Cheap and Worth Rangefinder

Bill Burk · Jul 10, 2016

I made such a mistake for my first serious camera purchase. At a camera show in the 1970's I saw all the available choices and narrowed down to two $79 options: A Rollei 35 and a Kalimar SLR (Zenit with Helios 58mm f/2). I bought the Zenit and had maybe one year of use before it failed. In retrospect everyone knows I should have put the same money into the Rollei 35.

However I should have kept the lens.

4season · Jul 10, 2016

When you shop for cameras, look for words like "Overhauled" or "CLA" (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust).

For example:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=zorki+fed+cla

blockend · Jul 12, 2016

Cheap and reliable aren't often heard in the same sentence as the word "rangefinder". For taking photos on the cheap I'd opt for a 1990s/2000s point and shoot. The lens will probably be better than your rangefinder and if it breaks you won't be more than a dollar/pound/euro out of pocket.

My experience of "classic" Japanese RFs is they're on their last legs. Soviet RFs are pot luck but fun, though lenses wider than 50mm can be expensive.

buggleskelly · Aug 25, 2016

If you can find one, a great little (big) RF is the Konica Auto S2, 45mm f1.7 and meter, one of the sharpest lenses I've ever had.In fact it was marketed as " you buy the Lens, We'll throw the camera in free"!

Dinis Figueira · Aug 25, 2016

Seems nice, but those eletronics :S

My fear lately to buy a rangefinder is because of two things.
Feds that got CLA, are expensive.
And boxy RF like canonet or that Konica have old eletronics. CLA on these cameras get expensive as well. And I wanted something more manual, something that this type normally won't offer.

elcabezagrande · Aug 27, 2016

Maybe consider a good scale focus camera for street shooting, it will probably be faster than a rangefinder where speed, and not critical focus, is the most important thing. The Olympus Trip 35 is cheap and available anywhere, and an XA2 or XA3 will cost you half of what an XA will. Or get the ultimate street shooter, a Rollei 35S, and no one will even see you coming.

If you really, really can't live without a rangefinder, a Kodak Retina IIa, IIIC, or IIIc is hard to beat for image quality, and that includes Leicas in the equation.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 27, 2016

elcabezagrande said:
... a Rollei 35S...

OP can't afford less expensive camera than overrated "S". Tessar version will do exactly the same for street or any photography.

elcabezagrande · Aug 27, 2016

Ko.Fe. said:
OP can't afford less expensive camera than overrated "S". Tessar version will do exactly the same for street or any photography.

I paid less for my S than I did for my T, but not all that much for either. I probably should have been less specific. If you are patient enough, it is surprising what you can afford.

McFortner · Aug 27, 2016

Dinis Figueira said:
Seems nice, but those eletronics :S

My fear lately to buy a rangefinder is because of two things.
Feds that got CLA, are expensive.

I guess that depends on where you send them. I got lucky with mine and had somebody from Flickr in the Netherlands do my two FED-2 and Zorki-4 cameras for around $50 each and they are almost as smooth as a Leica. He had to stop when the hostilities in the Ukraine started up and made it impossible to get the parts anymore. Oleg's prices look good and he has good reviews, so I may have him give my FED-1 and Zorki-1 a good CLA soon.

canvassy · Aug 28, 2016

Wallendo said:
See if you can get a good deal on an Olympus 35RC. It is a small inconspicuous camera with a decent lens.

I will second this suggestion. One of the smallest fully manual rangefinders, and I absolutely love mine.

Luminousoctaves · Aug 28, 2016

The Canonet QL17, Olympus 35RC, Konica Auto S3, Minolta 7SII etc are all fine rangefinder cameras with fine lenses, I have owned and used them all.
However, they are not really compact, meaning they won't fit your jeans/coat pocket.

I would, like others here, recommend the Olympus XA.
It's super compact. It has manual focus. It has a good lens. It has aperture priority (which I prefer).
It will be the camera you always take with you.
You won't bring the Canonet, Olympus 35RC, or Konica everyday.

If you prefer something bigger with more control I would go for a M39 Leica, like the IIIf.
It's all manual and better build than the semi-compacts above.

It you want something more modern with better viewfinder, I would recommend the Voigtländer R (first model with M39) and a Leica or Voigtländer M39 lens.

I would avoid russian rangefinders, have owned quite a few, mostly had problems with them. (my experience)

At the end, you probably want to try the Leica M2 or the Leica M3 anyway. Even if they are pricey you will definitely get the money back when you sell them later on.

onre · Aug 28, 2016

If you get any of the listed Japanese options, be sure to check the condition of the film door light seals. Cutting and installing new seals isn't that difficult, but quite often they've turned into a black goo.

Richard Pippin · Aug 28, 2016

Amazing how a simple question can generate so much photo wanking. Check out a Canon P. It's screw mount, so there are a lot of lenses available, including lots from the USSR. Leica also has a lot of 50mm LTM lenses that are affordable and quite nice.

Luminousoctaves · Aug 28, 2016

Richard Pipppin said:
Amazing how a simple question can generate so much photo wanking.

