Mo Stuff!

I was a bit non-plussed while reading the Photokina reports this year at the strange things that were being introduced. Some of them seemed a little odd as marketing choices. Now I have had a chance to see one of them in the shop and I am somewhat reconciled.

The Sofort camera from Leica seemed a strange departure for a company that had always been known for extremely professional and extremely expensive cameras and lenses. It was, after all, an instant camera with some sort of connection to the Japanese Fujifilm Instax line. If the designers were not the same people, they at least did lunch together. Sushi and sauerbraten?

The actual camera in the shop is really rather nice, and the colour decision for the blue and brown panels is delightful. Very Germanic in a high fashion way. The operation would appear to be pretty near that of the Instax line and the resultant print very much so. Note that Leica are wisely not re-branding the film packets.

What they are doing is providing some fun accessories with the basic system...designed around the storage and display of the instant prints. As there are no accessories to add to the basic camera and it works away undisturbed, you get to spend your extra money downstream with the picture albums.

None of it, from camera and film to albums and display frames, is break-the-bank prices. You can afford to give or get one as a gift this year and have a lot of fun with it.

Instant Leica....never thought you'd say that, did you? Wonder what old HCB would have thought of it all...