Customer Reviews

MINOX DCC Leica M3 5MP Digital Camera

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I am amazed at the number of negative reviews here that come from people that, incredibly, thought they were buying a "serious" camera. People, look at it. Read the specs. Go to the nearest store and hold it in your hands. This is a toy, meant to be bought for its looks. It is the cutest thing ever, it will make you the center of attention at any party. And, to top it all, it can even take pictures!

But if you expect the quality of the pictures to be the same as from a similarly priced Canon... seriously, you need to have your head examined.

I am a serious amateur photographer with professional training and own serious digital and film equipment, including film Leicas. My wife wanted me to buy this because it looked cute. It does and it is. After reading the reviews, I thought all I was getting was "cute." But having used it both in decent lighting conditions outside and severe natural light conditions inside, I am impressed and my skepticism has been overruled.

This is not the equal of a good Canon, or other brand of point and shoot with a zoom lens, ISO adjustments, image stabilization, etc., much less a digital single lens reflex. That should be obvious. And if I were buying one camera for general snapshot or travel use, this would certainly not be it.

I think of this as a "fun" camera for someone who owns a decent general purpose camera, point and shoot, or better, film or digital. It has given me some very decent photos which I have printed easily to roughly 8" x 8". Add the cute factor, the fit in your pocket factor, the conversation piece factor, use it with an SD card, and I like it -- a lot.

You should be aware that as delivered, the battery must be charged off your computer. However, it uses a very common battery used in Nokia phones, a BL-5B, so replacement batteries are easily available and so are standard wall current chargers. I have ordered both, but have not received them. This should improve the utility.

Finally, if you believe in lens caps to protect lenses, as I do, you will find that the top of a 35 mm film container with a little tape or something to slightly reduce its diameter will work reasonably well.

Fun reproduction of the old Leica "spy" camera - low end digital capabilities, but functional enough to throw it in my pocket and take candid snapshots. Anyone expecting a full function digital camera would be disappointed however

I was hoping for a better camera for its price. You are paying for the pure nostalgic miniaturization of a classic camera. My old 2.0MP Sony takes better pictures. The camera is an attention getter, though. People are amazed by the exterior detail and its size. However, it has the feel of a plastic toy. The SD card is hard to remove because you feel like you're gonna break the door that covers it. The picture quality is adequate, except they have a bluish hue which is correctable with any basic photo-editing software. Comes in a great wooden box!

I like it because it's fun to pull it out of my bag and take a quick picture. I don't keep it as a conversation piece, I'm a camera lover and get a kick out of it, it's as simple as that. I have grown-up cameras in addition to this mini that take better pictures, but I like the size and weight, it's easy to keep in my bag for quick pictures when I'm running around town. I'm not one for cell phone cameras, so this is a good compromise. The pictures are grainy when blown up, but sometimes I like that effect. The colors are sometimes wonky, esp. the blues (too blue), but I also like that effect at times, it can be accidentally beautiful. It's not extremely well-made. I keep a small piece of duck tape over the memory card door because it kept popping open. Also, the little rubber cover that protects the socket for the USB cord keeps popping open. Minox could improve these things in future versions (are you listening Minox?). Is it overpriced? Hell, yes. This camera is a personal thing, you'll know it if you need it. People who are skeptical or wondering should probably pass on it.

(Oh, and I have the flash. It works. It gives off some pretty harsh light, but if you shade it just right with your hand you can get some decent indoor pictures. The flash is a huge attachment, tho, bigger than the camera itself, kind of awkward and funny.)

the size is small enough. The package is strong and safe for transportation. The quality of image is just acceptable. Just for fun only.

The camera was lovely, for all of 8 photos before the shot button became stuck :(

The camera is a jewel, very sweet and beautiful - the pictures we did get to take turned out lovely. We were very sad to have to return it.

This item is more of a fashion gadget than a professional Leica. The pictures aren't so bad, just keep in mind it is a 5 megapixel camera. But perfect for facebook pics! And its so small that you can take it everywhere!

I have Leica and Minox cameras. Of course, both have excellent optics. So when I saw the little M3 package by Minox, I thought I'd have some fun with this little jewel. The image quality is fine, as expected, but the digital image processing seems quite grainy. Some work here will yield a much better product. A little surprised and disappointed.

If you want a camera that is going to give you amazing pictures with incredible detail, THIS CAMERA ISN"T FOR YOU.

This camera sells because of the nostalgic effect it has on people not because its a great camera. Minox could do a lot better, and I'm thinking about going to Wetzlar and talking to them next week....

Maybe the camera would work better with a Flash?, although I'm not sure it will, and I'm reluctant to buy anything more for this toy.

If you don't want to carry a hulking camera everywhere you go this is AN option.
The only luck I had was that I didn't have to pay the full 200 some euros for it, since this was the display model directly from Minox I only paid 66.50 Euros, (including shipping and 19% Tax)
still a little much for little more than a toy.