[Camera Review] Miranda Sensoret

Miranda Sensoret is my first foray into rangefinder cameras. I acquired this camera in a New Year’s lucky bag from Koseki Camera, my favorite local camera store in Sendai. The package itself came bundled with a roll of FujiFilm 400 stock and a battery adapter.

Table of Contents

• Spec & Operations
• Functionality
• Image Quality
• My Impression
• Sample Photos

Spec and Operations

• Lens: 38mm f/2.8
• Shutter speed: 4s – 1/800s
• Dimension: 111mm x 70mm x 54mm
• Weight: 425g
• Build: all-metal

I really like its compact size. It’s similar to my favorite point-and-shoot film camera, the Nikon AF600, albeit with triple the weight due to its all-metal construction.

You need to set the film sensitivity (ISO) manually by turning a ring around the lens, from as low as ISO 32 to as high as ISO 800, which will be reflected on the small window below ASA.

As with rangefinder cameras, you focus by trying to superimpose the double images seen in the viewfinder by turning the focus ring. If they are aligned, it’s in focus. There is also a focus distance index on the lens barrel, which is useful if you prefer zone focusing.

To take photos, all you have to do is focus and press the shutter. That’s it. It’s that simple. The camera meters the exposure and sets the shutter speed and aperture accordingly before taking the shot. For a camera first introduced back in 1972, that is quite an amazing feat of automation by the manufacturer, Miranda.

However, this means you do not have full control over the camera, and, depending on the situation, it may backfire. When I finished my first two rolls of film, I encountered some blurry shots which I first attributed to my inexperience working with rangefinder cameras.

But then it hit me when I realized that those blurry shots were mostly shots taken in low-light situations — the camera compensated for the lack of light with a slower shutter speed. Which means no matter how steady I hold the camera, I will always get some kind of unwanted movement from the slow shutter.

Functionality

Functionality-wise, Miranda Soligor has little to offer, but it has one interesting exposure setting: exposure multiple index. There are studs protruding near the left and right sides of the lens barrel. Turning the stud will change how the camera calculates the exposure. There are 3 values to choose:

“N”: for photos under normal light conditions.

“1/2X”: for photos of open areas or landscapes

“2X”: for backlight situations

I think this is a functionality that I have yet to try fully, as I kept leaving the stud on value “N” and so far I had satisfactory results. At some point I plan to test the other values and get back to update this article.

Image Quality

When I finished the first roll with this camera, I was mildly pleased. The photos came out reasonably sharp for a camera with a non-interchangeable lens. I also like the sunstar it produces when shooting against bright light sources. Quite cinematic. Moreover, sharpness and contrast are well preserved — well done for such a small lens.

Some vignetting in the corners will be visible, especially in daytime shots, but it’s negligible. The lens is glass, and it does a good enough job controlling light falloff.

My Impression

Despite its flaws, I really enjoy shooting with Miranda Sensoret. With some practice, I was able to use zone focusing to shoot from the hip instead of wasting time bringing the camera to my face to focus, and I got decent results.

When I nail the focus in an ideal situation with enough light so the camera does not overcompensate with a slower shutter speed, the photos come out amazing.

This is the kind of camera that I recommend getting if you can because it’s just so much fun to shoot with.

Sample Photos