None at the moment - I cannot believe that I have the same camera as the rest of the reviews on this page!

Exposure defective out of the box, first camera replaced by Leica UK after wait of 5 weeks. Replacement camera takes some of the worst pictures I have ever seen - uneven exposure across the picture - flash seems to do its own thing - first overexposed then underexposed. All in all pictures are no better than any $100 P&S camera.

Leica must be the most over-rated camera on the market, their quality control is definatly suspect - I have never had any item of camera equipment defective out of the box but now I have had 2 cameras in sucession.

Customer Service

Apalling - Bought the camera from the 'The Classic Camera' dedicated leica dealer in London. When I took the first camera back they were not interested - said it was not their problem take it up with Leica!. Leica UK were no better took ages to replace camera and many phone calls - if this is the best service Leica can come up with I am thankful that I only spent $400 not $4000. A thoroughly disagreable service.

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Have always used Nikon (FM, F801, F3) in the past and am now regretting ever leaving them - if i can get some money back on this camera will go straight back to Nikon

Camera produces great pics in difficult circumstances. The optics are amazing. Colours and contrast etc. compare to best SLR's.

Price? well, quality can't be for nothing

If you need a compact, high-performing camera this is the one. It's as good as a SLR. It's strong and compact. Take it to Mount Everest and you will get the best pics!

Customer Service

Haven't needed this

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Nikon

Superior construction
Aluminium body
Great lens
Simple control layout
Whisper-quiet zoom

No case (see comment in review)
Not weatherproof
Price (but, you get what you pay for)

Well, I originally bought the Olympus Mju Zoom Wide (Stylus, in the States), and after a day in the mountains and two rolls of film, I decided that it was a bit flimsy feeling, especially the zoom toggle, which I felt was bound to break (no doubt, just after the waranty expires). So, I traded it in and ponied up the extra scratch for the Leica. Well, my friends, there is no comparison. The Leica should be in the Museum of Modern Art. It is simple, sturdy, ergonomic, and the lens is a real beaut. It just feels well made. I just got my first roll back from the photo shop and the prints are spectacular. Crisp images, great colour saturation, and a nice, balanced flash. Incidentally, for those of you complaining about the lack of a case in the package (and I agree), I kept the leather case that I bought for the Olympus, and it fits the Leica perfectly - and it's only about $15.

Customer Service

Not needed so far

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Olympus Mju Zoom 80

First, it's a Leica! Its size is quite handy but not perfect (see review below). It appears to be quite rugged because I accidentally dropped mine and did no harm cosmetically or mechanically. Another of its great strengths is the Elmar lens formula, noted for 50+ years for sharpness and contrast. It is whisper-quiet in operation, too. I like the bracketing feature as well as "Time" and "Bulb" exposure settings. It has a good, sound "feel" in general.

All is not sweetness and light, however. Its diminutive size makes it a bit tricky in big hands like mine. The on/off switch is far too small, and the mid-roll rewind button is smaller still! The LCD window is sharp but quite small and not the brightest I've seen. The time it takes the flash to re-charge is absurdly long and Leica needs to bring out a field modification for that.

A superb little camera but not without its shortcomings. Don't pay list for it, though, unless you value prestige more than economics. They ARE available at discounts.

Customer Service

Haven't needed Leica's yet but past experience with them was very good but very expensive.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax WR-90 Zoom P&S
Pentax ZX-50 SLR
Leica M-series RF

* Reasonable size (though not the smallest)
* Rugged
* Quiet Operation
* Sharp pictures
* Useful 38-105 zoom
* Sylish construction
* Data imprint on pictures

I've owned this camera for about six months and used it traveling extensively in the US and Europe. It makes an excellent travel companion when you might otherwise leave your SLR at home.

Others have praised the good features, so I'll be more critical and point out some of the C1's quirks:

* Price - This obviously isn't a value-oriented camera, so it's high price is expected.
* In my opinion, the worst feature is that it always powers on in the default mode. For example, if I set redeye reduction, snap a couple of pictures, then turn off the camera for awhile--- it doesn't power back up in the same mode that was last used. This is very annoying for such an expensive camera.
* Redeye reduction doesn't work very well. I think this is the negative side of having a powerful flash on a small camera.
* 1/500 max shutter speed won't stop fast action, but this is common among P&S cameras.
* The slick aluminum case and rounded corners make it stylish and easier to carry, but difficult to securely grip in some conditions. (Like when wearing gloves)
* The zoom is not a continuous zoom like an SLR. It zooms in discrete steps, which doesn't give you complete freedom in cropping shots. Sometimes you need to zoom in between the factory settings.
* Holding the shutter release takes multiple picutures. While this can certainly be useful at times, you often end up with multiple exposures. This is especially true when you hand the camera to someone for the first time. If you ask someone else to take your picture -- expect to get three unless you explain it all first.

