Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan, I'm not addicted to the Red Dot. As a matter of fact I looked long and hard at the 35ti and T2 before buying the Minilux. I was sold on lens performance, focusing accuracy, powerful flash, exposure control and the fact that the lens is focused BEFORE the exposure is attempted. If results count, the Minilux has produced in every way since I bought it. As I said, the only problem is that my wife wears glasses and has a problem with the viewfinder. BTW, the Minilux achieves the ultimate goal... it produces better prints for my wife than her sister gets with her Ricoh SLR. At the end of the day, that's what really counts:-) Regards, Bud - ----- Original Message ----- From: Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@euronet.be> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Sunday, December 27, 1998 1:09 AM Subject: RE: Re: [Leica] Minilux or Hexar? >Bud, > >I am as addicted to the red dot as anyone else on this list. I preach the virtues of the M6 or M3 (both of which I have) with the zeal of the recent convert. But when it comes to P&S, I think that Leica is at best average. I did own a Minilux for a few weeks but sold it because of my frustration with its handling. I rarely use flash, so one of my requirements for a P&S is to be able to turn it off easily. On the Minilux, I had to press a small button 7 times to cycle through the various flash modes until I finally reached the OFF mode. To make it worse, every time I turned off the camera, the flash mode reset to the automatic and the whole 7-push process had to be repeated. Contrast that with the Ricoh GR1, which has a simple slider switch on the back--I slide it to the OFF position and it stays put. Exhibit 2: the aperture setting. On the Minilux, it is done with the same switch which also turns the camera off, while the GR1 has a separate aperture dial so that I can leave it! > at a chosen aperture and it is there when I turn on the camera with the separate on/off switch. Exhibit 3: exposure compensation, which is ironically the one setting that IS saved when you turn the Minilux off, but the camera gives you no obvious warning. Again, the GR1 is superior with its exposure compensation dial that shows me immediately what I have set. > >The combination of those three things made the Minilux unusable for me, despite the excellent performance of the lens and the autofocus and flash systems that you note. Inb my opinion the Minilux is convenient only if you take most of your pictures on autoflash and do not use exposure compensation. > >Nathan