Leica announces Sofort 2 instant camera and printer

Leica has finally brought out its second generation instant camera, aptly named Sofort 2 (sofort means immediately in German). This is a sequel seven years in the making, but it is seemingly worth it.

It's a Leica from the outside - well-made for its market segment and recognizable. It comes in three colors - Black, Red, and White.

The most significant improvement over the first Sofort is that this 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 to a microSD. You then choose which photos you want printed.

The Leica Sofort 2 is also a photo printer - you can send images you've taken on your phone (or your Leica) to the Sofort 2 and print them. It takes Sofort color film mini, which is 86 × 54 mm in size.

On the back, the Sofort 2 has a 3-inch LCD and a menu similar to the one on Leica cameras.

There's a 28mm equivalent Leica Summar f/2 lens on the front - 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 the instant camera.

The Leica Sofort 2 will ship on November 9 for €389/$389 - more than the popular Instax Evo from Fujifilm, but this is a Leica.

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