Name: Leica Mini II
Brand: Leica

A compact 35mm point-and-shoot with a Leica-branded lens and fully automatic exposure, made in Japan during a brief collaboration era.

Overview

The Leica Mini II is a 35mm autofocus compact camera from Leica. Sources cite production years of both 1991 and 1993. It's a fully automatic point-and-shoot, and the auto-exposure sets both shutter and aperture based on the scene. Leica marketed it as a cheaper, less conspicuous package than its rangefinders. It has a fixed Leica Elmar 35mm f/3.5 lens and a built-in flash that fires automatically or by manual override. The body is plastic and was made in Japan. A QD variant exists, with extra control over film speed settings. In 1993, 50,000 units were assigned serial numbers, so production looks limited, though the exact total is unclear.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Leica
Product type	Autofocus 35mm compact camera
Lens	Leica Elmar 35mm f/3.5
Minimum focus distance	0.65m
Shutter speed range	1/5s - 1/250s
Film format	35mm
Film speed settings	Automatic for DX-coded films (50–1000 ISO); QD variant also supports manual 100 ISO
Exposure	Auto Exposure
Flash	Built-in flash, automatic or manual override
Power source	3V lithium battery (CR123A)
Body	Plastic
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Conflicting sources: 117 x 63 x 42 mm, 118 x 65 x 41 mm, and 118 x 65 x 38.5 mm
Weight	160 g

Design

The Leica Mini II has a plastic body made in Japan, with the minimal shape typical of 1990s point-and-shoots. It carries a fixed Leica Elmar 35mm f/3.5 lens and a built-in flash that the user can set to fire or not. It's small and easy to use. Exposure and focus are fully automatic, so there's nothing to set by hand.

Context

The Leica Mini II was released in 1993 as part of a collaboration with Minolta. It is based on Minolta's Freedom Escort platform. Leica was adding more accessible, mass-market compacts to its lineup at the time, and kept its optical branding on them.