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Leica C2/C3 comments until June 2003

Sylvester Lee on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 3:43 pm wrote:

>I hope some one could comment on their >experience on the C3...

Check out the comments by Andre de la Porte on the "The new C2 and C3" message board here. So far I think he's the only member who has commented on the C3, though I don't recall any images/links posted by him.

Regarding the Contax T3 and Ricoh GR1. I have both cameras and they are both optically excellent. I have had some mechanical problems with the T3 and have had to send it in for repairs twice, once for a film door/platen that scratched negatives and once to replace a broken take-up spool. The negative scratching has recently shown up again, so it looks like I may have to send it in for a third time.
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Good thing Contax has a 3 year warranty period. In 35 years of P&S shooting I've never had this much trouble with a camera. Anyway, it's worth the trouble as the images are outstanding!
 
Dear Catherine,

Christmas 2001 I bought the C1 for my wife, and superior as it was to other P&S cameras the fall-off to the edges was not acceptable. I therefore tried the new C3 then the C2 thinking the more limited the range the better the quality. Both were only satisfactory for 4†x 6†prints, and even then the fall-off in the wide-angle setting was still present.

Finally I bought the Minilux Zoom for her Christmas 2002 present. Because of a daughter’s birthday on the 23rd we had the opportunity to shoot a couple of rolls of negative and one roll of transparency and the results are excellent.

Having said all that, I still prefer my black Minilux. I can project the results on an 8’ screen with Leica Apo shots and the difference is undetectable to the untrained eye.

What do you intend to photograph with the camera, and what will be the final result, print or slides?

Sincerely,

Justin
 
Regarding the Ricoh GR1, a dealer lent me one on approval and I shot a few rolls to compare with the Minilux.

Optically it was not in the same class when projected on a 8' screen.

For those of you who scan the difference may not be that noticeable
 
Hi Justin and everyone else,
In answer to your question, I'm primarily interested in taking quality photographs of family members, and of landscapes when traveling. I've never used anything but a point and shoot zoom, and would probably feel lost without the zoom. However, based on the price and the review in Popular Photography, the Rollei AFM35 seems like a great buy. Most likely, I will wait until the review of the Leica C3 appears in Foto magazine before I make any purchases. (I'm still curious as to why I can't find any tests of the Minilux Zoom lens.)
 
There's lots on the web for this camera.

http://products.consumerguide.com/cp/family/review/index.cfm/id/18363 http://www.photographyreview.com/PRD_83754_3108crx.aspx#Reviews

Features:

Quality 35mm zoom compact camera with high-grade titanium body High-speed Leica Vario-Elmar 35-70mm zoom lens (f/3.5 to f/6.5) Fully automatic controls with additional manual settings Hot shoe for optional add-on flash unit, plus built-in flash

Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Product Description The Leica Minilux Zoom offers the fastest zoom lens ever put on a compact Leica--the Vario-Elmar 35-70mm zoom lens. Housed in a body of high-grade titanium, this is one of the most versatile and deluxe compact 35mm cameras ever made. Another feature that makes the Minilux Zoom stand out is a hot shoe mount for the Leica CF flash unit (sold separately) in addition to the built-in flash. This allows you to reduce red-eye and light up objects from a greater distance. The Minilux Zoom also offers an active infrared autofocus or manual focusing from about 28 inches to infinity. The exposure metering system is center-weighted for extremely accurate exposures. Other outstanding features include a self-timer with 10-second countdown indicated by a flashing red light, tripod thread, data back for date imprinting, and an exposure value memory function which allows you to calculate your exposure from an object that is not in the center of your picture frame. The Minilux Zoom also has a number of exposure and focus settings that allow for a great deal of creative control. It can even be set to start out on your preferred mode every time you turn on the camera.

About Leica Seventy-five years ago, the first Leica camera was introduced to the public at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair. At the time, it was by far the most innovative 35mm camera ever produced (as well as one of the very first). Since then, no camera in the world has been more widely acclaimed for continuously meeting the highest standards of excellence in both optical precision and design quality. Notably, many internationally acclaimed photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Sebastião Salgado have used Leica cameras throughout their careers. We think you'll find that Leica compact cameras maintain the same integrity as the M and R models used by the pros, but at more affordable prices. The lenses in all Leica 35mm cameras are still designed by the Leica optical department in Solms, Germany. Every compact camera is also tested for quality in Germany before being released. When you choose Leica, you are buying into one of the great traditions in the history of photography.



