35mm rangefinder to mount on a bicycle?

athanasius80 · Nov 27, 2009

Hey Guys,
I'm gearing up to do the AIDS Lifecycle next year. Its a 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I've been toying with the idea of mounting a 35mm camera on my bike and photographing the ride as I do it.

Any recommendations for a nice reliable (and cheap) rangefinder that I can put on and not worry about? I was thinking Argus, FED, Zorki at the moment, but any suggestions are most welcome.

(And no Jeremy Moore, I'm not going to attempt taking my press camera!)

Thanks!

Colin Corneau · Nov 27, 2009

How about an Olympus Stylus Epic?

Sharp lens, very tiny camera too. I'd be more concerned with HOW you mount it -- ie. any vibration-proofing you do to safeguard it and ensure sharp images.

WetMogwai · Nov 27, 2009

If it were me, I'd be looking for something with scale focus or auto focus. Unless you are going to stop, take it off the mount, focus, shoot, remount it, and go again or you are really good at estimating distance, I wouldn't think a rangefinder would be good for this. Or course, if I were making such a long bike trip, I would also think about building a modified camera that can take bulk load film so I don't have to stop and reload it all the time, much like NASA did with the cameras they sent to the moon since the astronauts couldn't stop and reload them when they ran out.

timk · Nov 27, 2009

Olympus have 2 suitable cameras, the XA/XA2 or the Stylus Epic (MJU-II).

The latter isn't a rangefinder but it has auto everything (film advance, exposure, focus) which might help while on the road. The former is if you want more manual control and need a shutter that fires instantly (the annoying thing about the mju-ii is that there is a delay when you press the shutter while it focuses so that may make it less desirable for the photos you had in mind.).

Whatever you do, make sure you do a test, so see if the shots are going to be sharp enough, in focus and fast enough shutter speed, and that you can control the camera when in motion without crashing. With the MJU-II it doesn't give you an indication of shutter speed so it's hard to tell without testing if it's going to be fast enough speed. I'd go with a high speed film, if 100 is ok when stationary, 400 or 800 would probably be needed when in motion.

Perry Way · Nov 27, 2009

point and shoot!

I got a Voigtlander Vitessa point and shooter and man that was a great investment. I'm sure that it started out originally probably mid $300's or higher but I got mine for $12 on eBay. I also got a Minox point and shooter and it has great optics also. As good as or better actually, than any 35 mm SLR I've ever used. And with point and shoot you get auto everything so you can ride your bike and not worry. If you have $$'s get you one of those Yashica T4's, completely water proof, shock proof, etc. and has Zeiss lenses. Or a Contax TVS which is basically the same camera only a nice nifty looking Titanium body. sleeeeeeeek looking!

2F/2F · Nov 27, 2009

Leica I. Voigtländer 12mm lens. Leica cable release (Nikon F cable release will also work). Then show us the pix!

Rol_Lei Nut · Nov 27, 2009

WetMogwai said:
If it were me, I'd be looking for something with scale focus or auto focus. Unless you are going to stop, take it off the mount, focus, shoot, remount it, and go again or you are really good at estimating distance, I wouldn't think a rangefinder would be good for this.

Quite the opposite...

Get a good manual focus RF with a DOF scale and leave it on the hyperfocal.

I'd be more worried about how it is mounted and how to avoid vibrations.

johnnywalker · Nov 27, 2009

I agree with Rol regarding the manual focus and the hyperfocal. I would want a winder though, and an aperture priority setting, so all I had to do was push the button. Mind you, I can't rub my belly and pat my head at the same time.

bdial · Nov 27, 2009

If you're going to be doing shots while moving, I'd suggest something that has auto film advance. Trying to wind a camera while steering a bike and staying on the road is doable, but can also be challenging, especially if you are riding in a group or in traffic. Doing it over and over for 500 miles will get very old.

A P&S with auto advance probably means auto exposure and perhaps focus too. Zone focusing would probably be better though.
If you get a cheap-ish P&S, with the idea that it only needs to last the duration of the trip, then you probably don't need to worry much about vibration, except how it might affect the photos.
I am in the process of adapting one of these Niterider headlight mounts to accept a 1/4-20 screw for mounting a camera;
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes//Product_10052_10551_1030765_-1___

I don't know yet how well it will work at damping vibration, but it does have thick rubber on the handlebar clamp.

Otherwise, if you're planning to mostly shoot while stationary, get a convenient sized handlebar bag and use it for stashing the camera, etc. Then get whatever sort of camera suits you. I'd suggest keeping it small and lightweight though.

Pinholemaster · Nov 27, 2009

The vibration from the road through your bicycle with shake your camera apart over time. I'd mount the camera for very short periods of time.

df cardwell · Nov 27, 2009

Cool idea, but I'd not mount it directly to the bike.

I have 2 cameras for my cycling adventures.
The first, a Canon Rebel (some version, can't remember which) with a 28-105 zoom. Dandy, really great.
Weighs as much as a big waterbottle.

The second, a Yashica T4 (which simply lives in a handlebar bag on my tandem). It has a wonderfully fine lens
and weighs the same as a small waterbottle. It is never out of reach on a ride, and, with a wrist strap, is never out of reach.

Back in the day, I rode with a Retina, which was way cool. The Yashica is way better.

Larry.Manuel · Nov 27, 2009

Pick any camera that costs you under 2 bucks. I predict that it will either fall off or be wrecked from vibration.

sangetsu · Dec 1, 2009

I use a camera (video) on my bicycle from time to time. Slik makes an excellent clamp mount, which can be attached to handlebars, stems, or even the head tube of the frame. The problem with mounting on the bar or stem is that the pictures you get are often not level. With each pedal stroke the bar tends to move slightly left and right. For the most level picture, it's best to mount to the head tube.

As for cameras, any small camera capable of using a cable release is fine. The old Leica, Zorki, or Canon rangefinders are okay if you are using a wide-angle lens. I like these cameras because I actually find the film advance knob easier to use while riding than a lever. Small and cheap point-and-shoots would probably be best, they usually come with motorized film advance, auto-focus, and wide angle lenses built-in.

Rol_Lei Nut · Dec 5, 2009

Just stumbled on this:
http://www.feisol.com/english/bike mount.htm

Usual disclaimers, etc. about having no relationship to the company...
As someone who does cycle a lot, I will be putting some thought into that.

elekm · Dec 5, 2009

If you're going to be on a rough surface, I would get recommend cheap (low cost) and replaceable.

A true rangefinder will probably get knocked out of alignment, and you're not going to be able to focus, pedal and steer at the same time -- well, not without it ending at some point with you kissing the pavement in a very unattractive manner.

I've been thinking of doing something like this, and I'm planning to use a Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim. If it breaks, then I'm out the $2.95 that it cost me when I found it at a thrift shop.

Keep it simple and cheap. That's what I would do.

Andy K · Dec 5, 2009

Do what I do when cycling, take a bum-bag containing an Olympus XA2 and several rolls of film. I wouldn't mount the camera to the bike.
You can see examples of what the XA2 can do on my Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adk1962/ if you scroll down to the most recent colour shots.

35mm rangefinder to mount on a bicycle?

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