Is £199 a good price for a Minilux Zoom...?

[bill]

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Title says it all.

 

It's in a dealer's window, so I can probably knock a bit more off if I haggle. It's titanium coloured.

 

Thoughts? User bewares?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[stunsworth]

Is that new or used Bill? The fixed lens Minilux was remaindered at £240 or so for a new camera.

 

I've never used the zoom, but the 40mm lens on the non-zoom version is/was a cracker.

 

The cameras were built by Panasonic if I remember correctly.

 

Ffordes - ffordes photographic : Main Index - have some used fixed lens Miniluxes starting at £149. Select Used>Compacts to see them.

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[bill]

Thanks Steve. You're right, I should have said - It's used. I have a beautiful CM that does the job superbly - I agree about that lens! - but there are times when a zoom would be useful, and I do believe that every Leica deserves a loving home...!

 

Two things that it would be useful to know are:

 

1. Does the zoom suffer from the dreaded E-02 problem?

2. Can the flash be defaulted to off, like my CM?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[gylee]

I believe that the Zoom had its own dreaded codes - E51 and E52 which also necessitated a shutter replacement although you could continue to use the camera other than on full zoom.

 

None of the Miniluxes will default to flash off.

 

If you use 400 film, don't forget that the maximum shutter speed is also slower than the CM.

 

Personally I would be extremely reluctant to purchase any Minilux. It seems like a risky proposition to me. And yes, I know that many people have been very happy with theirs for a long time. Not every Tuploev fell out of the sky either....

[andybarton]

The cameras were built by Panasonic if I remember correctly.

 

My CM has "Made in Germany" written on it, if that's a clue and definitely doesn't feel like a Panasonic camera.

[stunsworth]

Andy, you may be right about the CM, but I'm pretty sure the Miniluxes were made in Japan by Panasonic.

[masjah]

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My CM has "Made in Germany" written on it, if that's a clue and definitely doesn't feel like a Panasonic camera.

 

Andy

 

My Minilux doesn't feel like a Panasonic either! It's built like a tank, but I'm sure it's correct that Panasonic had a significant hand in its manufacture.

 

I've got to say that I'm a little bit cynical as to whether the CM was completely built in Germany. After all, isn't the R9 largely built at Leica Portugal (and absolutely none the worse for that!) with a bit of final assembly done at Solms, enabling them legally to put the "Germany" imprint on it?

 

I'm not a betting man though, so I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that maybe, just maybe, Panasonic might have a hand in the CM manufacture (and if the Minilux is anything to go by, absolutely none the worse for that!).

[rjans]

The Minilux Zoom can be set default flash off. This is done during selection of the flash modes and when arrived at the off position keeping the button pressed during a few seconds.

The Minilux can indeed not be set default flash off.

Using ISO 400 film in a ML Zoom gives problems in wide angle position and bright sunlight due to limited shutter speed (max 1/250). This can also be a problem with the Minilux (max 1/400).

Not a problem with the CM due to higher shutter speed (1/1000). I always use the CM with flash off as default.

Regards