S particularly, are substitute for gambling.

Mju un UC-1 both are flawed as they are of 35mm focal length. Bulkier Pentax 928 (or Rollei Prego 90) is what I'd choose....yes - bulkier, yes - not sexy at all. But lenses plus features stand over sexiness and dimensions. Those lucky who have learned to use 35mm FL, for sure, will prefer those trendy mju and UC-1, no problem here.

 

[eurekaiv]

The UC-1 is the better camera of the two IMO. It has a better viewfinder and the sliding film door doesn't close as easily leading to unwanted powering down of the camera—my biggest complaint with the mju. Otherwise, image quality between the two is pretty similar. If you want UC-1 image quality on a super budget, try the PC35 AF. It's slightly larger and a tad noisier but handles equally as well. It's unseated my UC-1 as my current favorite AF P&S in my fairly modest collection.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I'll second the Pentax 928 or the more compact 928M. Both cheap on ebay and so on. And I'll add the Konica A4 (non-zoom) or Z-up 110 to the list.

But almost any late (90's onwards) model P&S will be good and there's hundreds of them out there that they are almost giving away. The youngest seems to be the Nikon Zoom 90 AF which was still being made this century...

Regards, David

 

[Lobo]

Perhaps i should throw in the Konica Lexio 70, on pictures it looks really similar to the pentax, just with zoom, but about the same size

 

[Greyscale]

Perhaps i should throw in the Konica Lexio 70, on pictures it looks really similar to the pentax, just with zoom, but about the same size

The Lexio is nice, but the on/off switch on the sliding lens cover can be very twitchy and sensitive. It wins on style points and has a great lens, but the mju II is much more durable.

My favorite "tiny" camera is the Nikon AF600/Lite Touch. But I like the bigger Rollei Prego 90 and Pentax 928 better. I have not been disappointed with any Pentax compact. If you like the clamshell design, don't overlook the compact Pentax IQZoom/Espio 90MC.

 

[btgc]

I agree on Lexio....superb backlit top LCD and control interface. Unfortunately, it's flawed like all compacts. Clamshell can be unintentionally moved during use, switching it off. Lens is nice, really nice - but not superb, IMHO, and say, 928 beats it.

Pentax 90MC looks like a quality model, judging from trimming and diopter adj. wheel.

 

[Lobo]

so i managed to get both cameras, the mju-2 and the espio. i wanted the espio over the mju-2 for its nightmode(slowsync) and bulbsetting. i paid a middle price to a internetphotoshop with some of them in good shape, because i think there are not that much of that camera on yardsales around here or on the bay. but quite one day after that, i found an auction on the bay for a mju-2 with a wrong name declaration, so i won it for less compared to the amount it reaches normales.
the espio is next to me. its really a gem, very nice. perhaps a bit more fragile looking (the slidedoor) than my mju-1. i 'm testing it, together with the mju-2 when it comes. my girlfriend says my addiction to cameras raises again, with the discovery of the mini P&S cameras.

 

[btgc]

i wanted the espio over the mju-2 for its nightmode(slowsync) and bulbsetting.

Mju II also sync flash with ambient for night exposures. Bulb on compact cameras without remote control for me isn't decision maker. Wait, do Espio has remote for bulb exposure? If it has, it's a good thing.

What I really appreciate on better of Pentax compacts, it's diopter corrected VF.

 

[Lobo]

it has a remoteoption, but i dont know if the remotefunction will work in B mode.
the Mju-2 has arrived today. its a bit smaller than my mju-1, and in excellent condition.

the Pentax 928 looks bulky for me, i like small gear. weight and space is premium in my daypack. even a small camera weights a ton after several hours carrying it (yeah yeah, i need more excercise).

 

[reiki_]

Is the viewfinder on espio any better/larger than the one on mjuII coz I got a chance to snag one at 15$?

 

[bitfeng]

mju 2 has the most pathetic viewfinder I ever seen. Often times when I raise up mju2 and want to take a photo, it takes several seconds to get my eye see through the viewfinder.

 

[reiki_]

That's why I'm asking, I'm concerned about the pentax 🙂 .