Minox's replica vintage Rolleiflex digicam
Minox's high-precision replica of the vintage Rolleiflex 6x6 camera doesn't meet any of my requirements in a a digicam — it's not sleek, thin and it only has a 5-megapixel camera — but good lord, is it sexy. The finder is waist level and you have to turn the crank to prepare the next shot (I was hoping you'd have to continuously turn the crank to record a video clip, but I can't find any mention of that). The Minox Rolleiflex even comes in whore red, albeit for €30 more than the black model's €299 retail price. I need to buy a new digicam and this won't be it, but I really wish it could be.
Minox DCC Rolleiflex AF50 [Let's Go Digital]
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I personally use an old Rolleicord (that's a Rollei with Schneider optics rather than Zeiss) that shoots 120mm roll film. The thing I love about the camera is precisely the viewfinder placement and they way you look down into it. If you're looking to capture candid photos from a unique perspective this is a great way to do it. Nothing kills spontaneity faster than putting a camera in front of your face and pointing it at someone. This should be a serious consideration for someone looking for more unique images. The square format changes the way you compose the shot as well - heck it might get some folks to actually compose a shot. This is a beautiful camera. Besides, 5 megapixels is more than enough for all but the pros and megapixel whores (when was the last time you posted a raw 10 megapixel image to your flickr page? Never? Oh that's right). The question is not numbers of megapixels but true image quality, which I imagine this camera has in abundance.
old is the new new!
Drift, our imaginations disagree. My take is that this is a glorified cell-phone camera. It interpolates from 3 real megapixels to 5 fake megapixels. Having shot medium format, you of all people should have a sense of how quality is directly correlated with the size of your media. This sensor is probably smaller than my (small) pinkie fingernail. This will not only sacrifice sheer detail but dynamic range as well. The files it spits out are going to look distinctly "digital" as a result:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8219648@N04/512638237/
I am the first person to appreciate aesthetics & how they affect your photographic experience, but this camera throws out the baby with the bathwater, as they say.
Now if they made a digicam in the form of one of the old Minox spy cameras, THAT would be way cool.
Okay, don't get too excited. When I first saw this a few months ago my heart almost stopped, too. So beautiful! So (sorta-)affordable!
But then I did a little research after I'd calmed down a little: guys, it's a MINIATURE replica...it's three inches high.
http://tinyurl.com/39vy8r
Basically, this is a glorified keychain.
I love the original cameras. Inherited one from my dad. Digital has its' uses, but film is the way to go.
What's the little crank-looking thing for?