Compact 35mm rangefinders with manual mode

MattKing · Jul 27, 2021

Cholentpot said:
I don't use a meter with my IIc. Just eyeball it, seems to have worked.

Explains why you don't like it.
If you did use an EV reporting meter, you would first set the EV, and then all the potential combinations would be at your fingertips - almost effortlessly.
The first step can be fiddly, I agree. But the approach is a really good one. Choose the exposure that the meter says will work, then easily and quickly choose the photographic combination that both offers that exposure and the characteristics of shutter speed and aperture that suit your photographic requirements.

Bronson Dugnutt · Jul 27, 2021

A Regula LE would be cool. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Regula_L#Regula_LE

Dismayed · Jul 27, 2021

Chan Tran said:
The Olympus RD as well but the XA only has automatic shutter speed. No manual.

The RD can be shot in manual mode, but you lose metering. That's as manual as it gets!

Ko.Fe. · Jul 27, 2021

AGFA had one compact RF.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agfa_Optima_1535_Sensor
I had it briefly. Not manual mode.

Manual mode and compact which is worth now is cla'd Barnack. Like IIIc Leica or its Japan made clones.

markjwyatt · Jul 27, 2021

Cholentpot said:
... Jedi's have take all the Argus flashes.

risky maybe?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/173948761276?hash=item28802774bc:g:ngAAAOSwPuhdF9z9

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233953756999?hash=item3678bb0747:g:troAAOSwKJJg9uFc

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164979876840?hash=item26699123e8&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:AQAGAAADIBVR8BYwzTSBEqne4KpNY6daaIPtWfrHy%2BoSjEKiLkLToyh5a8iQLy3GpzhNzy5rJmhG8H36XaEBXI2I9PXrdw9sJosFogfHABo7NqSwt4e6H%2BSdfj1FkNUbkVBUBOBXn8Ad1Z4xbJKbDU7OzciKoIHegYhjIA4WJlTBHPxRyjOwc5tIrgB%2BJFQ9Xn3Qkb%2BcWkxWa6qxBaMnW7MuLM3BTvbVhSgRJDB7EzZM70nvwlZwdduMlgrmJi%2BGoZpy20%2FYhAthYQualNMOV7CVv%2F47x%2B8ktWawnwXCSwx150kJP8fYdAWWVTrKVqQC96zQOcz5DCDk5JZjFjqkr%2FQl9XfhhsLWa0B4XdewAoY%2FPIOZTi1xw7kbsejRyrxZoD7tiQHtx3vyklxJxddMRTl0CzSb4kM7NU%2FtbjsyQH%2F1LPTb%2ByV1Z%2Bts3mAIJHQw8ovWpqIJypVpZuKz%2B4gc%2BZbqWKUfdzz%2BmbK5U2PwhguloN8zLnDgS%2FnVCW1eeYULneddWGSvm3MvcCh1n51lV%2BnvmnA9GUVVIqLEYutX%2Bl9gIFFyZZmpW8iGNC1F6M1IlmfvOz1n4E1Le1lMyqN17Dj0DO2nb2Qt0z5scIdeXemCztYDVlVzDw9do3hXQ8LWviWJULCgcKmsVEwTZLNiL3lP3ARFhLHVfyqCi0nhntoj5%2FbU%2Bc6fTqeYfnMIkyjcCY%2BEQTyIN9Q8Uun0k31rvzeTjVoynBkPFmtIE%2BjQNJpehbcXMlMijpxtZiJ8ysN2iT3UjpCOah1ngHTjpHe3LmJgtqNgny2peerUv93QcP7X5G%2BeatvXFSt50hEPCKC9xjWv8RL4y1Rx3ZZKBERKwnZfXTvxyuTo0GBSGS6YWds%2F%2FTkHKMm3isfnCwp2a8LYu%2BoMX0bZVgW%2FXZdJd0RWxHscWJscJrU4gRWvT7uJLKrXtl%2B5nWU%2FSV9k%2Bsh2PLxXjGTBx1iNy8yWmGg%2BKO5TLLt1JdXxerQ8%2F%2Bzv6GE3c8YFRumx3fDy%2ButzZjU7Td6juyuAw5rLG4bgwgeVLKrbo58Ar2RDrUdvFvXkEB7vr3lmRCazjeK0|ampidL_CLK

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313603953390?hash=item49044092ee:g:GV0AAOSw89dg7-iK

ic-racer · Jul 27, 2021

Fixed lens 35mm compact rangefinder with manual exposure and meter...the Holy Grail...if you find one let us know.

Donald Qualls · Jul 28, 2021

Any of the pre-War folding RF models I mentioned above can be used with an accessory shoe meter. Some folks find the ergonomics of the Weltini awkward (they inverted the body from the original Welta 35mm folder, to have room for the RF on top; that puts the door hinge on the other side, shutter release under the left index finger, etc.); AFAIK this is also true of the Super Baldinette and Super Jubilette. I can tell you after using my Weltini for a while, you get used to it. Quickly.

