Today, I am going to blog about a cute little compact film camera: Olympus mju ii. It is a point & shoot compact film camera with maximum aperture of f/2.8.
Mainly, I will write about my user’s experience because you can find a more accurate technical details of this camera in many other camera websites/blogs.
Small
Tudorcolor xlx 200, photo taken while waiting for food order, indoor, without activating flash (2017)
First and foremost, Olympus mju ii is super tiny. You can grab it with your palm, put it into your pocket and bring to wherever you go without breaking your back.
The first day I tried this camera, I had it hung around my neck like a necklace. When I want to shoot, I just slide the ‘lens door’ and press the shutter. Not much thinking needed.
Hence, some people would say that mju ii is quite suitable for street photography due to its discreet size.
Of course, it’s also the best film camera to have for travel and random birthday parties or gatherings. Because everyone can use it. With the in-built flash, shooting indoor is no problem as well!
Reliable auto-focus
Shot by Olympus mju ii, Tudorcolor XLX 200 (2017)
Kodak Color Plus 200 (2017)
The next thing I want to talk about is the auto-focus system. Unlike my previously owned Contax TVS, the shots from mju ii are almost 90% in focus.
So, don’t think about TVS, try a mju ii.
However, I would like to warn you that mju ii might not be good for taking group pictures. In my experience, some of the faces of my group shots can become out of focus. I guess it’s probably due to the large aperture f2.8. Or that the auto-focus is too precise that it cannot focus on too many subjects…
Sharpness & Image Quality
Walgreens 200, Singapore Zoo (2017)
Tudorxlx color 200, JB (2017)
Olympus mju ii, Kodak BW400CN (2017)
Fujicolor C200, sunset by Olympus mju ii (2017)
Kodak Color Plus 200, Botanic Garden (2017)
The image quality and sharpness coming from this tiny plastic beast is impressive! Probably because it’s a fixed focal length, and with maximum aperture of f/2.8 on the Zuiko lens!
Cons
The only downside of Olympus mju ii, in my opinion, is that the camera seems very fragile.
Perhaps, as a human, I think that weight equates quality. A sturdy camera must be made of good metal. In contrast, mju ii is made of plastic and gives an impression that it’s a toy camera.
Anyway, mju ii is fully electrical so it is bound to malfunction any day. Unfortunately, no one can fix it, so far.
Furthermore, the price of mju ii is increasing as more people are gaining interest in point & shoot film. The price for a mju ii was less than $100 in year 2016 but it spikes doubly or even triple just in one year!
I really hope my Olympus mju ii can last for as long as it can.
How about Contax T2?
I have never owned a Contax T2 so I can’t do the comparison. But honestly, if you cannot afford Contax T2, Olympus mju ii is your next best bet!
Or maybe a Yashica T5D?
Trust me, you won’t regret! However, I know some people with larger hands might not like the small size of mju ii.
I too own an Olympus Mju Ii, and I love it! Speaking of focus accuracy, it does really a good job, one just have to remember to halfpress the shutter button and wait for the green focus confirmation to light up in the viewfinder before finally pressing the shutter.
I have one if you want to buy, you can have mine. It’s my fathers but i’ll sell it to you. i also have the mju ii zoom 115. cheers!
hello how much are you selling for?
May I know where I can get one? And also how much it cost you for one in good condition?
Hello, I got mine from Carousell. It costs more than SGD200+ for a good condition one.