Robust construction, Great color rendition, Good CW meter, External flash options, Useful exposure control, Even center/edge sharpness for a PS camera.

Sharp, but not supersharp compared to older PS cameras with fixed focal length lenses (i.e. Nikon Lookflash with 35/2.8 at 1/4 the price). I wish I didn't read too much into the hype about this camera. I was also discouraged to find out from numerous sources that the camera might be made by Minolta.

Spend your money on a fixed focal length PS camera like the Contax T3 if you are critical of lens sharpness. The external flash is a must since the built in flash exhibits too much red-eye for indoor shots. Rumor has it that it might be an apocryphal Leica, perhaps an overpriced Minolta in disguise? Much like anything else these days, it's becoming vanishingly rare to find quality products at a reasonable price. However, if a PS zoom appeals to your needs, it's a very good camera with above average optical performance.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon Z70W, Nikon Tele-Touch 300, Nikon Lookflash 35/2.8, Contax T3, Leica Minilux, Yashica T4, Contax G2

High quality construction, rugged titanium case, excellent Carl Zeiss lens, big-camera features: external flash hot-shoe, tripod socket. Light and dark contrast is excellent.

2X telephoto zoom lens is just not enough for many shots. 4X or more would make this camera perfect.

The electrical, mechanical, and optical elements of this camera are first rate. I doubt there are any point-and-shoot cameras that are better made. The Leica is capable of producing postcard-perfect images using only its automatic settings. The only weakness I have seen is that it does not have a more practical telephoto range like many of the Japanese cameras. However, unlike those cameras, the Leica is extremely well-made and durable. I do not believe small springs will be breaking inside the camera, as happened with my Pentax.
Contrary to some previous reviewers, I had no trouble using the viewfinder, even though I wear glasses. One would have to have a very long nose before he or she could not easily use the viewfinder. Also, I had no trouble removing and replacing the Leica in its leather case. Overall, I am very satisfied with this camera. Its small size, light-weight, and quality construction make it a natural travel companion. I plan to use my Minolta X700 with its MD zoom 70mm - 210mm lens when making far away shots. But for the vast majority of the pictures, I plan to use the Leica for the vast majority of my pictures.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax IQZoom 140M

. Solid build (titanium shell)
. Fairly fast lens for P&S
. Hot shoe for optional flash
. Accurate meter & AF
. Almost-silent shutter
. Exposure compensation (+/-2EV)
. Almost no visible distortion at edges
. Very little light falloff at corners

. Shutter speed max only 1/250
. Not very ergonomic designed
. Easy-to-lose lens cap
. 0.7m for close focus
. No aperture-priority mode

In general this is a fine camera for day-to-day photography. Taking consistently good pictures seems a lot easier with this camera, thanks to its accurate meter and AF. I found the lens is sharp with all types of subject, but not 'tack' sharp as other reviews said. However, it's still better than my Canon EOS (w/ 28-80mm) in terms of consistency in sharpness and picture quality. I have put 8 rolls of film thru it and all photos came out consistently good (only one, maybe two, frames that are slightly out of focus in the whole 8 rolls!)

I love the quality of this camera, but it would be a better value if its price is lower (say, $600 instead of $800 retail price). If Leica would "fix" all the weaknesses that I listed above then it's defintely well worth to buy it at suggested price.

Customer Service

Neednot yet.

Similar Products Used:

. Pentax W28QD
. Samsung Evoca 70SE
. Olympus Stylus Epic

As everyone says, good lens, good sharpness, great images.
Very little flare (compared to T4 and inexpensive Canon lenses)
Nice flash, good flash modes, the "slow flash mode" (long exposure with a brief flash) works very well.
EV controls are very easy to work!
See below

A little heavy (mostly, everyone picks up the camera and says "Woah! Heavy! How much did you pay for this brick?")
Shutter release is very stiff, takes some getting used to.

I'm writing this having shot about 10 rolls of film with the camera in comparison with the T4 and my Canon AE-1. Everything was tested with either Fuji-400 or Fuji-100 color film, prints developed at a local NY professional lab (4x6's)

In every comparision, the Leica wins. The T4 can hold its own in indoor (flash) shots, but otherwise the Leica dominates.

Against the T4:
* outdoor shots are better exposed, with stronger contrast, clarity, and color saturation.
* indoor, the T4 flash tended to wash out details more than the Leica - but the difference is pretty small. In most indoor flash pictures, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference between the T4 and the Leica in the 4x6 format.
* Overall, the Leica zoom lens won me over - I prefer 70 mm portraits to 35mm portraits.

Against the SLR:
* this was really depressing - the Leica beat the SLR all over the place.
* Auto-focus and the clarity of the lens is really great. All of my Leica pictures were as sharp or sharper than my SLR - and ALL of the candids were sharper with the Leica.
* I could almost equal the sharpness of the Leica with my SLR in landscape shots, but my Canon AE-1 did not have the same color quality (the Canon was usually overexposed by a bit)
* My personal ability to focus (my Canon is not auto-focus) was clearly beaten by the Leica's automatic focus. And the simple focus lock made it really easy to get artistic shots!

Overall:
* the difference between the T4 and the Leica is pretty small in many ways - you can get great pictures from the T4. If money is an issue, it might not be worth it.
* compared to my manual-focus SLR, the Leica wins hands down. And since the price difference is pretty small, I think the Leica is the way to go (if you don't have an SLR already - but of course, we all do, don't we?)
* I'm extremely enthusiastic about the camera - it's worth the money for me.

Customer Service

Dunno

Similar Products Used:

Canon AE-1 (with a variety of inexpensive - but not completely cheap - lenses)
Yashica T4

I've had the Minilux Zoom for over a year now. It has given me enough time to work with it in most kind of conditions. I have compared it to many of my colleague's SLRs and the results are astounding.

It's the lens, its sharpness and contrast. The only thing that rivals it is the Leica M lenses.

For anyone who wants to purchase a Leica M series and can't afford the astronomical pricesm this camera is for you.

I am consistently taking gorgeous outdoor and portraits that are museum quality pictures. No kidding. The sharpness is breathtaking.

Shutter speed is only 250. Not good for action shots. The flash is limited. This is really an outdoor camera or indoor party camera if you like.

Zoom range is 35 to 70 but it is stunning at any length.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the finest 35mm camera developed if you are looking for image quality. It has become my friend forever. A highly valued acquisition.

Customer Service

Not needed yet.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F5, F4, Leica M4,

Compact and it's legend!

Not as of yet!

I've got my own Nikon N90, Canon EOS... to tell you the truth. The Leica is much easier to use and to stow. I'm starting to think whether I should sell my other camera and use Leica as a sole workhorse.

Customer Service

Don't know, never used them.

Similar Products Used:

Canon, Nikon, Mintolta, and many more.

Lense quality,add on flash, ti construction

Viewfinder small

Amazing lense quality, People can't believe that my photos are from a compact zoom point-n-shoot. I don't need to carry my big EOS 1 anymore, and frankly I think my pictures out of my little Leica are better than my pro SLR.REALLY!!! I don't leave home without it. I also like the add on flash, my kids don't have those dreaded red-eye problems anymore.

Customer Service

Never needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Contax T2, Pentax P/S