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LEICA CAMERA C3 Compact 35mm Camera
Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
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Most Helpful First | Newest First | + ShareGreat strength on its Vairo-Elmar 28-80mm lens!!
(4 out of 5) by G. Hou on May 5, 2009I have owned several prestigious, metal-made P&S cameras, including Contax T2, T3, TVS, TVS III, Leica CM, Minolta TC-1. However, this Leica C3 is the one that I use the most (along with T3).
On major point is definitely its lens. It is convenient (28-80mm), which covers from true wide-angle to short telephoto. Someone may question the optic quality of this zoom lens with relatively long range. Will, just believe it! This Vario Elmar is at least as good, or better than Contax TVS III (Vario-Sonnar 30-60mm), and it's range is wider, with slightly larger apertures as well. It produces cripy and vivid color pictures. I particuly like to feed it with Fuji Reala and the new Kodak Ektar 100. Enlarge it to 12"X8" picture, and you would thought that it was taken by an SLR with a prime lens!! I have not tried slide film yet, but I believe this camera is capable for the slides as well.
Not all Leica P&S impressed this much to me, though. For example, the much more expensive CM, while not bad, disappointed me with at-the-best Contax T2 quality rather than T3 quality. Lecia Mini3 is even a worse disaster! The pictures it took look like coming from a disposable camera! But this C3 definitely far exceeds its value in terms of its optic quality.
It does have its shortcomings. First, it is big. It is OK to put in a coat pocket, but too big to hang it over the waist belt. Second, there is no way to adjust aperture or shutter speed, it is fully automatic. Third, the on-off switch quality seems not going to last for long because it feels loose (though I have used it for more than 1 year without the problem). Fourth, and common to all other Leicas, you have to press many times in order to switch the flash off or always on. Fifth, its aluminum body (it is made in China) feels better than most other plastic cameras, but not as good as the titinium-made T2, T3, or Leica's own CM.
In summary, the build and the operations of this camera are just OK. But its optic quality is top-rated!
On major point is definitely its lens. It is convenient (28-80mm), which covers from true wide-angle to short telephoto. Someone may question the optic quality of this zoom lens with relatively long range. Will, just believe it! This Vario Elmar is at least as good, or better than Contax TVS III (Vario-Sonnar 30-60mm), and it's range is wider, with slightly larger apertures as well. It produces cripy and vivid color pictures. I particuly like to feed it with Fuji Reala and the new Kodak Ektar 100. Enlarge it to 12"X8" picture, and you would thought that it was taken by an SLR with a prime lens!! I have not tried slide film yet, but I believe this camera is capable for the slides as well.
Not all Leica P&S impressed this much to me, though. For example, the much more expensive CM, while not bad, disappointed me with at-the-best Contax T2 quality rather than T3 quality. Lecia Mini3 is even a worse disaster! The pictures it took look like coming from a disposable camera! But this C3 definitely far exceeds its value in terms of its optic quality.
It does have its shortcomings. First, it is big. It is OK to put in a coat pocket, but too big to hang it over the waist belt. Second, there is no way to adjust aperture or shutter speed, it is fully automatic. Third, the on-off switch quality seems not going to last for long because it feels loose (though I have used it for more than 1 year without the problem). Fourth, and common to all other Leicas, you have to press many times in order to switch the flash off or always on. Fifth, its aluminum body (it is made in China) feels better than most other plastic cameras, but not as good as the titinium-made T2, T3, or Leica's own CM.
In summary, the build and the operations of this camera are just OK. But its optic quality is top-rated!