Fuji Cardia Mini Tiara1997

History

Fujifilm's Cardia Tiara appeared in 1994 and established a following among Japanese compact camera buyers who wanted a wide-angle fixed lens in an uncommonly thin body. The logical follow-on was a still-smaller version — a pattern Fujifilm had used across other product lines in the 1990s, where successful camera bodies were miniaturised for a subsequent model year.

The Cardia Mini Tiara appears to have been introduced around 1997, midway through the original Tiara's production life, offering buyers the Tiara's lens and optical signature in a body with a smaller footprint. The Tiara Zoom, a zoom-lens variant of the Tiara family, was also produced concurrently, offering flexibility at the cost of the ultra-slim body.

The Mini Tiara was not continued into the 2000s. By the time of the Klasse W's introduction, Fujifilm had repositioned its wide-angle compact offering in the premium Klasse line at a higher price point.

Why It Matters

The Cardia Mini Tiara occupies a niche between the original Tiara and the budget DL Super Plus: it offers the 28mm Fujinon lens and Tiara-family branding in a body that is arguably more pocketable than the original, at lower used prices than the Tiara itself commands today.

For contemporary film photographers who want the wide-angle Fujifilm compact experience without paying peak Tiara prices, the Mini Tiara is a practical alternative — provided a clean example can be found, since it is less frequently listed on the used market than the more numerous original Tiara.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Used by Japanese photographers seeking an even more pocketable version of the Tiara formula in the late 1990s.
• Occasionally encountered by contemporary film photographers as a less-expensive entry point into the Tiara family.
• Less documented than the original Tiara; collector interest is lower but growing alongside interest in 1990s Japanese compacts generally.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Fuji Tiara