Has anyone had a chance to compare the minilux and the T3? what is the verdict. I have read so many good reviews on both but no one has actually compared them. What i am looking for is image and color quality.

Thanks

-- Rick (rsoudagar@yhaoo.com), April 20, 2002

Answers

I'm a big fan of Zeiss lenses, so I expected to like the T3 better than teh Minilux. After using them both, however, I felt the Minilux gave me sharper pictures, while the colors may have been a little warmer/more saturated with the Contax. And even though you didn't mention this as a factor, the Contax was smaller and fir into my jeans pocket. To sum it up, I was more satisfied with the pictures from the Minilux, so I traded in the T3 and now own and use a Minilux.

-- Ben Crabtree (bcrabtree@mn.rr.com), April 20, 2002.

Both are excellent Made in Japan cameras

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), April 20, 2002.

They are both top of the line cameras and either should please even a person with a critical eye. Lenses on both are excellent. The Contax focuses closer, has a faster shutter, and may be a bit quieter, and is noticeably smaller. The flash is small on the Contax so fill flash is only usefull at short distances.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), April 20, 2002.

They both deliver great image quality. The differences are in size and ergonomics. The T3 is MUCH smaller than the Minilux. Also, the T3 can be set to default to a user-specified flash condition each time the flash is turned on (i.e. flash off). On the Minilux, this must be done each time the camera is turned on, which is annoying.

-- Rolfe Tessem (rolfe@ldp.com), April 20, 2002.

Rick, not quite answering the question directly but have you considered a Nikon 35Ti ? I have had a T2 and a 35Ti - the 35Ti is streets ahead in quality - the lens is a gem and has a lovely brightness to shadows quite unlike most other lenses I have owned. Unless significant improvements have been made in the T3 I have also found the AF almost foolproof compared to the number of missed shots with the T2. The metering is excellent also handling slide film easily. Unless the T3 is a signficant upgrade to the T2 then you might like to consider the Nikon.

-- david tolcher (davidjt@btinternet.com), April 21, 2002.

I just bought the T3 because it is smaller than the Minilux. I got my first roll of film back yesterday. I shot 100 speed slide film. The results are excellent. The optical quality is outstanding and the metering is good but not as good as my Nikon F5. Given the size, features and optical quality I am very happy. I don't think Nikon makes the 35Ti any longer but I am not sure. I have heard wonderful things about it and seen published images made with it in the National Geographic.

-- David Enzel (dhenzel@vei.net), April 21, 2002.

Rick, I bought a used Minilux and didn't like the size and the (lack of) features. I hated that you had to disable the flash every time you switched the camera on. I hated the viewfinder. I loved the pics. I sodl it and bought a Contax T3. I love everything about it, except the "noisy" auto-focus everytime you shoot (à la G2.) "Noisy" has to be taken with a grain of salt, however. Great informative viewfinder, some special modes (though a bit tricky to implement, especially exposure compensation), very small size. And I love the pics even more than Minilux's. Get it. But it's expensive. Have a good time,

Olivier

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 21, 2002.

The main advantages over the Minilux that sold me on the T3 were, first, the fact that the shutter lag time is significantly shorter in the T3 once you've adjusted Custom Function 2 (CF2). Second, the already-mentioned ability to adjust what flash mode you want to be in when you turn the camera on, including "flash off". Third, the T3's capacity to take filters. And, finally, both the pocketability of the T3 and its weight are better than the Minilux's.

-- Cosmo Genovese (cosmo@rome.com), April 21, 2002.

"has a faster shutter"

Andrew this is true on paper, but does the T3 ever actually set that shutter speed? This was my main beef with the T2, I could never get the camera to set higher than 1/250th. I suspect the electronics on the T3 are the same as on the T2. If this is the case the Minilux really has the higher useable shutter speed. It is also half a stop faster - I think this would mean I would prefer a Minilux to a T3.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

Rick, Just briefly: Check out threads on EO2 error with the Minilux, which necessitates a whole new shutter. This may influence your choice.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), April 22, 2002.

(Repeat of a question I asked in a thread below) Erwin rates the 40mm lens in the Minilux better than that of the 40mm Summicron C. Who actually makes this lens? Leica or a Japanese company?

-- Joel Matherson (joel_2000@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.