Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/11/19

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: Light, portable camera
From: Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@apple.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 96 21:53:32 -0800

>>> The Minox 35s are a polycarbonate body and use a trap door to fold
>>[snip]
>>> However, the Rollei is a tougher
>>> camera, except for the economy B, C and LED models they are all
>>> aluminum chassis with superb finish. 
>
>>[discussion of dropping a rollei 35 vs playing ball with a minox 35 
>> snipped for brevity]
>>
>Maybe my assumption that a $1300 camera should be more rugged and reliable
>that a $300 camera was erroneous.

Plastic-encased cameras are well known to take bumps and drops 
with less damage than metal-skinned ones.

Perhaps the word "tougher" was misleading. I meant to say that the Rollei
was more solidly built with a heftier and higher quality feel. Neither 
are designed to be used as a ping-pong ball, certainly. Polycarbonate is
famous for feeling like chintz yet absorbing a lot of shock before 
cracking.
It has the ability to deform and spring back, which aluminum and steel do 
not beyond a very small deformation. The complete closure of the Minox 
lens 
door prevents incidental damage to the lens better than the sliding tube
arrangement on the Rollei, plus the leather Rollei case is thinner and the
camera is twice the weight (13oz for the Rollei vs 6-7oz for the Minox).
All these things count for something. Neither should be drop kicked. 

As to reliability ... well, my '75 Rollei 35S is working to exactly the
same quality standard that my new Rollei 35 Classic is after 21 years.
I don't know about the Minox durability over the same time. The ELs 
had problems with insufficient black in the plastic and used to fog
high speed film, later ones have a reputation for bad shutters, fixed
in more recent years. I think both cameras are suitably reliable with
reasonable handling and care. 

ObLeica: My sweet old Leica IIc didn't do too well when it slipped from
my hands at the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico City neither. I watched bits 
ejecting off into the cosmos as it tumbled down the sides of the pyramid
and what I retrieved at the bottom couldn't be sensibly called a camera
anymore... ]'-)

Godfrey