Leica CM

Probably the world's best compact camera.

Incredibly high contrast lens, wonderful feel, beautiful leather case.

Incredible pictures.

A perfect tool for social reportage or photojournalism.

The pictures

The Fuji natura black at f1.9 is faster.

Contax t2

Basically a rather good little camera one should think. Purchased for Mummy use as a handbag camera and one keep at her desk. Her Nikon SLR is too bulky and heavy be kept in her handbag and thus left behind more often than not. My Contax T3 is smaller and perhaps more pocketable, yet this camera certainly able be tossed in one's jacket pocket. Overall integrity is decidedly good, impressive even. The images made with this little cracker-jack is nothing short of outstanding.
This is not a Leica MP, a Hasselblad nor a Rolleiflex, it is a high end pointe-and-shoot pocket camera that is well worth owning. When a man, his wife or any family membre pulls out this camera at a dinner party, restaurant, holiday or any where in the world he is not shamed as being a chump with an El-Cheapo throw away, but as a connoisseur with taste. Shall it make you a better photographer; absolutely not. Shall it make technically better images that most others; probably. Shall you feel better about yourself as a man: priceless.

Deutsche Quality, made in Deutschland by Deutschers. Looks expensive, impressive, and professional. Makes images almost as good as many high-quality SLR cameras. Easy use. Easy place in jacket pocket, women's handbag, hunter's shot shell bag, fisherman's tackelbox. My five year olde daughter able use it with surprising results.

A little hard get zip the separately purchased ( 120.-US) leather camera bag whence placed in its leather cradle. Not as small as the olde Contax T3.
Making that one easy payment of purchase price.

*Contax T3: owned two,now one: drunk and lost one or either it got nicked somewhere.
*Kyocera /Yashica: Cheape replacement for T3.
*Olympus: wife dropped it off grande Canyon.

I have just had the first film (Kodak HD200 Print) from this little gem developed and the results are just jaw dropping! Contrast, Sharpness, correct exposures throughout. My regular equipment is the Canon EOS1V (2 of)with "L" zoom lenses, but the little Leica CM with it's astounding F2.4 40mm Summarit lens almost equals the best that the Canons can do. I bought it to use as a useful unobtrusive discrete camera for popping out for the day somewhere or other. It may be expensive but in my opinion it is worth every penny!

Superb Lens.Superb Metering.Superb build quality.(Titanium and Leather), Leica have NOT cut corners with this compact.

Non that I have yet found.

I used to own a Konica C35 Automatic.

Not needed.

I came upon the CM in a round about way. Previously I owned a Contax T2, which, unfortunately I traded for the new rage, a digital camera. After returning from a vacation trip, my wife and I compared photographs. We both noticed that that her little Leica Mini pics were much sharper and detailed then my digital camera shots. So I began wishing I hadn't sold my Contax T2 and Contax is out of production so the T2 was no longer available and the last T3 at the dealers was sold. All they had available was a used Leica MiniLux Zoom, and new Leica CM Zoom and the CM. First I tried the MiniLux, which I liked very much and eccept for the noisy zoom, was very enjoyable to use. However, before making the final decision to buy it I though I should at least try out the CM. I found that the images were far sharper then the the MiniLux Zoom so I decided to keep it inspite of it's much higher price. This is a compact camera that is the size of most compact digital cameras which is what I wanted for vacation trips with out lugging around my large and heavy Leica 6.2R. Infact it fits very nicely in a Tamarac size 2 digital camera case with a pocket for spare battery and film. Over all I would have to rate this camera higher then my previously owned Contax T2. This camera would have to be rated as the very top in the compact point-and-shoot catagory. This includes both film and digital.

Physically a cute minature 'Replica' of the Leica M that is solidly built and shows quality construction. Very easy to use, particularly campared to p&s digital cameras with their complex minus. That little Summarit lens is almost as good as the bulky Summilux-R l:l.4 lens I have on my Leica 6.2R and that lens cost me $1200 used. Actually on 4"X6" pics you can't tell the difference. Is this a bargan or what? Very quiet and silky smooth shutter release.

When compared to a digital camera, turning the camera on and popping out the lens would be rated as slow. The manual dial for distance should have a lock button as the MiniLux does, or at least click stops because it's too easy to move the camera into an out of focus postion. If you are photographing in a noisy environment, the silent shutter can be a negative, because you can't tell if you actually took a picture and if you hold the shutter down, you are continually taking pictures and your not aware of it.

Contax T2, Leica Mini, and Leica MiniLux Zoom. Leica 6.2R.

None

You can buy a true Leica for less than 1K. That's great! The 40mm lens on this camera is a true Leica quality lens. Clarity and contrastyness of this lens makes pictures almost 3D-like. Just when I thought about going totally digital, I realized that with a reasonable scanner, you can make 16mega pixel digital photo from high quality (or any quality) film camera. 40mm lens is very close to your eyes' perspective. I like that too. This camera at $899 is a great deal because the cheapest Leica lens is well over $1,000. For just $899, you get a true Leica quality lens and a great auto/manual camera with flash. What a bargain!

Lens quality. Ease of use.

I don't know if there is any.

Ricoh GR-1 (wasn't that great)

none so far.