MiNT's LiDAR Point & Shoot Film Camera! || Opinion

[@areallyrealisticguyd4333]

I'm guessing they'll send out beta kits out to film influencers to try out in order to get the word out. it would be really impressive if they could get these units into the hands of celebrities because they're always seen using 35mm p&s cameras at shows and events. I really want them to succeed so they can keep making more cameras

[@museonfilm8919]

Of course, a new film camera IS exciting, and could lead the way forward. They'll have to be REALLY confident their product is 100% quality checked - no light leaks or film door failures etc. Also, I hope Mint don't leave out the seasoned hobbyist, because we too want to have some fun with PS cameras, but also need some form of manual control.

[@hugov392]

It needs an excellent lens for that price. The Contax/Yashica Ts etc are popular in large part because of the way the lens renders. Plenty of Chinese brands (7Artisans etc) can make beautiful lenses for low prices, so hopefully this is possible. I have no interest in a fixed lens camera unless that lens is good to great.

[@extremelydave]

More power to Mint for having the guts to go for it. I will donate to the cause and hope to see it take off. Again, go for it Mint, it's nice to see someone willing to take the dive.

[@ArchiesLens]

the rollei 35 is a great little camera! this is awesome news!✨

[@kiwipics]

But it isn't a Rollei 35 ... that's the point. The price point is way too high for an entry point camera.

[@ArchiesLens]

@@kiwipics Totally I was mentioning it because he mentioned that camera in the beginning and I do love that one although I don't own it. I'm just interested to see what the final product will look like. I agree the price is a bit steep.

[@nguyenhoangvu9609]

Nice to hear that, have rollei 35 s and 35 xf on my hands now:).

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Seems they are taking notes from the industry leader Conflict Corp.

[@michaeldimmitt2188]

Thanks Nico. I respect your opinion and hope it works out well for Mint. I would hope they could add full-manual settings on the camera too!

[@thebitterfig9903]

Seems like a reasonable market niche to target. Compact 35mm cameras are either not that nice, or else really expensive. I think it’ll come down to the lens, tho. If the lens on this doesn’t really surpass, say, an old Canon Sureshot 35mm prime compact, that’d really feel like a lot of money for something which is going to be a nice body, but take the same pictures as dull plastic compacts. With a decent lens, I could see it being a lot of fun. But I hope it works out, since it’d be great to see more follow. Mint has some folding Instax, and a modern premium folding 120 camera would be sweet. They could also probably sell a lot of 35mm panoramic cameras… XPan/TX-1 are incredibly expensive but also at risk of becoming bricks due to the electronics. There are lots of 3d printed alternatives, or loading 135 film into 120 cameras, but those often lack the sheer ease of use that a conventionally loading 35mm camera offers.

[@Mike1982Israel]

I wonder how it holds up vs the pentax offer

[@WittyDroog]

It's pricey, for sure, but the used cameras people are comparing it to are, like you touch upon, getting rarer and rarer. My Fujifilm Tiara died and finding a suitable replacement has been a nightmare of either worse condition than mine or paying hugh market hikes, to where the price of a brand new 35mm P&S sounds pretty fair. Also while it's new tech to them having a couple other MiNT cameras their level of care and support ranks way above other botique brands (Love you, Lomography, but MiNT's quality is way up there). I recently got the Alfie Tych which is a half frame in roughly the same price and I feel the same about it as I feel here and with your opinion. It's not a call to buy any and all "new" cameras on the market but for these projects that clearly have passion behind them it's a call to action to support or else we'll eventually run out of cameras to shoot with.

[@richardjames3022]

Sounds like a great camera at an affordable price

[@Dahrenhorst]

No thanks. Point and shoot is the one domain where digital is a hugely advantageous tech compared to analog. Point and shoot is about quick and simple picture taking, for documentary or note taking purposes. Its about having a picture, not about creating a good photograph, kind of less photography and more sketching. Thus the vastly reduced cost per picture with digital point and shoots makes most sense here. Analog photography makes sense with "serious" professional artsy photography, where the cost per picture is an acceptable price for creating art or quality. Just for point and shoot it makes no sense to pay for expensive film with 36 pictures, when you can do hundreds of pictures without interruption till the battery is empty for virtually no cost.

[@chumleyk]

I don't see it working for Mint.

[@randallstewart1224]

I'll curb my enthusiasm over this proposed new 35mm camera until it hits the street. LiDAR functions the same as the more than 50 year old active infrared ranging system, which has been commonly used in almost all point-n-shoot 35mm autofocus cameras. The differences are (1) instead of projecting an infrared beam to measure distance by its reflection from the subject, it projects a pulsed laser beam. The LiDAR system should be more accurate at longer distances, but the difference in accuracy for camera focusing is almost irrelevant. (2) LiDAR probably costs ten times as much to use, but it's a great advertising hook for the ignorant purchaser.

