LeicaMinilux Zoom

The Leica Minilux Zoom comes out of the late 1990s — panorama switches, dated LCDs, and a few genuinely brilliant lenses hiding inside plastic shells. Catalogued as a premium zoom compact, it pairs the Leica Vario-Elmar 35–70mm f/3.5–6.5 with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: zoom version of the cult Minilux — built by Matsushita in Japan.

Format

35mm

Year

1998

Lens

Leica Vario-Elmar 35–70mm f/3.5–6.5

Shutter

1/400s

Min. focus

0.6 m

Flash

Built-in multi-mode

Battery

1× CR123A

The Leica Vario-Elmar 35–70mm f/3.5–6.5 covers wide-to-short-tele in one barrel — one lens, no decisions, point and shoot. Standard 35mm keeps it compatible with whatever Kodak, Ilford, Fuji or CineStill stock you find on the shelf today. A single CR123A lithium cell powers everything including the motor; still cheap and stocked at most camera shops. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.6 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: notorious for the 'E02' flex-cable error that kills many of them. Built for family events, holidays and anything where you'd rather reframe than walk.

Zoom compacts are still the bargain corner of the film market — pick up the Leica Minilux Zoom cheap, run a roll through it and judge whether the convenience outweighs the slower aperture.

• §1Zoom version of the cult Minilux — built by Matsushita in Japan.
• §2Notorious for the 'E02' flex-cable error that kills many of them.