Rangefinder recommendation

[peterqd]

I expect this will start a discussion!

I'm thinking about buying a rangefinder. My father always preferred them to SLRs, and I have his old Beauty Light-O-Matic III with Biokor-S 1.9/45 lens (from about 1961) which is beautifully solid and well-built. Unfortunately the round-the-lens selenium meter ist kaput. Something like that would be perfect. Any suggestions?

Just one stipulation - I don't want one with only auto mode. It has to have manual mode too, preferably metered. Old-fashioned matchneedle metering would be fine.

Oh, and no Leica suggestions please!

[Attila]

I also prefer them over any SLR.

Canon QL-17 no matter is QL III or just QL-17 both are great it has manual mode and auto mode both.

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/filmcamera/japanese/canon-ql-17-fuji-sensia-100/?

There is so many excellent one but lack of manual mode , let me know if interest. Also need to know if you are interest about Russian Leica or Contax clone.

[GrahamNR17]

Fed 4. If you like it, then upgrade to a Yashica of some kind (Minister?) If you like that, upgrade some more to a Contax. Before you know it, you will have your Leica (that you claim not to want just because your wife is watching)

[walter g]

[Mos6502]

I had a Petri 7s for several years. It also has an around the lens meter. I had the 2.8 version which was sharp as a tack. There was also a 1.9 version, but I have not seen results from it.

Mine died when it fell out of my backpack while I was riding a bike...

They are pretty common though, and usually pretty cheap.

[luisalegria]

There are plenty of cheap ones.

Canon, Yashica, Konica Minolta all made excellent rangefinders.

The real problem is condition.

A very high proportion of those you will pick up on ebay have something wrong with them. Sometimes the fix is very simple. Sometimes it is a hopeless case. Its rarely possible to tell from the outside.

Personally, I have had great luck with Yashicas. I have a 1000 and a Lynx 14E, both were quite easy to get in gear - except for the lightmeters. I hear good things abou the Lynx 5000 also.

If you want a meter on your rangefinder, thats another issue. One more system that time can destroy, and another thing to fix. Personally I just carry around my indestructible cheap old plastic Sekonic.

[David]

For metered ones, I may try to find a Kodak Retina III. However, the downside to meters, especially if you go vintage, is that they die off. In lieu of a meter, I guess a lot. Since I cut my teeth on a K1000 and had to learn which aperture and shutter combinations work on various focal lengths, I'm within a half-stop on about 90% of the photos I take unmetered. To that end, I would suggest a Retina II or IIa.

All the cameras suggested so far are fine for 35mm film. However, I'm developing a taste in viewfinder medium format photography, even though I took two shots today on my 6X9 and forgot to readjust the focus. Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[David]

I forgot to add (because I'm quite tired tonight) that there's a free Android app (a couple actually) for light metering. I have BeeCam and it seems quite accurate. You can even adjust its settings and thereby compensate for your specific camera's quirks. And its free.

[tikkathree]

I'm firstly going to have a rant about "serious" EBay vendors who "haven't got a battery so light meter untested". For XX sake a few standard batteries don't cost a lot!!

Right, feeling slightly better now I'm not yet wise or experienced enough to say which rangefinder is intrinsically better than another but so far I like the compact simplicity of the Canon A35F



the clunky "go anywhere-ness" of the Yashica MG-1



and the big geared lens controls of my Mamiya Auto. Mind you I'm still on my first film in this one so it could turn out to be a pup!

[berraneck]

do you need some RF with interchangeable lenses or not? in the first case, Bessa R2/3/4A or M , or Konica Hexar RF might be interesting regarding it´s price. for the second option, I´d go for Olympus 35RD or 35SP. If you could live only with autoexposure (though precise and correctable via ISO setting and highlight-button), I wouldn´t forget Olympus XA - it´s 35/2,8 lens is tack sharp and the size of camera fits your pocket

[coffeebitte]

I am selling a Minolta 7s2 on ebay

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/260851322282?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Told my wife I wanted to keep it for myself but she grunted at me and told me to resell it cuz we have to pay our bills.

I bet in 10 years this little camera will be worth a lot more than what I can get for it on ebay these days

[coffeebitte]

I also have a fed but i hate this bulky camera. It's an 1980 olympic version.

who the hell would want to carry a camera this heavy with a mesely 3.5 apperture.

I am sure it's built well but this one I have no reason to keep so I am selling for as low as it will sell

[martinsmith99]

[peterqd]

Thanks for the replies so far, a lot to think about and research.

