Well I can not agree - I ordered 3 or 5 at once and all bellows are OK !And most of them have lower quality bellows that have developed pinholes. Only the late production of Isolettes have good real leather bellows. It's almost a rule that Agfa folders need work before they can be used.
Ha ha.But we are not talking about a laser auxiliary RF - because we would not shoot at sparrows with cannons ?
What is that rangefinder about you mentioned? I just googled it but can't find it - but I remember Leica rangefinders out of the 30s!
Aha - I see (stupit from me because my spelling was wrong so I did not find it with googleHa ha.
Have a look there. And that's just the most common brand; the Voigtlander ones a more pretty, IMO.
https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=watameter&_sacat=625
The prices seem higher than the amount I quoted (asking prices); but just check the box "completed auctions" and you'll see the real selling prices.
The Zeiss Nettar 515/16 is 6x6 format. It has a direct optical viewfinder, scale focusing, apertures from f/4.5 to f/22, shutter speeds from B, 1 sec to 1/300.
They are very compact and rigid when opened. The bellows material is of good quality. This camera is fun to use.
Mine originally had a reversed rear element from someone's prior attempt at fixing something. That produced blurry fringe areas. After fixing that, the images are now normal, but I don't think this lens produces very sharp images - maybe it's just my camera. I don't know about the reputation of the Novar lens. At infinity the images are soft. Medium distance seems acceptable. Close up requires careful distance measurement at wider apertures. I've tried to choose f/11 or f/16 for best sharpness - not the usual f/5.6, f/8.
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some folders are capable of stunning image quality and have excellent lenses. I have one from 1954 with a Schneider Kreuznach lens for example. Also,they are usually sold for little $. Mine was $25 but are often in poor shape(holes in bellows and frozen shutters)because they spent the last 50 years in a drawer somewhere.Just try before you buy. In general, the risk is low just as the cost.Let's pretend for a second that I need yet another camera. What is the best value in folder cameras?... Lowest price for the best images. I may need it to have a rangefinder, because I am not well practiced in zone focussing; and I prefer it to be as compact as possible.
Brand recognition is not important to me at all, so value does not need to consider resale value, even though the big names can often be sold for what you paid, when you are done with them.
Radionar?I have one from 1954 with a Schneider Kreuznach
I had a late Super Ikonta with the coated 3,5/75 Novar for a while, and it was sharp. It had problems with frame spacing, though. A late Ikonta with coated Novar, or even Tessar, and red window instead of mechanical counter should be cheap and produce good sharp results.
A warning on the agfa folders, they have a bad habit of the grease used for focusing turning to glue..
You ask for best value/money. Folders with a coupled rangefinder do not fit that description, because of status they command premium prices.
I believe we both (and the OP) agree that "value" is not absolute value but best value for money spent. Where your personal case diverges is more:I have to disagree with this, though it may build down to a different interpretation of the term “value”
This can be improved through training, just like exposing without a light meter (up to a point). Try a guess, then see what the device has to say; learn from your mistakes.because I am incompetent at guessing distance.
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