Leica AF-C1

The Leica AF-C1 is a compact point-and-shoot viewfinder camera that was manufactured from 1989 to 1991. It was the German company’s first compact camera.

It was developed together with the Japanese company Minolta. The latter offered the Minolta AF-Tele Super (Freedom Tele / Mac-Tele), a model with a similar form factor. Of course, the camera cannot compete with the quality of a “real Leica”. This was not the first collaboration with Minolta. Before that, there was already the Leica CL.

The camera has a 40mm lens (f/2.8) and an 80mm lens (f/5.6), which offer versatile options for shooting different subjects and compositions. One button can be used to switch between the two lenses. The focus range extends from 0.7 m to infinity, so both close-up and distant subjects can be captured in sharp focus. Macro shots are not possible with the camera.

The autofocus system of the Leica AF-C1 is an infrared autofocus with focus lock and coupled exposure lock. This enables fast and precise focusing. The camera also has a focus lock function that saves the measured value when the shutter release button is pressed lightly.

The exposure system of the Leica AF-C1 is automatic, with center-weighted integral metering and automatic flash triggering in low light or extreme contrasts. The camera does not have exposure compensation. There are also no other setting options for aperture and shutter speed. The fastest shutter speed is 1/400 second.

The camera technology reads out the sensitivity, which is used as the basis for the exposure settings, via the DX coding on the cartridge. Values from ISO 50 to 3200 are used here. If the coding is not available, the camera uses a default value of ISO 100.

The auto flash turns on automatically in low light, but can also be turned on or off manually at any time, with a flash interval of about 1.8 seconds with a new battery.

Film advance on the Leica AF-C1 is automatic, with threading and advance to the first frame and rewind after the last frame. Rewinding in the middle of the roll is also possible, allowing flexible film changes during an exposure.

The camera has a data panel with a liquid crystal display (LCD) that shows icons for self-timer, battery status, number of images, and flash activation. The self-timer has a 10-second countdown and is indicated by a diode on the front of the camera.

The Leica AF-C1 is powered by a 6V lithium battery (2CR5), which provides reliable and long-lasting performance. The camera’s housing is made of black plastic and features a side attachment for a strap or wrist strap, as well as a tripod thread (A1/4 DIN 403) for tripod mounting. The weight of the camera without batteries is 345 grams, and the dimensions are 140 x 65 x 60 mm (for the lens with 40 mm focal length).

Films for the Leica AF-C1

The Leica AF-C1 camera is compatible with cartridges that contain 35mm film. There is still a wide selection of color and black-and-white films available for this format.

For example, the Kodak Portra 400* is a popular option for color images, while the Ilford Delta 400* is suitable for black and white images.

Reviews show that both films provide reliable results and can be used in a variety of photographic applications. There are also many other film manufacturers that offer film stock suitable for use with the still camera in 35mm format.