I forgot to mention I already have a Zorki. I've used it for one film only and that's it. I detest the viewfinder and I don't trust the shutter speeds. I'm guessing the Fed is similar.

Luis and David: Years ago I was able to judge exposure fairly accurately too, but I soon forgot that skill when I got a camera with a meter and it would be fun to learn it again. I have a Weston handheld meter I could use if needed.

What made me think about using a rangefinder was the meeting in London on Wednesday, when we'll be doing mainly street work. I think I'll take Dad's camera and my meter and see if I can get to love it. It really is well built, very sharp lens and generally in very nice condition apart from the meter over-reading the light. It's a shame to let it die. Here are some pics:

[mo]

That looks like a really nice looking camera....if you want to try another rangefinder look up the Yashica Minister D.

[Nesster]

There are a bunch of Japanese models from the 60s and 70s that are worth while - and much to my surprise (I know: I shouldn't be surprised) I really like the Konica Auto S2 (and probably would like the others in the series): it is one of the large form factor 35mm rf's, has shutter priority ae and manual exposure. About the only drawbacks are: I need to compensate about 2 stops on the meter, and when I extend the built in lens shade I see it in the view finder.

[Xpres]

Peter, I was wondering what to take along on wednesday... it may well be a rangefinder.. which may well be a Zorki.

[Orio]

The best rangefinder in the affordable range is the Kiev-4 in my opinion.
Beautiful large viewfinder (better than Contax) and you can mount different lenses on it,
like the excellent Russian Jupiter-8, Jupiter-3, Jupiter-12, Jupiter-9, Jupiter-11 and the Orion.
(and the Zeiss for Contax rangefinder should you be inclined for the expense)
The only problem is that light meter will not work.
You'll need to use a hand meter, there are some that are very small and pocketable,
I use this one which fits inside a very small pocket
and it does it's job fine:
http://www.sekonic.com/Products/L-208/Overview.aspx
It will meter better than the built-in meters and you'll be able to use it
with other cameras also.

[Attila]

[peterqd]

I thought I'd quickly try out the Beauty with my Weston Master meter and the Minolta X500 as a check. I found a half-exposed roll of HP5 and finished it off with some quick shots around the garden, which I'll develop this evening probably.

The meter and the X500 were hanging round my neck but this heavy camera has no strap at present, so trying not to drop it while I was metering was a huge challenge. I gripped it between my knees! Plus I had to keep putting my glasses on and off to read the meters!

The controls on the Beauty are quite awkward. The focus knob is at about 7 o'clock as you look at the front of the lens. You need your right hand for the shutter button and for gripping the camera, so your left fingers have to curl round underneath the lens to find it, and there's a real risk of blocking the meter with your thumb. The aperture control is better, at 3 o'clock, which is fine for your left hand, but I kept moving it as I was focussing. The shutter speed control is OK, a simple ring, but difficult to find without looking.

One nice feature is that the shutter buttom is locked when the advance lever is snapped home. The shutter only fires when the lever is pulled out to its operating position.

I suppose I'd get used to the controls if I used only this camera all the time, but that won't happen. It was a present from my mother so I have to keep it, but I doubt I'll be using it any more. Now I'm going to make a list of all your suggestions and do some research.

[Nesster]

By the way, normally I'd have heartily recommended the Kiev also, and concurred with my own +10!

But I'm currently punishing my Kiev for allowing me to mis-load the film, resulting in some interesting overlap and film skewing. These were some good shots, too

But. I'll forgive Kiev very soon and therefore will give my +10 now rather than in 2-3 days

[IANUS]

I tried several rangefinders and finally settled with a Bessa R and a Werra camera.

I had those:
- Olympus 35RC, small, light, very good results but only usable in auto aperture mode (at least with my fingers) and longest time is 1/15s. Since I got a Rollei 35 I am not using this camera.

- Fed 5: Didn't like it for mechanical reason. Viewfinder/Rangefinder is awful, especially with glasses.

- Kiev ??: Nearly the same as the Fed

- Bessa R: Modern camera with big viewfinder and light meter. Much cheaper than a Leica. Comes with 39mm leica Screw mount to adopt a large range of classic lenses. VC lenses are great - especially the superwides.

- Werra: Very good rangefinder and finish of the camera. 3 interchangeable lenses (35mm Flektogon, 50mm Tessar and 100mm Cardinar).

[fish4570]

konica s III, all manual, superb lens.

[martinsmith99]

[mo]