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Point & shoot cameras have been actually mostly using phase detect systems, that's why they have that extra light that lights up in low light to illuminate the target. Its a bit like a sensor based rangefinder. The difference is, that phase detect works great in bright sunlight while LiDAR does not, as its active so it needs to battle with the ambient light. The brighter the light, the less it will have range. Phase detect is passive, so it relies on the ambient light. LiDARS are cheap nowadays. Much cheaper than a phase detect system, as you cant really get them off the shelf. The one they are using costs most likely max 10$, and has range of ~8m. Realistically its like 3m in bright sunlight.

[@krissjacobsen9434]

A bit pricey if you ask me. I've heard a lot of mixed stuff about MiNT products, and dropping this much money on a new P&S from a company with this reputation is not something I will consider at this time. However, if the reviews are great and the quality (and QC) is top notch, I might consider it.

[@itslucasyap]

If the camera looks like Rollei 35 and is cheaper than a Rollei 35, I am tempted.

[@didiMao]

I thought this was about the rollei35 haha

[@dude463waze6]

I don't know. I just don't see how a point and shoot fills a niche that a digital point and shoot wouldn't fill for the same person. I can't see learning how to use film only to be limited to point and shoot, That said I'm getting old and kids these days have to find their own way and will do what they see fit.

[@theblackandwhitefilmproject]

I have a Rollei 35S as well as a Leica MP & M2. The Rollei does things that the Leica's do not - Pocket size; character lens. I have also been following MiNT. Like the Rollei it can be used Auto or fully Manual so it will be suitable for everybody. Very exciting and I hope they do well.

[@joseerazevedo]

At this price range i think its lens quality will determine its success

[@avcle]

Very exciting, especially if they put a quality glass lens on it and not the usual plastic lenses on current reusable disposable cameras. Crossing my fingers for a Tessar lens 🤞🏽

[@TheDamnGarage]

Um… for that kind of money I’d rather get lightly used SLR like a Nikon F3 or a Canon F1. I don’t want point and shoot quality pictures. Am I nuts?

[@NicosPhotographyShow]

You are not alone, we are lucky to have legacy gear that is amazing. But when the legacy stuff slowly fades... then we will all have to see what we want for photography.

[@housemusic325]

Could be amazing from Mint to have Roll film camera. Even in 6X6 i'll take it any time. I was almost ready to get the LCA120 but the lens is too wide for my taste. And for the 35mm camera, I'm in. Yes it is a bit of money, but it is also a brand-new camera.

[@c.augustin]

Not for me, at least not at the moment (a bit pricey, and I would need the money for other things). But I do find the idea appealing in itself, and your arguments seem reasonable. I'm sure it can find its place (and I hope that they can manage the lower end of the price span).

[@chrisloomis1489]

Nico : I will buy one , just to have one. Besides ; this is a fun camera and if it looks like the Classic ROLLEI ; bang on , youth and traveller's will buy them

[@estwern]

Smartphones killed the point&shoot film and digital cameras (and bridges, and most of dslrs). And now some company invents a point&shoot camera at the price of a medium-high smartphone. Seems legit.

[@peinmilan]

Point and shoot cameras were always the cheapest ones on the market, targeted for less enthusiast amateurs. Even the better ones, Olympus mju, etc were around $300 value range if I remember correctly. Even with inflation and some new tech added it should not be over 500. But I wish them all the best, we need more products and companies like this.

[@willemalexander8596]

Amazing concept! Follow them for a while

[@kiwipics]

At that price ... It's a no from me.

[@WhoIsSerafin]

A person who shoots digital but enjoys my sx-70 I would be more interested in something like those 50 dollar compact film cameras a few are making. But made from some kind of medal body in $200 or $250 range. I wish them success but a little more than I want to spend

[@WittyDroog]

In an earlier News vid Nico did bring up the Nana camera from Film Never Dies that's making a reloadable disposable in a metal body with a motor advance for $190 but preordering for $130

[@WhoIsSerafin]

@@WittyDroog missed that, interesting.

[@LoFiAxolotl]

A modern film camera with AF will be great to bring new people into film photography.... but 650-800 is a tough pill to swallow... i get it though the lidar alone will be a huge portion of that price but with some luck and patience you can find a nice Fuji 680 for that price

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

Lidars are cheap, its like 10$ unit on that thing. Probably way less when bought in volume. The part cost is usually not where the price comes from.

[@WittyDroog]

I think it's more the cost of tooling and from the past blog entries the shutter mechanism. Optics are also going to be a major part of it.

[@maropoma]

Imho this revival of the point&shoot cameras is a nonsense. With 200€ you can get a Nikon F100. A sticking F90x costs less than 100€. Add 150€ for a serious CLA and you got something that will serve you for decades. They come with a great autofocus lens and the matrix light meter, that's to say a very cool point&shoot camera. And if you want to evolve towards more conscious photography, all you have to do is press a button.

[@doubleletter]

It’s not about photography, it’s about fashion and appearing to be a photographer aka a cool creative. And this is echoed, mirrored and boosted via social media. Social media itself is an imitation echo chamber.

[@tknson]

think it'd be possible for a digital version of this rollei?