Exploring the Leica Mini Zoom: Features of a Classic Film Camera
Leica Mini Zoom, the controversy, the love, and my opinion
The Leica Mini zoom. Sometimes I think this camera haunts me. At night I think about that god awful shutter noise that sounds like a sad camera on its last breath being forced to take picture after picture when it just wants to die. But then, I get the photos back from the roll and it's like I fall in love all over again. All the ugly designs, the weird sounds, the cheap scratched plastic - those memories fade and are replaced with the effortless beautiful images this camera creates.
Okay, okay, I am being a bit dramatic. I just don't like feeling both extremes for a camera - it seems wrong. But alas here I am. Now, let's go over why I feel this way, and why if you were averse for any similar reasons, why it's time to get over it.
Technicals
The lens is sharp, very sharp. The metering is spot on every time, the contrast, colors, and brightness is just perfect. Lets start with the raw technical design
It is 4.7 by 2.5 inches, a bit bulky and feels almost too big for a front pocket but just right for a jacket pocket or inside a bag. The back and front is this soft rounded gray plastic usually filled with small scratches (not noticeable really). The viewfinder is pretty small but bright enough once you find the right spot.
The top has a few small buttons. Some of them are annoyingly hard to press, the on and off is always a little tough and I have found myself pressing a few times before it turns on.
It was Designed by Leica and manufactured in Japan. View Wiki/
Vario Elmar 35-70mm f4.0-7.6 lens
35-70mm zoom lens with a max aperture of 4.0 and a 7 element 6 group lens. The larger element lens for the time created a surprisingly. sharp high contrast photo for a zoom lens.
Here it is fully zoomed, still sharp and so well metered for the sky vs building in shadow
another example of tricky metering it handles great:
Supposedly there is a cheap Panasonic and Vivitar camera that are the same (some say Panasonic manufactured this Leica), but photo comparisons confirm at the very least the Leica had it's own lens. And that's what does it for me. You can scour the internet and find some strong opinions on this. Some people swear that is the same camera, inside and out, and that the Leica model is a scam. other people swear that the design may have been made by other cameras but the lens glass and build was by Leica and unique to this camera line. I have to agree with the latter.
Having shot on some of the comparison models people say are the same I just can't believe it. I would love to do a shoot of the exact same conditions, scenes, and film one day to confirm.
It's contrast never fails. the sharpness is incredible for a pocket zoom camera, and the exposure metering all paired with the phenomenal lens leaves very few disappointing photos.
The flash is strong and a bit cold.
If you are looking online yourself make sure there is no balsam separation on the backend of the lens, make sure the flash is working, and the back closes tight.
We have them in our store, fully tested, cleaned, and refurbished - starting at 440