The Leica Minilux Zoom Review is a 35mm compact point-and-shoot camera that is sure to turn heads. Its metal construction and ergonomic controls make it a durable, reliable tool for photographers.
The EV mode cycles among various exposure compensation values in half-stops, including “program” (P) and “aperture priority” (A). Locking exposure and focus requires just half a stroke of the shutter button.
Features
The Leica Minilux Zoom is a 35mm film camera that offers users a wide range of features. It is a reliable point-and-shoot that is easy to operate.
It has a motorized drive that makes it quiet when advancing and rewinding the film. It also has a range of manual exposure modes and a large viewfinder that allows you to make accurate exposures.
This is a great choice for photographers who enjoy shooting film and taking beautiful photos. The lens is sharp and provides great image quality, even in low light.
The Minilux Zoom was a premium one-time use vacation camera for the elite back in the 1990s. Today, it is a collector’s item and is available at a fair price.
Design
Leica’s answer to 35mm point & shoot cameras, the Minilux Zoom has a titanium body and Summarit 40mm f/2.4 lens. It’s a lightweight, rugged and durable camera that delivers top-notch Leica quality at a fraction of the cost of an M or R camera.
The combined shutter/diaphragm creates a blurred aperture, a nice effect at smaller openings. Dry fire the Minilux and look through an open back, or use a filter with this camera, to see how bokeh looks in a small area of a frame.
When the camera is used at faster speeds, the primitive combined shutter/diaphragm doesn’t open and close instantly as do most normal shutters. Instead, it has an almost Gaussian temporal distribution, opening gradually from 0% to 100% and closing gradualy again in brighter light.
Motion blur also looks far more natural and is not as obvious as it is with most other cameras. This is because the Minilux Zoom doesn’t have sharp cutoffs on each side of a blur line, something that only occurs when the shutter opens and closes instantly as with most other cameras.
Lens
The Minilux Zoom is a joy to look at and hold. Sadly, its tiny finder is probably why these cameras are usually left at home. You’ll find zillions of used ones for sale, and nearly all are still in the original box.
Despite its modest size, the lens of the Minilux Zoom is an impressive four-element lens that delivers outstanding image sharpness and clarity. It offers a range of aperture settings from f/2.4 to f/16, and can zoom from 40mm-60mm.
The lens is a good choice for low-light photography. However, its slow f/3.5 at the wide end and dismally dark f/6.5 at the long end can create an unpleasant bokeh. Flash exposure is also questionable.
Performance
The Leica Minilux Zoom is a great choice for anyone looking to take excellent photos. It offers a robust construction, exceptional optics and advanced features that allow for precise control of your photographs.
The camera also has a green LED light that lets you know when your shutter speed is too slow. This allows you to avoid taking pictures that are too dark or too bright by adjusting the shutter speed and exposure compensation accordingly.
This camera’s shutter speeds range from 1/4 to 1/20 second. However, in very dim light the shutter will only open to one second before giving up and resorting to bulb mode.