Interchangeable lens rangefinders (35mm)

[yinyangbt]

What rangefinder do you use (interchangeable lens ) .If you ude more , and the pool allows only one , please mention in your answer wich are those you use , and wich you prefer.
For the moment , I have only a Kiev IIa and a Fed 5B . I really love the Kiev ,but I don't mind shooting with the Fed

[Orio]

I use Zeiss Ikon, Contax II and IIa, Contax G2.
The one I use most today is the Zeiss Ikon because it is manual and has aperture priority mode which is important for snapshots.
The metering in aperture priority is very efficient and so far it never missed one photo for me.
The Contax G2 is my camera of choice for vacations, because it is autofocus, which is nice for vacations when photograph is not
my first priority, because the motor film advance is another less thing to think about on vacations, and because two G2 cameras with the
set of 21, 28, 35, 45 and 90 mm lenses all fit inside a 25x15 cm bag.
The Contax II and IIa are my collectioner's luxury items. Of course they are not ideal for intensive use because they have no light meter (and
consequently no aperture priority mode), and because changing film is not really comfortable. However differently from most collectioners, I do use my Contax IIs regularly.

[iangreenhalgh1]

I use my Kievs all the time, for me, not having a light meter is fine as I always use a handheld meter anyways. I actually like the film loading of the Kiev/Contax, although I do prefer the fixed takeup spool in my Kiev 4, I use a spool from an Exakta in my Kiev 2. If we're talking annoying and fiddly film loading, all the Leicas where you have to take the bottom off are far worse imho, only tried it once, decided it wasn't for me. Just wish I could afford a 21mm for Kiev/Contax.

[Attila]

I am Kiev/Contax fan boy

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Lloydy]

Out of the many cameras I have the only interchangeable lens rangefinder I have is my lovely Zorki 4K.

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Lloydy]

That's a deal Ian, we'll be up soon after Christmas.

[iangreenhalgh1]

[ForenSeil]

I'm not sure which one I would recommend

Price/Performance: Zorki and Fed

Lifetime-Investment which will last for many decades: Leica M

If you want automatic: Zeiss Ikon

If you wan't AF: Contax G2



I disliked the Voigtländer Bessas I had and tried - bright viewfinder but very small RF-base and loud.
You should get an Minolta CLE instead imho.

[iangreenhalgh1]

I'd plump for the Kiev for price/performance, far better camera than the screw mount leica copies.

Arguably, you could make a Kiev a lifetime investment too, they last for decades, my 1957 one still works perfectly in all regards and I'm sure if I ever sell it I'll be able to get more for it that I paid for it. Optically, the J8, J9, J11 and J12 are all superb, if you have the 1950s red P ones, they really aren't that far from the Zeiss they are copied from, just as the 1950s Kievs are really just Contaxes with a Ukranian flavour.

I think a lot of people are put off rangefinders because they think it's very costly, but thanks to Communism it doesn't have to be. A good Kiev is still a very viable daily shooter, I use mine most days and it hasn't let me down yet. Mine has never been serviced but the fastest shutter speed is still 1/950 when it was measured with an electronic shutter tester, that's a pretty impressive testament to the soundness of the shutter design and shows that, despite what some say about Russian quality, they could make good stuff.

Then there's the Helios-103, hard to argue against a Summicron copy, brand new for 20ukp. A Kiev with Helios-103 could be a viable low cost option to an M3 with Summicron.

Altogther, my Kiev II, Kiev IV, J-8, J9, J11, J12, Helios-103 and turret multifinder cost me about 150ukp.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a Fed or Zorki, but they were mass market consumer cameras and are less advanced with less good viewfinders and rangefinders than the Kiev and a lower quality overall, the Kiev was a professional camera made in much smaller numbers and cost a lot more but these days the lenses are cheaper than the M39 versions and the cameras are often not more expensive than a Fed or Zorki and more likely to be in full working order. Also, the Kiev has a 1/1000 shutter speed which I find really is a useful thing to have instead of 1/500.

BTW, I know the top speed of a Kiev is marker 1/1250 but I doubt many of them can do better than 1/1000, same is true of Contaxes though and many say Zeiss just called it 1/1250 optimistically and to trump the Leica's 1/1000. I'd take the metal blind shutter over the cloth curtain types anyday though.

[tikkathree]

You guys, you guys...
so now I'm going to EBay and searching for Kiev...

[yinyangbt]

[Attila]

[skida]

None of the above.

[Jesito]

I use Bessa (R,L), Kiev II, FED-2 and Zorki.

Difficult to select one only...

Jes.

[Attila]

[yinyangbt]

[womble]

Well at the moment I'm using a Werra IV...

I do have a FED2 (probably my most used rangefinder) and a Zorkii 4 (didn't get on with that one so well) as well as a Moscow V.

K,

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Attila]

[hoanpham]

I have a Diax 1a that is not listing here, but only with 3 lenses 90mm, 45mm and 35mm.

[Minolfan]

I cannot choose for my Werra!

[Attila]

[Minolfan]

And now I cannot change anymore, had chosen the Fed, because a choice for my favorite Werra was not available