Leica has finally brought out its second generation instant camera, the aptly named Sofort 2 (Sofort means immediate in German). It’s a sequel seven years in the making, but it’s apparently worth it.
It’s a Leica on the outside – well made and recognized for its market segment. It comes in three colors – black, red and white.
The most significant improvement over the first Sofort is that it is no longer just an instant camera. It’s now a hybrid digital camera with a 1/5″ CMOS sensor that captures 4.9MP photos on a microSD. Then choose which photos you want printed.
The Leica Sofort 2 is a photo printer – you can send photos you take on your phone (or your Leica) to the Sofort 2 and print them. It takes Sofort color film mini, size 86 × 54 mm.
On the back, the Sofort 2 has a 3-inch LCD and a Leica camera-like menu.
On the front is a 28mm equivalent Leica Summar f/2 lens – the same focal length as the popular Leica Q series fixed-lens cameras. The lens has a 10cm minimum focusing distance. There’s also a flash on the front – a staple of instant cameras.
The Leica Sofort 2 ships on November 9 for €389/$389 – more than Fujifilm’s popular Instax Evo, but it’s a Leica.
