Is instant film dead? Not by a long shot! Read this Leica Sofort review for image samples, specs and everything you need to know about this fun and enjoyable camera.
1. What is the Leica Sofort?
The Leica Sofort is an instant camera made by Leica. It doesn’t shoot digital versions of the images, the only image you get is the positive image (What is printed). It is Leica’s only instant camera ever and based off the Fuji Neo 90.
1.1 Specifications
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Camera name | Leica Sofort |
| |
| Camera type | Instant camera |
| Film compatibility | Instax mini |
| Lens type | Fixed |
| Lens (35mm equivalent) | 34mm |
| Max aperture | f/12.7 |
| Dimensions | 4.88 x 3.7 x 2.28 inches |
| Weight | 0.67 lb / 306.2 g |
| Positives | + Fun + Color choices + Unique camera + Flash look |
| Negatives | – Discontinued – No USB charging – Plastic |
| Where to get | Check For Best Price |
1.2 Leica Sofort review: What are the pros and cons?
One of the biggest pros of the Sofort is the fact that it brings back the fun in photography. You don’t need to deal with aperture, shutter speed and ISO, you don’t need to think about subject distance, etc. You can simply point, shoot and get a photograph in your hands. If you are yearning for a simpler camera that brings you joy, this is the best aspect of the Sofort.
The con of the camera is simply that it requires film to shoot. This comes with the territory of course but the good news is, this takes regular Instax mini film, and these are available everywhere. Drop by any camera shop in a relatively large city and you can get your refill of film.
1.3 Is the Leica Sofort Worth it?
The Leica Sofort is worth it. There’s nothing like pulling it out and shooting and just having fun with photography vs having to think like a photographer all of the time. This is the equivalent of a mental vacation for photographers, and newcomers can get into the joy of film photography.
Moreover Leica has some really nice, unique Sofort colors like the funky orange or the classy black version. This is in sharp contrast to the Fuji Instax Neo 90 mini that only has a brown or black with silver stripes, that ironically is probably based off older rangefinder Leicas. next section of the Leica Sofort review: Film compatibility.
1.4 Film compatibility
The Leica Sofort is compatible with Instax mini film. Leica has their films and so does Fuji. You can find both color and monochrome film but in the wild and in camera shops only the color film tends to be in stock.
The films are mostly identical but the Leica versions have a beige border to them that mimics the old Polaroids vs the Fiji branded film that has a white border. Speaking of borders, there are plenty of options available like Hello Kitty borders, rainbow, pink and blue borders and more, but again in the wild you will mostly find the plain white border color film, and that is probably all you need.
2. Leica Sofort review
Now let’s get into the Leica Sofort review proper with a first note about the image quality
2.1 Camera body
The Sofort is shaped like a square and it makes it irrelevant if the camera is either in landscape more or in portrait mode. There are basically 4 components to the camera, the shutter release, the viewfinder, the buttons and LCD in the back and the focus ring in the front.
The camera is made of plastic but it does feel high quality and there are multiple colors to chose from from neon orange to a more subdued and classic black. Unlike the Fuji Neo 90, this doesn’t look like an old Leica rangefinder at all, but it has it’ charms.
The camera is not rechargeable by USB, but it is supplied with a charger. There is relatively long battery life of 100 shots per charge so assuming you shoot 10 images per day here and there, it can last up to a month without any issues.
Last point about the body in our Leica Sofort review, the viewfinder is optical and is pretty much a straight image. In the center there is a sort of circle that is divided in half but that is about it.
2.2 Sofort Image quality
Let’s move on to image quality in our Leica Sofort review. The Leica Sofort produces imperfect, faded images that simply warm your heart. The analogue look and feel are definitely something reminiscent of Polaroid so it has the look. The pastel tones, the harsh flash when you fire it, all of these make this the antidote to digital cameras.
Digital cameras give you a bland, clinical, accurate image. The Sofort on the other hand gives you imperfect, small images that you simply can’t help but love. This is not simply nostalgia, there’s something special about the tones and the look of the images that make you want to shoot over and over again.
If you used Zink (or Zero ink) in the past, these are not really film cameras. The pints from this are like from low quality photo printers from years ago. The prints from the Sofort are like Polaroids and look like them too.
Are the images sharp? They are sharp enough for the size, and this is again one of these things that add to the addictive Polaroid “look”. Imperfection is what makes these images impossible not to love.
2.3 Using the camera
To use the camera, simply turn it on (the top buttom in the back), make sure you are in the correct focus zone (see below), and then press and shoot. The image comes out and you are done!
In the backThere are no directional buttons, simply press the buttons near the LCD a few times to cycle trough the options. This is not an issue as once you put in the settings it is pretty much set it and forget it.
The options, corresponding to 5 mushy buttons are: Power, mode, flash, timer and compensation. These do what you expect, but the draw here is the one control you have over the exposure, the button with the sun icon on it. If your image is over or underexposed (too bright or too dark), you can press the button and the small sun will darken the image (-0.7 EV) and the large sun will brighten it (+0.7EV).
The different modes more or less try to anticipate the scene you are shooting in, so for fireworks, it will try to slower the shutter speed but of course you need to try to hold the camera steady. For parties, it will release a pre-flash, etc.
One of the most interesting modes is the double exposure mode where you can shoot two images and have them overlay one on top of the other, a classic trick that still has great effect to this day.
Since the Sofort is a manual camera, you will have to focus with the front ring. There’s only two focus zones, the first is from 0.6-3m (2-10ft) and the other 3m- ∞ (10ft – ∞). So in the first zone, it’s best for portraits and closeups, or anything closer than 3m meters. The second zone has everything in focus from 3 meters on as this has a fixed f/12.7 aperture. The LCD in the back will tell you what zone you are in.
There is a dedicated macro mode you can turn on by pressing the scene button and can shoot as close as 12 inches.
3. Image samples
All of the images in this Leica Sofort review have been shot with one. Here’s a few mroe image samples:
4. Alternatives
This will be the last section of the Leica Sofort review. If you wan something similar tothe Leica, there are plenty of alternatives to the Leica Sofort, the first being the original camera this is based off, the Fuji Neo 90 mini classic. If you want the best of both worlds and can’t stand just having one image but would also like a digital picture with your print, the Fuji Liplay is a great option.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this Leica Sofort review. In short this is an excellent Polaroid-like camera that is incredible fun to use. While you will always need to bring some film, since Instax is the most well known brand all over the world, most camera shops carry them.
There is something special about holding a physical print in your hands and with the Polaroid look, this makes this camera more then worth getting for seasoned pros to have fun or for newcomers to dive into the joys of film. Click here to check for the best price. Happy shooting.