The first thing you notice about the Leica C1 with 38-105mm aspherical zoom lens is its refreshingly sleek styling. It's a compact camera that truly looks like a Leica; its curved edges and black aluminum body are quite reminiscent of the classic Leica M series cameras. Of course, being a compact, it is slightly smaller than an M series camera in both width and length, and much lighter. If you're already a Leica fan, you're almost guaranteed to fall in love with the well-styled, easy-to-use Leica C1.
This fully automatic camera offers a remarkable variety of mode selections beyond flash-on/flash-off. For example, there is a setting for bright light situations (such as a snowy field or the beach) where it is necessary to compensate for the normal exposure calculation the light meter would make. It also offers an ample automatic shutter speed range, from 1/500 to 30 seconds, with timed manual exposures of up to 99 seconds.
We shot a test roll with outstanding results in a wide array of lighting situations--from low light indoors using the flash, to late afternoon sun at the lake, to neon hotel signs at night (see sample photos by clicking "More Photos" above). The sophisticated zoom lens worked fast and allowed us to compose our shots quickly. The focal length of the lens can be adjusted to five different settings: 38mm, 60mm, 75mm, 90mm, and 105mm.
Most of the exposures on our test roll of slides were right on the money with the C1. The exposure meter averages light from the entire picture frame but gives higher consideration to the light inside the autofocus frame. There is also a feature that allows you to lock the focus and exposure settings on a subject, even if that subject is not in the center of the photo.
The flash will automatically go off in low-light situations unless you change to a mode that turns it off. We forgot to change this for a couple of our shots and this was the only time the exposure didn't work out the way we wanted it to, but of course you could chalk that up to user error. The C1 felt so much like an M6 (our usual camera) in our hands that we actually found ourselves wishing it weighed more (to make it easier to hold the camera steady)--but again, this was something that should improve with greater familiarity. One thing that might improve ease of use would be a shutter-release button that stood up slightly above the surface of the camera to make it easier to find the button when looking through the viewfinder. But this is a minor complaint. Overall, we would recommend this camera very highly, with no reservations.
About Leica Seventy-five years ago, the first Leica camera was introduced to the public at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair. At the time, it was by far the most innovative 35mm camera ever produced (as well as one of the very first). Since then, no camera in the world has been more widely acclaimed for continuously meeting the highest standards of excellence in both optical precision and design quality. Notably, many internationally acclaimed photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Sebastião Salgado have used Leica cameras throughout their careers. We think you'll find that Leica compact cameras maintain the same integrity as the M and R models used by the pros, but at more affordable prices. The lenses in all Leica 35mm cameras are still designed by the Leica optical department in Solms, Germany. Every compact camera is also tested for quality in Germany before being released. When you choose Leica, you are buying into one of the great traditions in the history of photography. --Walt Opie
Product Description:
The LEICA C1 quickly proves itself as a reliable companion in a world full of visual stimuli that often demand the ability to make an on-the-spot decision: Wouldn't now be just the right opportunity to take a picture to make this special moment last a lif