I can't believe this post has been running for 10 years!!! Surely, Daryl, you must have bought something by now!! Like some of the other responders, I have several Rollei 35s, Minox 35s and specifically the GT-E. The Rolleis are by far the most solidly constructed with the least amount of problems. On the other hand, most of the Minox 35s that I've had have had shutter failures. Cleaning the contacts has never fixed any of the Minox shutters on my cameras. I will say that these have all been the dreaded "L" cameras, that is EL, PL, ML....I think my AL, surprisingly enough, might still be in working order. I have most recently purchased a "new" old stock first generation (circa 1993-1994) GT-E and so far I am quite pleased with it. As far as the image quality, I don't think there is any real noticeable difference between a Rollei 35 and a Minox GT-E, at least not with print film. If you like the Rollei but want something a bit lighter consider a Rollei 35B (also known as B35) or a 35 LED. There is also a 35C, but it is somewhat rare and too expensive for a user camera. These all have the cheaper, supposedly inferior quality Triotar lenses, but again the practical difference in picture quality compared to the other lenses is slim to none. If you want reliability go with a Rollei. But at the same time, the Minox has a cleaner more pocket friendly design that is hard to resist even though logic and past experience tell me to stay away from them! The bottom line is they all have their merits and their pit falls, that's why I have several of both brands. I guess that is what makes a camera collector!
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