Isn't this forum just that, a huge orgy of analog photography? This is normal mate!

darkosaric · Aug 28, 2016

Luminousoctaves said:
...

+1
I always have XA2 with me. Then as a next step I would take my IIIa with elmar 5cm/3.5, and finally M with 50mm summicron. When I use Leica - XA2 is still in the bag, as a backup body.

Diapositivo · Aug 28, 2016

You should find on eBay one of these:

https://www.cameraquest.com/com35s.htm

Buy in the EU, you'll find for a relatively minor sum a good one, and definitely have a decent and professional CLA and rangefinder alignment. You will then have a valuable companion for many many rolls.

Don't fall into the fallacy of saving on the CLA because you saved on the purchase price.

I have a Canon Canonet G-III 19 (it has a f/1.9 lens). Very well built and very good lens. I don't like the focusing lever but it's a minor nuisance. Very easy loading.

An alternative, very cheap, would be a Yashica T3 which is equipped with a Zeiss Tessar 35 f/2.8. Not within your specifications (it's autofocus, but it's a serious 16-step autofocus) and no manual exposure, only automatic exposure (I project the shadow of my hand on the view-finder and light meter cell when I want to open more than what the camera would do). But it is waterproof, it has a small flash, and it has a small waist-level finder. Optical quality better than the Canonet, very serious lens. Overall a very light and robust camera (my choice for hiking). The flash can be forced on or off. Minimim focusing distance 0.5 metre. A very intelligent lens cover which turns the camera on and off (no risk of forgetting the cap on the lens, which is a serious problem with RFs if you are not used to them). Very minimal, unobtrusive, small and light, and yet it delivers very good results optically.

John51 · Aug 28, 2016

I think rangefinders are over rated for street photography. With scale focus, you set it before raising the camera to your eye, doesn't spook the wildlife as much.

I have an Olympus XA and for street shooting, I use the orange settings, f5.6 and 3 metre focus. With its 35mm lens, it can also work well at waist height. As long as it is pointed somewhat in the right direction, most if not all of what you wanted will be in the frame.

It's not like we're going to be making 20 x 16 prints of street shots, so a fair bit of cropping is ok imo.

Moopheus · Aug 28, 2016

Luminousoctaves said:
The Canonet QL17, Olympus 35RC, Konica Auto S3, Minolta 7SII etc are all fine rangefinder cameras with fine lenses, I have owned and used them all.

If you're really on a tight budget, the Konica Auto S2 can be had for half-nothing. The older Konica III with the 48mm Hexanon is a fine rf that can be had fairly cheap, but it is heavier--solid brass and steel construction.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 28, 2016

XA are getting old on electronics now. Not so easy to find working one. Mine quit in 2015. It was fun camera. I have it in the pouch on the belt and hand stripe attached to the film door hinge.
Pulling out by the stripe from the pouch on the belt was opening camera shell and bringing focusing arm to the right position.

I was doing this waist and pointing to direction things, but good street photography has absolutely no difference from any other good photography, framing is a must.
But this one was taken with XA on the bar desk and pointed to the right direction

M Carter · Aug 29, 2016

The OP mentioned the HiMatic 7s as an example. I have to concur that it's a great little camera and that lens is pretty dang amazing.

Auto or manual, I've had two in the last couple years and both of their meters were spot-on (one had a scratched lens, I got two to make one great camera). Meter still works when shooting manual (some of the Japanese RFs don't have meters or the meter is off for manual). Lens breaks down very easily to clean the shutter, easy to replace the seals, etc. The meter on the 7s reads in EV values, but it's easy to get used to.

I'm more of a MF fan, but found this camera answers the "what's the best camera? The one you have with you" question quite well. I've taken some of my favorite shots with it. They seem to go for $25 - $75 in the US - you can always have the shipper mark it "broken camera for parts" or something...

klop · Aug 29, 2016

Get the cheap FSU rangefinder with the Leica thread mount.... There are a gazillion lenses out there for it......

Paul Howell · Aug 30, 2016

There are many very good fixed lens rangefinders from the 60s, 70s and early 80s. Petri made a number that were quite good including the scale focus Color 35 which will fit into a pocket. Mamiya, Chinion, Ricoh, and Cosina made a number that were sold as house brands. The Konica S3 has a very sharp lens, Ricoh made a few with spring wound motor drives, the Ricoh GR 10 with 2.8 is a 7 element lens in 5 groups. The thing to remember is that this level, cameras were consumer driven and are not built to pro standards. Most are at least 40 years old so it is a matter of luck if you get a model that is working. Still all in all you get a lot for the money.

baachitraka · Aug 30, 2016

XA. Focus set to 3m and aperture at 5.6 and the rest don't care.

Bobkins · Aug 30, 2016

baachitraka said:
XA. Focus set to 3m and aperture at 5.6 and the rest don't care.

if use camera this way the best XA is XA2

baachitraka · Aug 31, 2016

I prefer XA because of its superior lens. 6 elements in 5 groups if I am not mistaken.

Cheap and Worth Rangefinder

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency