Leica Instant Camera

[unityofsaints]

Haven't seen this posted here yet, could be quite interesting imo and could to be building the momentum created by that B&W film announcement.

• Lens: Auto-Hektor 1:12,7/60mm lens (34mm equivalent on 35mm film)
• Three focusing zones: Macro (no distance in the info) / Standard 60cm-3m / Infinity 3m-infinty
• Will take Fuji-Instax film (62x46mm pictures)
• Selfie mode
• Price: under 300€
• Shipping in November
• Three colors available: white, orange and mint

Source - Discuss!

 

[4season]

I like it! Whether I like it well enough to pay the 3x premium over a Fujifilm-branded product is another matter: The relocated strap lugs would be handy for me but otherwise I'm not seeing where Leica added any value to it?

 

[redstarjedi]

otherwise I'm not seeing where Leica added any value to it?

IF it's a superior lens to what fuji offers...

 

[EASmithV]

What I would like to see is more control over exposure. They said that Leica did thier own GUI, so we'll see.

What annoys me is why they are doing so much more with the minis than the bigger ones. There is like a dozen mini models in the market, all slightly different and some even have a Bulb setting and morenintelligent meters for longer exposures.

Why no love for the 210 wide format?!?? They put effort into making a great format, but hobble it with a very limited camera... and the one they made that was slightly better, they discontinued! Hell, if they made a 4x5 back for the 210 film, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Missed opportunity it seems to be. For the small size Instax film there's already the perfectly nice Neo 90 and this seems to offer no more controls or functionality (only the nice mint color). They should've either added more exposure / focus control and / or offered a camera that takes Instax Wide film in a body less hideous than Fuji & Lomo.

 

[MartinP]

Why no love for the 210 wide format?!?? They put effort into making a great format, but hobble it with a very limited camera... and the one they made that was slightly better, they discontinued! Hell, if they made a 4x5 back for the 210 film, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.

Lomo do (or did) make a separate back for Instax Wide. It is supposed to be used on another of their cameras but can apparently be fiddled with to work on several machines.

 

[mshchem]

Needs a rangefinder and a 90mm Zeiss lens

 

[Henning Serger]

Hi,

it's official now:
https://de.leica-camera.com/Photogr...oduct_url&utm_content=sofort.leica-camera.com

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Dinis Figueira]

Is the price jump really worth it?
And I mean, it's a fun camera, not to take the sharpest pictures ever

And I support the above. Instax Wide is getting no love.

 

[darkosaric]

Smart move ! If Fuji sells 5,7 million cameras - then they can sell couple of thousands at least.
Fuji Neo 90 costs 140€ here, interesting to see what will be the price of Leica Sofort.

 

[Dinis Figueira]

Double maybe?
It's leica so...

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Smart move ! If Fuji sells 5,7 million cameras - then they can sell couple of thousands at least.
Fuji Neo 90 costs 140€ here, interesting to see what will be the price of Leica Sofort.

279 Euros for you in Germany: https://www.meister-camera.com/en/c_leica_compact/84.
Here is £215: http://www.reddotcameras.co.uk/356-sofort-camera.

 

[canuhead]

a sharper (debatable) lens on this camera is rather pointless, imo, as integral instant film is never going to look super sharp to begin with. If it were peel apart, then perhaps, but not integral.

 

[AgX]

Exactly, the image area is so small that quite some abberations of the lens will not be detected by an unaided eye.
And enlarging will be hampered by the low resolution of dye diffusion materials.

 

[darkosaric]

Instax films:
Resolving power 12 lines/mm

 

[guangong]

Marketing, pure marketing. But some people will pay a lot extra for that little red dot. Just look at the sudden drop in the s camera price with introduction of Pentax me digital camera.

 

[AgX]

Instax films:
Resolving power 12 lines/mm

All dye-diffusion films are around that resolution.

 

[Henning Serger]

a sharper (debatable) lens on this camera is rather pointless, imo, as integral instant film is never going to look super sharp to begin with. If it were peel apart, then perhaps, but not integral.

That is wrong, fortunately!
Friends of mine have built an Instax Wide back for a large format camera. I've seen the results with a high quality LF lens: it's excellent quality. Very close to FP100c packfilm.
And the difference in comparison to the results with the Instax Wide 210 camera is huge (I am using both packfilm and Instax, I know the materials very well).
So higher quality cameras and lenses for the Instax system make a lot of sense.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

Instax films:
Resolving power 12 lines/mm

From the results with much better lenses I've seen so far (see above) I wouldn't be surprised if the resolution is indeed even higher. In all the years running tests in my optical test lab I've seen that the resolution values Fujifilm has published are often quite conservative. I've surpassed their values with several of their films in my tests.
Looks like I have to add some resolution tests of Instax film in the future...... .

Best regards,
Henning

 

[RattyMouse]

So higher quality cameras and lenses for the Instax system make a lot of sense.

Best regards,
Henning

Not to Fujifilm. They only sell toy cameras with plastic lenses for INSTAX. Despite years upon years of enthusiasts asking for better, Fujifilm serves up toy after toy.

 

[Henning Serger]

Not to Fujifilm. They only sell toy cameras with plastic lenses for INSTAX. Despite years upon years of enthusiasts asking for better, Fujifilm serves up toy after toy.

Maybe better cameras are already in the design process there. Nobody knows.
Here on apug lots of people have said Fuji will never introduce further Instax films. And now we have even two new Instax films.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[AgX]

Not to Fujifilm. They only sell toy cameras with plastic lenses for INSTAX. Despite years upon years of enthusiasts asking for better, Fujifilm serves up toy after toy.

A "Plastic lens" not necessarily is one-piece meniscus. And it is not with Instsax.

See also post #14

 

[RattyMouse]

Maybe better cameras are already in the design process there. Nobody knows.
Here on apug lots of people have said Fuji will never introduce further Instax films. And now we have even two new Instax films.

Best regards,
Henning

You are right, two new films. That is amazing. With Fujifilm, I always, always fail to give them the benefit of the doubt because they are such an anti-film company.

Their cancellation of the Klasse series of cameras was a gutless move (just ONE example on how they fail to support film). If they can't sell a camera like that in today's world, they should simply just strike the name film out of their corporate name.