Expensive but well worth it..., February 5, 2002 Reviewer: Matt (see more about me) from Brooklyn, NY USA I'm going to make it very simple. Leica when it comes to cameras is like a Land Rover when it comes to jeeps. Of course you can buy a Cherokee or a Chevy Blazer but if you want reliability, quality and durability you would go for Land Rover. Same goes for Leica... If you are looking for strong, sharp, durable piece of equipment that will not fail you and has possibilities of being expanded, Minilux Zoom is the way to go. You have to realize before purchase that this camera has a relatively short zoom by industry standard (only 2x). Lens is not as fast aperture wise as original Minilux. But the quality of optics and output is superior to many cameras and comparable only to Contax T series. This camera is not for everyone due to the price and some features that are fairly limited for regular/average user. On the other hand for a pro, serious amateur or journalist Minilux Zoom offers features (manual focusing, exposure compensation and full flash control) that they would truly appreciate. Having control over their exposure in such a small package without compromising the image quality is quite rare to get. Anyone who had to drag/carry his/her SLR (single lens reflex) cameras will understand and cherish the value of this piece. Also in order to fully benefit from this camera a basic knowledge and understanding of photography principles is very helpful. Also additional possibilities such as mounting extra flash, bulb mode and cable release makes it an all around camera as well.

Reviewer: Clement Trudeau (see more about me) from Scottsdale, AZ USA I have owned both the Minilux and the Minilux Zoom ; I have since resold the Minilux Zoom. The lens is simply too slow compared with the less expensive Minilux which uses a fast (bright) 40mm lens which is much closer to what the eye sees (50mm).I worked for the National Film Board of Canada,I have used many cameras but when I travel I bring only the Minilux because it takes incredible pictures even in the worst low light conditions and even without the flash; I use inside churches and museums with the flash turned off. A zoom this size is simply too slow to be useful, 3 steps forward or three steps back will produce the same result with the Minilux and you will be able to take incredible pictures in those low light conditions. Save your money, buy the Minilux. It's the lens that counts.

Superp, February 15, 2001 Reviewer: Boonchai from Bkk, Thailand Yes, it is an excellemt one . buT gotta learn and experiience how to use it for better result eg. yr hand must be quite steady when shoot. But the result is more than I can say! If money is no object , should get one.

Terrific Quality Compact, January 3, 2001 Reviewer: Craig Calhoun from New York, NY USA The only realistic competition for the Leica Minilux zoom is the Contax. For a bit more money, that has an equal or better lens and is smaller. But, it also fits hands and fingers less well and has somewhat more complex mechanics (since Contax decided to add an automatic lens cover--convenient, but a likely maintenance problem). The Leica Minilux gives one the confidence of quality construction and an attractive, slightly retro, design.

Was this review helpful to you?
 
Dear Catherine,

Family and landscapes is what Jane uses the P&S for.

My suggestion is to find a good dealer who will allow you to put a roll of film through each camera.

If you only intend to make 4" x 6" machine prints any of the cameras you are considering are OK, although as stated earlier the lower priced cameras have light fall-off in the wide-angle position.

All the best.

Justin
 
I think the C3 looks like a great little P&S. However the cost of the new C3 is almost equivalent to a used minilux zoom in good to very good condition (not to mention the handful of other stellar single focal length P&Ss). I'd have a hard time parting with $400 for the C3, knowing a reasonable minilux zoom is another $50-100 away. I know everything Leica is expensive but I really think the C3 is overpriced for what you get. Maybe with a bit of time, prices will adjust down to a more reasonable range, like with C1.
 
Hello everyone. Here are some links to Yashica T4 Zoom pictures, please advise on the quality.

I also hesitate on choosing Leica C3 or Yashica T4 Zoom.

http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id53.html
http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id45.html
http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id41.html

Some info on c3 -
http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=004AQn
http://www.shopping.com/dealtime2000/Reviews/product/read_product/1,7235,20257450,00.html
http://www.bergencountycamera.com/cameras/slrs/leica/leicaphotok.html

Camera review (no c3 yet but T4 zoom and minilux...)
http://www.photographyreview.com/Point,and,Shoot/PLS_3108_913crx.aspx
http://www.camerareview.com/templates/rating.cfm?Category=3&Sort=Rating

By the way, this new one is also interesting:
Fuji silvi 24-50mm super ebc multi-coating fujinon f2.8~5.6 6 elements in 5 groups with 2 asph. 0.35m speed 1/350s
http://www.fujifilm.co.jp/news_r/nrj993a.html

Hopes that help. Please feed back
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Interesting comments on the C3. I bought one in December and have put about 10 rolls of film through it so far with really good results. I can't compare with other top end compacts as this is something of an upgrade for me.

Basically strengths appear to be the really useful zoom range (28-80), fast aperture (f3.6 at 28mm) and sharp and rich photo quality. Offset against this are the minor quibbles of being a bit large (but nice to hold) and handling that takes a bit of getting used to (but that's part of the fun of getting to know it).

If you do buy - a couple of tips
1/ focus close with the flash as this reduces the aperture and stops it being overpowering.
2/ If you try very fast film the camera goes into 'B' mode at as low as 1/80 with 1600 film ( a really strange oversight I reckon). This defeats the object somewhat, but I stick to 100-400 films which suit the high lens quality better anyway).

Good luch
 
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