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Minox Digital camera?


ginon_lee

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Hello. I'm a Minox(and also Rollei...sort of...I prefer Minox)

lover.

I owned a Minox(35m)PL before. Unfortunately I broke up with

my-girlfriend

and I couldn't get it back from her. Ha Ha Ha.

 

Now^^. I would like to buy a digital camera for the first time in my

life and I was looking at

Minox digital cameras. But It's very hard to find comments on Minox

digital cameras.

I found some but they were usually just technical description of the

cameras.

They didn't seem to appreciate the unique softness and colour tones

on

Minox photo at all.

They were just too "Digital" ^^

 

Have you heard any comments from Minox digital users over the world?

Do

those cameras

still hold the unique characterastics of the old Minoxs?(in the

qualities/results of the photos)

 

The specific model I'm keen on is: DC-4211. But a general review

will

be grateful.

 

Thanks.

Ginon. : alfaginon@hotmail.com

 

Regards

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Here is my understanding. Minox digital cameras are generally not much more than re-badged cameras from other manufacturers. That being said they are no better and no worse than any other digital in their respective class. Personally I would rather go with a camera like the Sony P200 or the Canon SD500 since they are superioror performing (the Minox cameras are about 2 generations out of date).
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Thank you for your reply. Hmmmmm It's a pity that Minox haven't put so much effort on their digital cameras. Too bad.

I'm thinking about Lumix dica now. (Panasonic + Leica lens,which they claim) I don't know if it's any good. Ha Ha Ha

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I disagree with the Leica option or Minox or any small traditional camera manufacturer. Digital is all about R&D and they just can not compete. They all completly rely on either re-badging or have another company make their electronics for them. That is a sure fire way of not being cutting edge. Stick with the larger camera makers and/or those that are also electronic companies. The current best sensor is the 7mp Sony one (all current 7mp digicams use the Sony chip). Sony seems to have a winner here with extra resolution, but avoided the increased ISO noise that typically comes with more resolution.

 

If you are looking for a camera to replace a Minox 35 here are a few reccomendations.

 

Sony W7 or P200 (P200 have a few extra features, but W7 can use AA (rechargeble) batteries.

 

Canon SD500 - Great compact, and finally fixes the issue of Canon digitals being slow to focus.

 

Nikon 7600 or 7900 - I have heard good things, but too new so I have not tried.

 

Casio Exilim EX-Z750 - Also read good things about this, but have not used.

 

The best overall compact digital camera (my opinion) is the Canon S70, but is is not small like the other cameras listed here. More like a typical 35mm P&S Zoom.

 

A few points you will need to consider.

 

- All compact digital camera have tons of noise at any ISO greater than 100. Avaliable light cameras they are not.

 

- All digital camera use tiny sensors and thus essentially do not have selective focus (the reason aperature priority was not a consideration in my reccomendations).

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Martin.

 

I agree with you about the lens. That's why I use Canon 10D and L glass (IMHO just as good, but different, than most leica glass with today's digital sensors). The problem, and the thing that keeps putting me off, is that no Camera maker has yet put a larger sensor on a packet camera. A 10D does not make a Minox 35 replacement (or Yashica T4 or Contax T3, etc, etc). What I have listed are the best pocket cameras currently avaliable.

 

Actually I am aghast that Minox has not made a pocket digital in the 8x11 form factor. The small digital chips are almost a perfect fit. All Minox needs to do is avoid FOV crop by designing a slightly smaller lens to better fit the standard sensors (It's much cheaper to make a new lens once than to re-design and test a new chip every few years for a custom format). Add a SD card slot and battery (preferable one AA), but omit a color LCD. Have a B&W LCD for just a histogram and some basic camera information. If they only had it shoot in RAW then they dont really need ANY more camera controls than they currently have. It will be slightly bigger then the Minox TL, but not by much at all. They can offer an attachable flash/color LCD with RAW to jpeg conversion in one module and then bob's your uncle.

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Don't rule out your first choice of Panasonic/Leica. I have an FZ1 which has an incredible 12x f2.8 lens - it is truly a fantastic camera. Very small, yet with a 38-420 zoom equivalent, image stabilization - really put the fun back into my photography.

 

I believe the latest FZ3/4 are even smaller.

 

In fact it's only 2Meg pixels - you don't just need pixels, just like you don't need neg size on 8x11...

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A quick search on the WEB turned up that all of the following are based on the same camera from Premier Image Technology Corp. Taiwan:

 

Konica Minolta Dimage E40, BenQ DC E43, Minox DC4211, Premier DC4331, Rollei Prego dp4200, Centon DC4s, Voigtl䮤er Virtus D4, Maginon Slimline X4

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Wow! Thanks Peter! It's a shocking thing to know that above cameras all come from the same manufacturer. (and I think you meant they are almost identical in technical aspects). It's just like Swatch making parts for Cartier(which is true) !!!
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Yes it is shocking, but expected. Small companies can make film cameras and maybe even a few lenes, but they can not compete in digital technology unless they stick to their niche. In other words area of the market that the major digital camera makes steer clear of. None have done so yet, but essentially they need:

 

Leica - Digital M that is just like the M7 but without film.

Contax - Digital T series (with APS sized sensor)

Minox - Digital LX.

 

I could go on but I think you got my point. Why would I buy a generic digicam from a small camera maker when I can get a generic Sony or Canon or Nikon that takes better photos, is avaliable everywhere, and is cheaper.

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