Minox vs T2

[Terence Yong]

I need some feedback if anyone of you out there has used the Minox ML or
GTE, or the Contax T2. Or the Nikon 35TI for that matter. I prefer the
Minox because of its size but the price is rather high for something
without the AF and built in flash. I don't know much about the sharpness
of the Minox lens either. Is the Contax or the Nikon a better choice?
My main criteria is the 35mm F2.8 lens, must be sharp and small/light.

comment?

--
+===========================================================+
Terence C Y Yong tel:[65] 860-9769 fax:[65] 860-9952
MTU Asia Pte Ltd
MIT Department
1 Benoi Place, Singapore 2262, Republic of Singapore
+===========================================================+

[Walter Jekat]

If size and optical performance are your main criteria I would go for a
"made in Singapore" product: a used Rollei 35S.

The Rollei 35's collapsable lens makes it one of the most pocketable
products around. The all metal construction makes it extremely rugged.
Match needle metering gives you full control over apeture and shutter
speed. The Zeiss Sonnar 2.8 lens is above reproach. Many claim it to be
the best lens ever to be built into a compact camera.

Being made in Singapore the 35S is not considered "collectable" and
prices are extremely reasonable. If you have money to burn you could of
course buy a brand new made in Germany Rollei 35 Classic. Prices begin
at around $1500 US.

Best Regards

Walter

[MikeS]

In article <3u65ko$7...@sungy.Germany.Sun.COM>, wal...@Germany.Sun.COM
says, in part...

>
>If size and optical performance are your main criteria I would go for a
>"made in Singapore" product: a used Rollei 35S.
>
>The Rollei 35's collapsable lens makes it one of the most pocketable
>products around. The all metal construction makes it extremely rugged.
>Match needle metering gives you full control over apeture and shutter
>speed. The Zeiss Sonnar 2.8 lens is above reproach. Many claim it to be
>the best lens ever to be built into a compact camera.
>

I whole heartedly agree. I use an OM2 with Zuiko lenses from 28mm to
300mm. I also own a Rollei 35S (with the German Zeiss Sonnar lense). Some
years back I travelled in China with both cameras. I shot about 40 rolls
of film. The best are mixed together in an album now, and I would defy
anyone to pick the difference. The only way I can tell (other than by
obvious focal length of telephoto shots) is to look at the negatives. The
Rollei film is run thru upside down, hence the numbers are inverted on
the negatives. The quality of this little camera is suburb and I shall
hang onto it for eternity. I have also used an Olympus XA3 which is not a
patch on the Rollei, or the earlier XA2's, come to that. One tip if you
buy a Rollei 35 - keep the little screws which hold the top cover tight
and always cock the camera before trying to fold the lense away.
Good Luck
MikeS

[Martin Tai]

-> I need some feedback if anyone of you out there has used the Minox ML
-> or GTE, or the Contax T2. Or the Nikon 35TI for that matter. I
-> prefer the Minox because of its size but the price is rather high for
-> something without the AF and built in flash. I don't know much about
-> the sharpness of the Minox lens either. Is the Contax or the Nikon a
-> better choice? My main criteria is the 35mm F2.8 lens, must be sharp
-> and small/light.

I have the Contax T2 and Minox 35ML.
The Contax T2 2.8/38mm Sonnar lens is by far superior to
the 2,8/35mm Minotar lens of Minox.
Further more, my Minox lasted only a year, its shutter died.
For me, this German made camera is a disappointment.

For your reference:
The following are compact ratings by German foto Magazin:
( max = 10.0 points)

Yashica T4 9.6
Contax T2 9.4
Leica Mini II 9.2
Nikon 35 TI 9.2
Leica Mini Zoom 9
Minolta Riva Zoom 70EX 9
Nikon TW Zoom 105 9
Olympus Stylus 9
Olympus Stylus Zoom 9
Pentax Zoom 90WR 9
Konica Hexar 8.8
Minolta Riva Mini 8.8
Canon Prima Zoom Mini 8.6
Nikon EF 100 8.6
Nikon Zoom 300 AF 8.6
Rollei Prego 35 AF data 8.6
Rollei Prego Zoom AF 8.6
Samsung AF Slim R 8.6
Yashica Zoomtec 70 8.6
Canon Prima Mini 8.4
Contax TVS 8.4
Nikon AF 40 8.4
Olympus Superzoom 80W 8.4
Canon Prima Super 115 8.2
Olympus Mini AF 1 8.2
Konica Big Mini Zoom 510 8
Olympus Superzoom 110 8
Fuji DL 1000 7.8
Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX 7.8
Konica Big Mini 20 7.6
Konica Big Mini 302 7.6
Panasonic Super Mini 7.6
Canon Prima Juniors 7.4
Kodak Cameo 7.4
Pentax Espio 115 7.4
Kodak Star 1075z 7.2
Minolta Riva 35 7.2
Olympus Trip 100 7.2
Panasonic C2200ZM 7.2
Samsung AF Slim Zoom 7.2
Konica ESP30 7
Yashica Minitec AF 7
Konica Jump Shot 6.8
Ricoh AF 77 6.8
Kodak 575 6.6

