polabanner.gif
instantphoto.eu              Leica Sofort
  
 

The Leica Sofort is, like the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic, one of the most advanced cameras for Instax Mini film. The camera is based on the Neo 90 and made by Fuji, Leica furnished the design and some minor changings to the menu. I was introduced in fall 2016. There is a hybrid successor, the Leica Sofort 2, again based on a Fuji Instax camera.

It's features:

Film Leica Sofortbild or Fujifilm "Instax Mini", both colour and b/w
Picture size 62 x 46mm
Lens Move in/out type lens, 2 components, 2 elements, f=60mm, 1:12.7, 34mm equiv.
Viewfinder Real image finder, 0.37x , with target spot and parallax adjustment for makro mode
Focusing Motor-driven 3-range switching: 0.3 - ∞ (macro mode 0.3 - 0.6m, normal mode 0.6m - 3m, landscape mode 3m - ∞)
Shutter Release

 Programmed electronic shutter release, 1/8 - 1/400 sec. shutter speed  (macro mode: aperture automatically fixed at F22, bulb mode: maximum 10-second shutter open time)
Exposure control Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO 800): LV5.0 - LV15.5, Compensation (Lighten-Darken Control): ± 0.7 EV
Film Feeding Out Automatic
Flash
 Automatic electronic flash (with brightness adjustment function), forced firing mode (with brightness adjustment function), flash off mode, red eye reduction mode
LCD Exposure counter (number of unexposed films), 5 Buttons: ON/OFF, Mode, Flash, Self timer, Brightness control. Mode button: Automatic, Selfie, People&Party, Action&Sport, Bulb, Macro, Self-Timer, Double Exp.
Power Supply NP-45A lithium-ion battery.charge capacity: 10 film packs (based on our test conditions)
Others Tripod socket
Dimensions & Weight 122 x 94 x 58 mm( W x H x D) 310g (without batteries, strap and film pack)



Some photos:

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_144836121.jpg
The box. There has been an outer packaging on some.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_144855073.jpg
Box from the other side.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_144913294.jpg
Lid open.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_144928627.jpg
First compartment.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145020276.jpg
Second compartment.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145603350.jpg
What's in the box: camera, battery, charger with 2 different connectors, strap and lots of instructions in multiple laguages.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145737480.jpg
The battery has to be inserted first.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145909619.jpg
The essentials.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145940514.jpg
Front. Selfie mirror, viewer and flash. The ring around the lens lets you switch between standard mode (0.6m-3mm) and landscape (3m-infinity).

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145956614.jpg
Back with control panel.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150035836.jpg
Camera on, standard setting. The LCD shows the number of photos left, the battery charge and the shooting mode, standard setting on the photo. The camera always starts as default with automatic flash and standard mode (0.6 - 3m) distance setting. All other modes have to be set manually. To switch to landscape mode, you have to action the ring around the lens. Landscape mode switches the flash off ans chooses a small aperture.

There are 5 distinct setting buttons: ON/OFF, Mode, Flash, Self timer, Brightness control.

Mode settings:
Selfie mode, 0.3-0.6m, uses flash.
Party mode, 0.6-3m, sets longer exposure times or more flash to light the background as well, uses flash.
Sports mode, 0.6-3m, sets shorter exposure times to get moving subjects in focus, uses flash.
Macro mode, 0.3 - 0.6m, adjusts the finder and sets aperture to F22, so be prepared for longer expoure times, uses flash.
Double exposure, lets you get 2 different pictures as an overlay on one frame, uses flash.
Bulb mode, allows exposure times as long as 10s and sets flash off. This definitely needs a tripod.

 One press on the mode setting button lets all settings blink. Push a second time or more often to move through the settings, until you reach the desired one. If you wait about 2s, the blinking setting is set and stops blinking. To cycle to a new settings you have to press again, it blinks, and while it blinks you can move on.

 Flash settings: auto, forced flash, red eye reduction and flash off.

Self timer setting: sets a 10s delay, there is a 2s setting to avoid shake from pressing the shutter.

Lighten/Darke setting: standard, +0,7 and -0.7.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150302034.jpg
Selfie mode. Flash on.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150410184.jpg
Makro mode, flash on.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150501739.jpg
Makro mode with flash set off. The flash sign keeps blinking.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150004382.jpg
Bottom with tripod mount, quite off th center.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_145949565.jpg
Top with shutter button.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150045607.jpg
Camera on. The lens is massive...

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_150054179.jpg
,,,and extends quite a bit.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_153353748.jpg
Camera with original simili-leather Leica strap.

../jpgother/leica_sofort_IMG_20261008_161104894.jpg
Film compartment.

The Leica Sofort is inscribed in landscape mode and its buttons and screens are oriented that way, whereas the Fuji neo 90 is oriented in portrait mode.

For the moment this is one of the two best cameras for Fuji Instax Mini Film. It's technically the same camera as the Fuji Neo 90. With a wide range of settings it can be adapted to most situations to give nice results. But even in automatic mode it mostly copes with the subject. A very nice find. This camera gets it right in nearly every situation, so I'm pleased with it.

back