#HTE

Leica’s Instant Camera: Funky, Fun and Affordablesque

The new Sofort might be the least Leica-like Leica ever, which is arguably awesome. It’s clunky, it’s silly, it’s relatively cheap, and it features very few knobs, bells or whistles. Instant cameras are a niche product, especially now that everyone has a multi-megapixel camera and photo roll in their pants at all times, but their popularity is still growing.

Whether you hate or appreciate the premise of instant photography, this design seems like a well done step outside of Leica’s normal lane. …Though they might have stepped onto the old Instagram logo.

The Sofort uses Fujifilm Instax Mini film, as well as its own white-banded options in black and white, or color. Early testers report surprisingly good definition and saturation, which (like all instant photo expectations) should be taken with a large grain salt. 

#liveauthentic #Iguess

As you’d expect, at around $300 it’s still a stretch more expensive than most other options. But unlike cheaper options, the Sofort has four preset exposure modes for your instantaneous snapping (Auto, Macro, Party & People, Sports & Action). Its delayed flash mechanism ostensibly improves on exposure quality. And it also allows control over focusing distance and brightness, which seems small but certainly improves on the standard.  

And can you selfie with it? You know it. With its mirror-assist, this thing is going to be cropping up in travel bags and music festivals in the blink of an eye.

As with most Leica options, there are notable similarities to other cameras (namely the Instax Mini 90), and the difference is in a sense of quality and a distinctive aesthetic. Unlike most Leica offerings, this one is pretty affordable and really intended just for fun.