You may consider Leica mini II, as it is cheaper than
Contax T2, Nikon 35Ti or the new Leica minilux

Martin Tai

[Frank Kolnick]

Walter Jekat (wal...@Germany.Sun.COM) wrote:

: If size and optical performance are your main criteria I would go for a

: "made in Singapore" product: a used Rollei 35S.

While I loved my 35S's (I've owned three, and carried two -- with
different speeds of film -- for many years), I traded them in for
Minoxes (an ML and a GTE, for the differences in metering). They're
a bit smaller, much lighter, quieter, and (in my opinion) easier to use.
As far as I can tell, the lens quality is comparable to the Rollei's.
The only (minor) detraction is that they're semi-automatic, but I
don't find this a problem. I think the Rollei is the ultimate compact
manual camera. OTOH, of the three I owned, one's meter died and one
(the only German-made of the three, oddly enough) failed in
practically all mechanical functions -- shutter release, collapsing
lens and film advance. (I'll briefly mention that I think the Minolta
CLE is the best traveller's camera ever, but leave it at that :-)

: In article l...@lantana.singnet.com.sg, yon...@merlion.singnet.com.sg (Terence Yong) writes:
: > I need some feedback if anyone of you out there has used the Minox ML or
: > GTE, or the Contax T2. Or the Nikon 35TI for that matter. I prefer the
: > Minox because of its size but the price is rather high for something
: > without the AF and built in flash. I don't know much about the sharpness
: > of the Minox lens either. Is the Contax or the Nikon a better choice?
: > My main criteria is the 35mm F2.8 lens, must be sharp and small/light.

I'm sure the T2 and 35TI are very nice. I looked at both, but they're
not my kind of camera. For simplicity and compactness, I'd go for the
Minox or Rollei (used). IMHO, AF is not necessary for a 35mm lens (I
can guess well enough, and measure if the subject is really close)
and has too many 'exceptions' (shooting through glass, shooting
something in the distance with a tree or other 'framing' object
in the foreground, placing the subject off-center, etc.). I also
find on-camera flash pretty much useless, especially on a small
camera. Unless I'm desperate for lighting, I prefer to use a faster
film (which is why I carry two cameras :-) The Minox is very easy
to hold steady at slow shutter speeds. The Rolleis, due to the
mechanical release, are not quite as easy.

--
Frank Kolnick, Basis Computer Systems Inc.

[John C. Bilello]

There is a cheap alternative to the Minox or Rollei 35 series and that
is the Kiev 35A. It is a duplicate of the Minox made in the Kiev. The
machine tools from the Minox 35EL were sold to the Ukarinians and they
are making nearly identical camera. Your will find it doesn't have the
smoothness of the originally Minox, but mind takes excellent pictures
and in two years of fairly heavy use I've had no problems. The Kiev has
one other advantage other than low price -- it uses regular silver oxide
1.5 volt batteries instead of the mercury battery used on some older
Minox cameras. jcb

[BobS31]

<of the three I owned, one's meter died and one
(the only German-made of the three, oddly enough) failed in
practically all mechanical functions -->

Not at all odd.

No production 35S was ever made in Germany. The entire production was made
in Singapore.

If you truly had a German made one it was a prototype.

If you had one that said Made in Germany that could simply have met that
someone replaced that panel on the camera with a Made in Germany one.

Bob
Bob Salomon, HP Marketing Corp., Giottos, Gepe, Heliopan, Kaiser
Fototechnik, Linhof, Minox, Rimowa, Rodenstock, Rollei, Silvestri

[BobS31]

< it uses regular silver oxide
1.5 volt batteries instead of the mercury battery used on some older
Minox cameras>

Minox offers battery conversion sets for all Minox cameras using the PX27
these sets convert the cameras to silver oxide or litium, depending on the
camera.

Minox sold no tools to Kiev.

The original Minox 35 cameras, along with the Minox and Leica 110 cameras
were not Minox, or Leica, made.

They were made by Balda. Rather than selling the tools when Minox decided
to manufacture the camera themselves Balda began making it as a private
label camera for companies like Porst.

If the Kiev company got the tools it would have been after Balda went out
of business but since you plainly state that the Kiev is not as smooth it
sounds much more like a copy. Made from the original tools it would be as
smooth operating. Additionally the exterior of the Kiev version is a much
poorer finish than an actual one also suggesting that it is not from
original tools.