(If other C1 owners have solutions for these problems, drop me an email.)

I checked this site before I bought and was amazed at the positive comments on the C1 at the time. Given the price and Leica name, I had really high expectations for this camera. Perhaps too high. Maybe those reviewers were rationalizing their decision to spend too much on a P&S camera.

This is a good P&S, but it's still a P&S. I don't see it replacing my SLR. From the quality of construction, I do believe that this camera will still be taking good pictures years from now.

Due to the annoying quirks listed above, I don't think I can recommend it without reservation.

It's a mixed bag. It takes good pictures, but the overall package leaves something to be desired for the price. I think you can do as well for less money.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Vectis 300 APS
Pentax P&S (ancient)
Canon SLRs

-Compact size
-Ease of Use
-Quality of Pictures

-Price

This is an awesome camera. After my camera died on vacation, I bought this one. My dad was a professional photographer and we had Leicas lying all around the house all the time. Being the son of a photographer, of course I am clueless when it comes to cameras. So I bought the only name I knew. All the other crappy point and shoots always took sucky pictures. This camera is AWESOME. My family thought my dad took the pictures with his old Leicas. It was hysterical. Thhis is one of the best buys I have ever made. Was expensive, but hey..... IT DIES ALL THE WORK!

Customer Service

Haven't used yet

Similar Products Used:

-Cheap P&S Cameras

Extremely sharp lens; very well built body; classy looks; smooth operation.

Step zoom; shutter release, other buttons difficult to feel and depress; not the world's best viewfinder.

I have come to love this camera despite its small flaws, and it will accompany me on future travels loaded with ASA 400 print film. It can't and won't replace my Nikon SLRs, but it handles print film beautifully and, as P&S cameras go, does a more than respectable job with slide film. The E100VS that I exposed in it was exposed about as accurately as it would have been in a good SLR, and the images were strongly color saturated and sharp. The camera's aluminum casing has a wonderful "feel" to it for those tiring of cheap plastic blobs. I strongly recommend it, particularly if you are lucky enough to buy it at the heavily discounted price I paid.

Customer Service

Haven't needed.

Similar Products Used:

Several Olympus and Pentax P&S cameras.

Looks nice. Sharp pictures. Stepped zoom.

Not suitable for slide film. No useful manual overrides. Expensive due to name, not overall quality.

There is a lot of praise here for this camera, but I really think that most of this is due to the Leica name rather than reality.

Don't get me wrong, this camera takes good photographs, but definitely not better than other, cheaper, P&S cameras. Both my Canon and Olympus P&S produce pictures indistinguishable from the Leica. Those claiming that the Leica C1 produces better photos than quality SLRs are living in some other universe or, perhaps, trying to justify the money they spent.

For the price and the Leica name, I would have expected the ability to use slide film. But the exposure system of the C1 isn't accurate enough and there is no way to fix that. The only override, of limited use, is a fixed +2EV setting.

The very common, and useful, diopter adjustment is not included here. The zoom is "stepped" rather than continuous. Although that seemed odd at first, it turned out to be the best feature of the C1. Unlike many of the other P&S cameras, the C1 must be kept perfectly dry at all times (clearly stated in the manual) limiting it's usefulness. The metal case, which looks good, scratches very easily.

If you have money to burn, love the Leica name, or like the look and feel of the Leica C1, go for it. If you are looking for sharp well-exposed negatives, save your money and go for a P&S with a less hyped name but equal performance.

Customer Service

Not used.

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Lots of 35mm, 6x7, and other P&S.

Great metering
Bulb setting
Feels expensive

No aperture or shutter priority.
No backlight on display.

For a SLR quailty, zoom camera under $400 that fits in your pocket there are no other options. Awesome results with 200 speed film. Plus I seem to manage an extra picture or two per roll becuase it does not use alot of film to load.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Contax, Canon, and Olympus.

Fine optics -- I posted an earlier review praising this camera, but wanted to update that review after owning the camera 6 months.

That slick metal exterior is a major drawback -- too slick.

On an October trip to Spain, the C1 popped out of my hands and fell 3 feet to a stone walkway. You might associate "metal" with "robust", but my C1 was useless after that fall. Glad I had a cheapo Canon backup that got me through the next two weeks.

Definitely my fault, but
for the record, I don't drop cameras often. My last victim was a Mamiya 645 in 1981, perched on a tripod on a rickety table for a difficult interior shot.
I was directing 6 musicians and my attention wandered for a second.

Nice optics, but several brands (Olympus) are nearly as good, half the price, and less prone to aerobatics. Stay clear until Leica adds a more grippable surface.

Customer Service

Absurd -- 4 month repair time, if everything goes smoothly, which seems to be the exception. I sent my C1 in November and just got the estimate on March 22 -- $186.

I told Leica to keep the camera, and am climbing into the Olympus camp.

Sheesh...

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Pentax 90 WR, Canon SureShot 105