Noobie looking to purchase rangefinder outfit...which one

[darrenw]

Hi Gang,

I am interested in getting myself a rangefinder kit have been doing a little research along with the customary head scratching. Might I ask some advice on a purchase.

At this point my list of usual suspects is as follows:

Zeiss Ikon (ZM) with 21mm 35mm 50mm (most expensive kit)
Voigtlander Bessa R2A with 21mm 40mm (best value?)
Contax G2 with 21mm 35mm and/or 45mm (easiest use and value?)

Any opinion or direction on these. Is there something else you would suggest as an option that I am not aware is out there?

I've pretty much discounted the Leica as it seems much too rich for my budget.

Any direction would be appreciated.

Thanks

[martinsmith99]

Hello and welcome

Some questions......

What is your budget and what do you shoot?

I see you list some wide angle lenses so I guess interchangeable RFs are what you are after as opposed to fixed lens?

Do you need TTL metering?

Will you be using a flash?

I've had a good experience with Russian RFs but they can be problematic. Russian glass is pretty good though.

Have you looked into Canon RFs?

[cooltouch]

Martin pretty much covered what I was going to say/ask. Your budget is an important figure if you're asking for recommendations.

Still some of the best deals around on interchangeable lens rangefinder cameras are the old Canon RFs. My favorite is probably the P. Leica M3 looks but it takes M39 screwmount lenses. The biggest problem I've found with the old M39 lenses is pretty much any wide angle lens 28mm or wider is gonna cost a lot. But then compared to the other rf systems, their prices are probably not all that different.

The Contax G-system is very attractively priced nowadays. True, it's electronic and battery-dependent, plus the lenses are autofocus, which may be a plus for some folks whose eyes "ain't what they used to be." But it really is an outstanding system. I'd go for the G-2, if it were me.

And of course, there's the "gold standard" -- the Leica M-series. M3s and M4s are cheaper than they used to be, and the Leica/Leitz Minolta/Minolta CL/CLE seem to be priced quite reasonably also.

[F16SUNSHINE]

I've tried a few rf's including all those on your list as well as the canon P and Canon 7.
If you want lens interchangeability at a reasonable cost I would suggest a CV product.
You can get the original R2 for $250-300 in Excellent condition. It is M mount with Mechanical shutter and modern metering.
The M mount can easily take LTM lenses as well.

The color CV Skopar f2.5/35mm is a classic and very sharp lens. So compact and well made in LTM or M mount (all version have the same optics).
The CV Color Skopar f4/21 is fantastic as well. Either of these lenses can be found for under $250 in excellent condition.

There is little point to buy a LTM camera body if you can buy an M mount that takes LTM lenses.

[alex]

My R/F is the CV Bessa R3A. I chose it specifically for the 1:1 viewfinder, and I love it. I use it with assorted CV glass from 21mm to 75mm, and partner it with a Bessa L if I'm going to make use of the 21mm.

I was going to go the Leica route, but then I thought, why settle for second best?

[darrenw]

Thanks for getting back to me guys.

Okay here's a little more background. I will use this camera for landscape photography mostly with some artistic spin with shallow DOF with a normal lens or more natural perspective pics. As to budget that is somewhat open but I was think no more than $3000 but less would definately be better for my wallet and keep my wife from killing me. I am thinking value with performance. I think that I would likely be happy with the 21mm and then I have to sort out the other...35mm as most say, 40mm as some very respected photogs say or the traditional 50mm. Maybe there is a couple of questions hidden in there. Oh ya, I need some sort of metering as I don't yet have the skill to nail it yet.

I look at the G2 and maybe the 21mm and 45mm are optically the best option - but there are no other alternative lenses. The R2A seems to be a solid performer but is it worth the money...is the Zeiss body worth the extra $$ for longevity.

Here's where I am hoping your collective wisdom can point me in the right direction. I have in the past all to often bought less expensive solutions thinking it would be enough and in the end it wasn't the case and I ended up spending more than if I had just bought the right stuff to begin with. I think I have eliminated Leica as there seems to be too much "legend" surrounding it and hence premium prices - yes, I understand it is the best but I would venture to guess that many Zeiss 21mm owners would say otherwise, and of course there are other examples and hence your wisdom and experience.

I also have other questions about film scanning, colour vs b&w but will see if I can find out more before I post anything elsewhere.

Thanks again for your input.
Darren

[F16SUNSHINE]

If you only plan to use your lenses natively and with film.
The G2 and Planar f2/45mm are as good as you can get in terms of IQ. The kit will cost you as much as a Zeiss ZM planar f2/50 alone and have same performance.
The Biogons in the G series are superb as well and can be added as you go.
The only drawback is adapting G series lenses to digital bodies. It can be done with m4/3 but it is far from elegant.

[Seele]

Do not forget the Contax G-series have practically no support, as Kyocera threw in the towel some time ago, and being fully electronic, you are pretty much on your own.

But if you are looking into getting a 40mm lens for a Bessa, an R3A would be a much better option than the R2A; the R3A finder is more or less optimized with the use of a 40mm lens, the R2A does not even have framelines for this focal length.

[Sevo]

[Sevo]

Oh, and as a first, get some seventies fixed lens rangefinder - even though ebay prices have been on a rise, these still tend to be dirt cheap on flea markets, garage sales etc. Or a FSU rangefinder (Kiev, Zorki, FED). It is not really wise to invest a few hundred into a finder technology you don't even know you'll like - even if you buy used, ebay and Paypal make any rapid resale a considerable loss, if you decide that rangefinders are not for you.

Sevo

[std]

Contax G is nice. the prices of the lenses are 1/2 of the others (at least until you go to the last 2 wides 21mm and 16mm which are still expensive)

You can use the lenses also on m4/3 and Nex.

The drawback is that it is not exactly a ranfgefinder.. its more like fancy point and shoot with autofocus,auto metering and auto film rewind.. but with a titanium finish