Leica point and shoot manual#
Exposure compensation in half-stop values from +/-2 EV, automatic film advance and rewind, auto ISO set via DX coding, built in flash with both auto and manual modes, Bulb mode for long exposures, and a fairly capable shutter round out the Minilux’s major features. Infrared auto-focus is available, as is manual focus, both operating from 70cm (2.3 ft) to infinity.
Leica point and shoot full#
Notable features include full auto-exposure shooting in Program mode and available Aperture-Priority auto-exposure mode with center-weighted metering system. Which is easy to do, as this camera is a joy to shoot. So those who want to quibble over its right to the name can continue to do so. What’s most important to me is that the Minilux looks, feels, and performs like a Leica.
![leica point and shoot leica point and shoot](https://www.u-buy.com.au/productimg/?image=aHR0cHM6Ly9pLmViYXlpbWcuY29tL3RodW1icy9pbWFnZXMvZy9pbUFBQU9Td1NYaGdreFp2L3MtbDIyNS5qcGc.jpg)
And it’s much the same with Leicas of the 90s and today. Would a BMW made today in North Carolina be any worse than one made in Berlin? I don’t think so.
![leica point and shoot leica point and shoot](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mioAAMXQAwFQ3CqL/s-l500.jpg)
Much like today, corporations were extremely keen to maintain their customary level of quality regardless of the geographical location of its factories. By the 1990s, the universal spread of advanced technology and manufacturing techniques meant that the country in which a product was made held far less relevance to that product’s quality as may have existed in the past. While this fact has led a fair number of devotees to denounce the Minilux as something other than a ‘real’ Leica, I don’t think this characterization is fair or warranted.īy the time the Minilux was developed, manufacturing was a lot different than it was in the 1950s. It was designed by Leica in Germany, but manufactured in Japan by (depending on the source) Panasonic or Minolta. Incorporating high-end materials, sophisticated automatic features plus manual controls, and an unbelievable lens, the Minilux was poised to take the mid-‘90s photo-world by storm.īut before we get into that, let’s get the giant-strudel-in-the-room out of the way. More so than any Leica point-and-shoot before it, the Minilux was made with the serious photo enthusiast in mind. Chief credits went to Manfred Meinzer and Klaus-Dieter Schaefer. With previous Leica branded point-and-shoots being designed by Japanese firms such as Minolta, the Minilux was a thoroughly German affair. During this time, it was Leica’s premier point-and-shoot 35mm film camera. The Minilux was first made available in 1995 with production continuing into 2006. It certainly bears the name in enough places, but is the Minilux any good? Is this premium point-and-shoot a real photographer’s tool, or is it an over-hyped toy for rich boys? The Minilux was Leica’s offering for pros and passionate enthusiasts who wanted Leica quality and sophistication in a point-and-shoot camera. It’s the Leica Minilux, a 35mm point-and-shoot that proudly boasts the famous red dot. Instead, we’re talking about a Leica that’s a little less popular, a little less expensive, and a little less German. Their M rangefinder system, specifically, has been the camera to own for over fifty years due to its timeless combination of optical fidelity, clarity of design, and exclusive price point.īut today, we’re not talking about the M2, M3, or any other M. Not without good reason the boys from Wetzlar long ago earned their enviable spot at the top of the pile due to their unflagging production of nothing but the highest quality cameras. And for many devoted followers, Leica is a brand that can do no wrong. For many photophiles, Leica’s machines are the holy grail of cameras.
![leica point and shoot leica point and shoot](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/reviews/003SoGPF80AqV8pEPgazN6W-5..v1569482243.jpg)
There are few cameras that elicit the kind of lustful ogling as those made by Leica.