Fuck a T2, Just Get a µ[mju:]-II

Okay, we're going to say it.

Fuck the T2.

Well... maybe not completely.

The Contax T2 is a great camera. It's beautifully made, the Zeiss lens is excellent and, yes, we'd happily shoot one.

But have you seen what a Olympus µ[mju:]-II can do?

It's tiny. It's fast. It's weatherproof. It has a seriously good 35mm f/2.8 lens. It fits in basically any pocket.

And you can usually buy one without selling a kidney.

So we decided to put the two against each other.

Contax T2 vs Olympus µ[mju:]-II.

Let's get stupid.

Round One: The Look

Let's be honest.

The T2 wins this one.

Titanium body. Clean lines. That beautiful little lens sliding out when you turn it on.

It's the kind of camera that looks expensive because it is expensive.

The µ[mju:]-II looks different.

It's plastic. It's curved. It's tiny. The lens disappears behind that sliding clamshell when you switch it off.

It looks more like something you'd find in your dad's holiday bag than something sitting next to a Leica in a camera cabinet.

And that's exactly why we like it.

The T2 says:

“Look at my camera.”

The µ[mju:]-II says:

“What camera?”

Winner: T2, if you're trying to impress people.

Winner: µ[mju:]-II, if you actually want to take pictures without anyone noticing.

Round Two: The Lens

This is where things get interesting.

The T2 has the famous Carl Zeiss Sonnar 38mm f/2.8 T*.

The µ[mju:]-II has an Olympus 35mm f/2.8.

Both are fixed focal length lenses. Both are fast for compact cameras. And both are genuinely good.

The T2's Zeiss lens has the reputation, and rightly so. It's sharp, contrasty and one of the main reasons the camera became so desirable in the first place.

But here's the thing:

The Olympus lens is fucking good too.

The µ[mju:]-II's 35mm f/2.8 lens is a four-element design and focuses down to 35cm. That's actually closer than the T2, which focuses from 70cm.

That extra bit of reach matters.

You can get closer.

You can shoot details.

You can get into someone's personal space a little more.

And isn't that what a point & shoot is supposed to be for?

We're calling this a draw.

Because the T2 has the Zeiss magic.

But the Mju II is punching way above its weight.

Round Three: Size

This one isn't even close.

Mju II wins.

The Olympus weighs around 140g without the battery and measures roughly 108 × 59 × 37mm.

It is ridiculously small.

You can put it in your jeans pocket.

You can put it in a jacket pocket.

You can throw it into a bag and completely forget it's there.

The T2 is also compact, but the Mju II feels like someone took a camera and removed everything that didn't absolutely need to be there.

And that's a big deal.

Because the best point & shoot is often the one you actually have with you.

Round Four: Weather

Here's another one for the Olympus.

The µ[mju:]-II has splash resistance, which makes it a particularly good little bastard for bad weather. Olympus designed the camera with everyday weather resistance in mind.

Rain?

Fine.

Berlin in November?

Fine.

A walk home from the Späti when it's absolutely pissing down?

Probably fine.

Obviously, don't go scuba diving with it.

But you don't need to treat it like it's made of sugar.

The T2 is a beautiful little machine.

The Mju II is the one we'd happily take into shitty weather.

Round Five: Autofocus

Both cameras are designed to make focusing easy.

The Mju II uses an active multi-beam autofocus system with focus lock and can focus from 0.35m to infinity.

The T2 also gives you autofocus and manual focus, with its active focusing system working from 0.7m to infinity.

And yes, the T2 gives you more control.

But that's not necessarily what we're looking for here.

The whole appeal of the Mju II is that you can open the little door, point it at something and shoot.

No menu.

No bullshit.

Just:

point → shoot → next.

Winner: Mju II.

Round Six: Exposure

This is where the T2 starts fighting back.

The Contax gives you program and aperture-priority exposure, exposure compensation and manual focusing. You can actually make decisions about how the camera behaves.

The Mju II is much more automatic.

It does give you spot metering, which is a surprisingly useful feature for such a small camera, but you're still mostly letting the camera make the decisions.

And that's the trade-off.

The T2 is better if you want to control the camera.

The Mju II is better if you want the camera to disappear.

So this one goes to:

T2.

Round Seven: The Price

Okay.

Now we're getting to it.

This is where the whole argument becomes slightly ridiculous.

The T2 is expensive.

Very expensive.

You're paying for the titanium body, the Zeiss lens, the design, the reputation and, let's be honest, a fair amount of internet hype.

The Mju II has also become stupidly popular, so it isn't exactly the €20 charity-shop camera it once was.

But compared with the T2?

It's still the sensible option.

And here's our controversial opinion:

You don't need the T2.

You might want one.

We get it.

We want one too.

But you don't need one.

So... who wins?

If you're looking for the better-looking camera?

T2.

If you're looking for the better-built camera?

T2.

If you want more control?

T2.

If you want the Zeiss lens?

T2.

But if you want something you can throw into your pocket, take out in the rain, shoot one-handed, get closer to your subject and basically forget you're carrying a camera?

Mju II.

And that's why we're giving it the win.

Not because it's technically better.

Not because the lens somehow destroys the Zeiss.

And definitely not because the T2 is bad.

It's because the Mju II makes it ridiculously easy to actually take photographs.

And that's the whole fucking point.

The final verdict

The Contax T2 is a fantastic camera.

The Olympus µ[mju:]-II is also a fantastic camera.

One costs considerably more.

One is considerably easier to carry.

Both can make great photographs.

So if you've got the money and you've always wanted a T2, go for it.

But if you're standing in the shop wondering which one you should actually take home?

We'd probably hand you the Mju II.

Load it with some 400 ISO film.

Put it in your pocket.

Go outside.

And stop thinking about cameras.

Start taking pictures.

Fight over.