Minilux Zoom vs C1

I'm considering buying a Leica PS camera. The recent C1 seems attractive. With a longer zoom (38-105) and better shutter speed range than the Minilux Zoom, the C1 is also priced at half the Minilux Zoom. Aside from the titanium body, is the lens on the Minilux so much better than the C1? What are other differences in performance between these two PS cameras? Advantages and disadvantages?

<p>

Thanks for any tips and suggestions!

-Niki

You are right, the C1 has a 1/500 shutter speed as opposed to the

maximum 1/250 of the Minilux. How useful is this? These are not

shutter priority cameras! You cannot set the shutter speed, the

camera decides that. To get to 1/500 you will need to use 3200ASA

film or be as close to the Sun as Mercury!

<p>

The 105mm focal length has a fast aperture of f10.5! So forget

anything slower than 400ASA films, even in the brightest of light.

<p>

Anyway, both these two "advantages" are useless in my opinion. But

the half price sure is not. I don't know how the C1 optics compare to

the Minilux Zoom. I would like to know too.

<p>

If you want the ultimate optics in a small compact camera then

nothing can compare to the Contax TVSIII in my humble opinion. Top

notch lens in that unit.

The Minilux has the edge in the speed of its lens both over the C1

and the TVSIII. For that reason alone I would go with the zoom

Minilux. The C1's f10.5 lens at 105 is pretty useless if you ask me.

If still available online, read paragraph 10 of the following review

of the TVS III and see why the writer decided not to include the C1 in

his comparison.

<p>

http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/galleries/essays/101300.htm