Chan Tran · Jul 28, 2021

ic-racer said:
Fixed lens 35mm compact rangefinder with manual exposure and meter...the Holy Grail...if you find one let us know.

The first camera I ever used was the Petri 7s. It's not too compact but it's a 35mm rangefinder with manual exposure and meter and doesn't need a battery.
Back in the late 70's I was looking for a compact 35mm camera and there is none like that. I had to settle for the Olympus XA.

M-88 · Jul 28, 2021

I would vouch for Olympus 35 RC. It's compact enough. In fact, almost nothing else that has a rangefinder and a manual exposure mode goes significantly smaller than that. Has a great, bright viewfinder with readout for both - shutter speed and aperture value.

The downside: lens is on slower side (f/2.8) and to make the matters worse, longest shutter speed is 1/15. There is bulb, so it's better than nothing. Batteries can pose an issue, but then again most cameras of that generation have outdated batteries. Probably the worst thing is unmetered manual mode.

As an alternative: Oly 35 RD is only a tad larger than 35 RC, has better selection of speeds (starting from 1/2) and the lens is fast - f/1.7, just like on op's QL 17. Another alternative would be 35 SP, but it's substantially larger and it's hard to come by a camera with both - regular and spot metering circuit intact. It has two separate light meters for each mode and with age, often one of them gets busted.

4season · Jul 28, 2021

Minoltina-S aka Minoltina AL-S (not to be confused with Minolta ALS, which is a different camera) has built-in selenium meter, but is otherwise fully manual and IMO one of the prettier compact rangefinder cameras around.

Alan Johnson · Jul 28, 2021

There were quite a few variations on this early 60s Mamiya, Selenium/CDS meter, various lenses. Mine is a UK import version.

Radost · Jul 28, 2021

Minolta CL and especially CLE.
If i have to have only one camera it is the minolta CLE by far!
The size difference of CLE with a 40mm F2 compared to a compact is not that much so why sacrifice.
I pocket my CLE even in my sweatpants pocket. Easy

Craig75 · Jul 28, 2021

Cholentpot said:
I'm going to agree with all the Retina comments. Aside from the interlock it's possibly the most perfect RF camera I own.

I'd love to use my XA with flash, but alas, it's not feasible.

You can add a hotshoe to olympus xa series by modding the little flash unit it comes with.

Chan Tran · Jul 28, 2021

Craig75 said:
You can add a hotshoe to olympus xa series by modding the little flash unit it comes with.

I think I could at least get a PC sync out of a modified A11 unit but I realize that in flash mode the camera has shutter speed of 1/30 which is OK but one aperture of f/3.5 isn't good for me. I would like to use smaller aperture as I can use much more powerful flash. If I don't have it on flash mode I am sure it still sync OK but the shutter speed would change depending on the aperture selected and the ambient light and would likely to result in too slow a shutter speed.

Donald Qualls · Jul 28, 2021

Given this is X sync, shutter speed doesn't matter. The shutter fires for a millisecond or less at the peak opening of the shutter.

Cholentpot · Jul 28, 2021

Craig75 said:
You can add a hotshoe to olympus xa series by modding the little flash unit it comes with.

That requires modifying and owning the flash. Both of which I don't have or can do.

Dismayed · Jul 29, 2021

So what happened to the OP? Maybe he already bought a camera and is out shooting.

Craig75 · Jul 29, 2021

Cholentpot said:
That requires modifying and owning the flash. Both of which I don't have or can do.

yes whilst Im casually throwing around phrases like modding the flash I got a friend to do it so Im not better.

from memory its nothing more complicated than disconecting the wires from the internal flash bulb, soldering them to a shoe and screwing the shoe onto top of the case.

so in theory its very simple but if you are anything like me you can get end up in flames just trying to tie shoe laces

as chantran says tho - you are stuck with the fixed aperture but at least you can add radio trigger to the shoe for no sensible reason.

gone · Jul 29, 2021

Another vote for the Retinas, specifically the Ia cameras w/ the Xenar lenses. These are not sought after like the Retinas w/ fancier lenses and have lower prices. Those Xenars are incredibly good lenses! I had w/ an Ektar, which was razor sharp, but the Xenars image in a more Leica way. I also always liked the little Konica C35 cameras. They have a great lens, and they look classic in silver w/ black coverings. They're AE cameras, not manual, but they do have AE lock, which works pretty much the same way as manual. I have a 16x20 print from one that looks very nice.

A lot of these cameras we're recommending are getting quite old, so condition is important, as well as buying from a good seller.

River Mantis · Aug 16, 2021

Finally got Minolta 7S

Compact 35mm rangefinders with manual mode

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