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Pentax UC-1 / Espio Mini

The Pentax Espio Mini, known in the U.S. as the UC-1, is a nifty little autofocus compact camera with a fixed 32mm f/3.5 lens. This little camera often flies under the radar of many photographers, but those that know it, speak highly of the quality of its lens. The camera is a fully automatic point-and-shoot, with no manual provisions for setting exposure, other than a Bulb mode capable of doing up to a 5 minute exposure.

Pentax UC-1

The Pentax UC-1 (also known as the Espio Mini, outside of North America) is Pentax's entry into the prime lens, compact camera club.⁠ The UC-1 features a 32mm f3.5 lens, that our research indicates is a pretty decent performer. Add in a relatively fast and very accurate auto-focus in a light, compact design, and you have a contender for your favorite pocket point-and-shoot. ⁠

The market on such cameras has, in some ways, gone quite bonkers. We admit it, at times, it confounds us what photographers will pay for what are essentially fancy disposable cameras. We say this largely due to the aging circuits and other components wearing out within these point-and-shoot cameras, rendering them irreparable. The UC-1 has resisted those escalating prices to some degree, probably because it is still relatively unknown. Interestingly enough, the Espio Mini seems to sell for slightly higher prices than the UC-1, although the bodies are the same. The black versions seem to fetch slightly higher prices than the silver versions, probably because these latter versions show their wear so much more readily.⁠

We do love a prime lens point-and-shoot, and the lens on this UC-1 sounds as good as most. One limitation of this camera to watch out for, is its reliance on DX-coding for setting the ISO. While the camera has a nice range from 25-3200, if you try to load it with a film that has no DX-code, it will default to ISO 25.⁠

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