Review of Konica Lexio 70: The pinnacle of Konica's last film P&S

1. History of Konica Lexio 70 formation

With the mission of creating the (almost) final breakthrough in the film PnS era, in the years 2000-2001, Konica launched the Lexio 70, an ultra compact machine with all the quintessential things they have inside a sturdy metal shell.

Completely different from the trend of racing "super zoom" (such as up to 140mm or 160mm) of competitors, Konica chose a smarter and more practical niche: Expands the shooting angle and supports better night photography. The Lexio 70 is equipped with a focal range lens 28-70mm with a maximum aperture of f/3.4-f/7.9! However, if you do not need a wide angle but need a longer zoom and are not too concerned about the maximum aperture, you can consider the Konica Lexio 115

2. Konica Lexio 70 photo quality

Besides its luxurious and sturdy metal design, what makes the Konica Lexio 70 truly special is its lens, in terms of both quality and specifications.

2.1 Shooting in low light with Konica Lexio 70

At 28mm focal length, the sharpness and contrast of the Lexio 70 is truly amazing for a zoom camera. Details in the center are extremely thorny, colors are clearly separated between light and dark areas. The performance at this focal length of Konica Lexio 70 is not inferior to other flagship lines such as Pentax Espio 120 SWii nice Fuji Tiara Mini!

When zooming to 70mm, the image begins to have a slight "softness" at the edges (if you zoom in very carefully), but still retains very good center sharpness, extremely ideal for bust portraits.

In terms of color, even though I only used popular Fuji 400 film, the resulting images have very high color saturation, brilliance, and clarity, recreating the vivid space of the moments when I took the photo. If I load Ektar or Premium 400 that day, I might have to edit and reduce the brightness of the image when I receive the file haha. If you like a more modern color style, not too bold like Konica Lexio 70, you can consider Canon lines like Autoboy 155, Autoboy EPO.

With an aperture range of f/3.4 at 28mm focal length, this is really a huge advantage if you don't like flash photography in low light environments (or conditions that don't allow it). With other cameras, like the Pentax Espio 120 swii (also a high-end model), the maximum aperture at 28mm is f/4.5, which will increase the possibility of image blur when you shoot without flash.

2.2 Shooting in backlight with Konica Lexio 70

When shooting in backlight, the Lexio 70's lens system still maintains separation between dark and light areas, minimizing flare/ghost phenomena. However, in extremely bright light conditions in the middle of the day and shooting directly towards the sun, you can see a flare ring as shown below. To me, this effect is quite beautiful.

2.3 Flash photography with Konica Lexio 70

The camera's flash works well, the light intensity is just enough to cover a dark area but does not make the subject's glass glare.

At a closer distance (about 1 meter), the Konica Lexio 70's flash still ensures that the bright areas of the subject are not blown out/details are lost. As shown in the cat image below, if the flash is not handled well, the white fur will easily be blown out.

3. Auto mode of Konica Lexio 70

In Konica's lower models like the Big Mini Zoom, the automatic metering mode is already very good. So on the Lexio 70 - the last boss of the Konica PnS zoom line, taking photos that are bright and in focus is out of the question.

Whether you're shooting in bright, expensive style, or with high contrast or complex lighting, you just need to focus and meter in the right area, and let the camera take care of the rest.

Konica 70 also fully supports shooting modes such as off flash, night flash, landscape, timer, macro, etc., allowing you to freely choose and be creative.

4. Feeling of holding Konica Lexio 70

Thanks to the metal shell (similar to Espio 120 sw and Fuji Tiara) and the feeling in the hand of the Konica Lexio 70 is very luxurious, sturdy and outstanding. If you like small and compact like Tiara Mini But with a 28-70 zoom and a black color option, the Lexio 70 is for you!

The device has 2 versions: white (regular version) and black (limited version) depending on each individual's taste. In terms of collectible value, the black version will be much higher, the box has a more sturdy design, and the black color looks cooler to me.

However, because of the metal shell, you will need to be careful in case the device is bumped or dented. This will reduce the value of the device as well as make its appearance worse.

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Konica Lexio 70

5.1 Advantages of Konica Lexio 70

• Luxurious, genuine with metal shell and silver or black color options
• Photo quality is top-notch
• Durable, I rarely see any Konica Lexio broken
• Compact and easy to carry, the zoom range is just enough to use
• Good low light photography

5.2 Disadvantages of Konica Lexio 70

• The metal case is luxurious, but when it is dented, it will no longer be beautiful
• If you need to take pictures from far away angles and pull the horizon closer, it will not be suitable

6. When Should You Buy Konica Lexio 70?

If you:

• I like the 28mm focal length for taking photos of scenes, but still like the camera to have a zoom to shoot a little further away
• The machine needs to be durable
• The machine must be compact and lightweight
• Luxurious metal case
• There is a black color option
• Want to take good night shots or low light conditions without needing to turn on the flash
• Sliding cover design

=> Konica Lexio 70 (especially black limited edition) is for you!

7. Where to Buy Konica Lexio 70 Limited?

If you still have questions about the Konica Lexio 70 Black Limited film camera or simply want to buy the camera, send me a message at Facebook Katreview, Thread KatReviewVietnam or Instagram KatReviewVietnam So I can give you more advice.

8. Konica Lexio 70 technical specifications