Everyday Rangefinder Part II - Medium Format This Time

A couple weeks ago I posted about finding my everyday 35mm rangefinder, I tiny little Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35.
Having settled on a 35mm rangefinder, I went to look for a nice, compact, pocketable medium format rangefinder. I already have a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 6x9, but that is a little too large to carry around every day. It is a nice size for a coat pocket, but too large for anything else.

I started searching the internet and almost decided on the smaller Zeiss Super Ikonta A, but found another little jem.

Introducing the Konika Pearl II. I found one on ebay advertised using the Japanese name for this camera and grabbed it up for $49.00. These normally run for around $200.00.

When I received it, I noticed that the lens was badly fogged. After taking the lens apart, I found that the coatings on the inside of the rear element went bad. Not a problem though, I got out some chrome and aluminum polish and a clean cotton rag and went to work polishing off the bad coatings. After about an hour, I had a nice, very clear and scratch free lens, albeit one without coatings on one surface. I'll live with that for $49.00!

Anyway enough blather. I have a roll of Acros 100 in it right now, and after I get done shooting it around the house, I'll develop it and post them here.

I took some photos of the Pearl II along with the Zeiss Ikon Contessa for size comparison.

Its as wide and as deep as the tiny Contessa. Here you can also see the great focus scale.

Konica Pearl II 1 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

But, just slightly taller

Konica Pearl II 2 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Opening it up, you see a unit-focusing Hexar 75mm F3.5 lens and a shutter that goes from 1 second to 1/500s.

Konica Pearl II 3 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

The back of the camera showing the window for advancing the film.

Konica Pearl II 4 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

And finally, next to my Gossen Luna Pro F for size comparison.

Konica Pearl II 5 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

After seeing some photos that others have taken with this camera, I am sure I'm going to really like it. It's no 6x9, but man, it is tiny.

That does look like a cute small thing

What has kept me away from getting one is that they all seem to have small squinty viewfinders (i might be a bit spoiled by Leica though).

Nice camera. Even nicer eBay "score" story!

Maybe I'm wrong, but AFAIK only the Pearl IV had the coupled RF. I think you got a helluva score, as those in nice shape are 900 - 1200 usd cameras, and rare as well, with only a few thousand produced in a one or two year run.

It does have a coupled rangefinder. Coupled rangefinders started with the Pearl II and went through to the excellent Pearl IV.

I finally put a roll of film through this camera. It looks like taking off the degraded coatings on the inside of the lenses didn't hurt it at all. These are just a few shots I took to test the camera, so nothing great. I shot a roll of Acros 100 and developed it in Pyrocat MC for 12.5 minutes.

The camera itself is very easy to use and the rangefinder is right on the money. I have a nice Zeiss Super Ikonta 531 A MX coming in the mail tomorrow, so I'll see which one I like the most.

Konika Pearl II Test 1 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Konika Pearl II Test 2 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Konika Pearl II Test 3 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Konika Pearl II Test 4 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Those are interesting pictures. Is the slight color cast in the film, or is it from the scan?

It's from the scan.

I develop my b&w film in Pyrocat MC so the film has a brown/sepia stain.

I usually scan my b&w film in color as I can get a sharper, more detailed photo that way. This time I left the photo in color instead of converting to b&w and this is what I got.

Colorado CJ said:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
I have a roll of Acros 100 in it right now.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
I finally put a roll of film through this camera.

It's from the scan.

Click to expand...

My everyday camera might keep one roll for one month, but not for three.

Ko.Fe. said:

My everyday camera might keep one roll for one month, but not for three.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I got kind of busy, so I haven't been on my weekend hikes for a while. I also picked up anot her digital camera (bad word, I know ), an X100S.

I seem to fluctuate between shooting film for a few months exclusively, then picking up my digital cameras and using them exclusively for a few months.

Colorado CJ said:

Yeah, I got kind of busy, so I haven't been on my weekend hikes for a while. I also picked up anot her digital camera (bad word, I know ), an X100S.

I seem to fluctuate between shooting film for a few months exclusively, then picking up my digital cameras and using them exclusively for a few months.

Click to expand...

Yes, I also purchased Leica M8 in February, but for different photography. I quit from using digital cameras as everyday long time ago. My current everyday camera is Olympus 35 Trip.



And I have purchased M8 in February

IMO, everyday camera, how busy you are and weekend hikes are is irrelevant. Everyday camera is about what happen every day. You are sitting at everyday red light and all of the sudden goofiest person of the year is crossing in front of you. You are pulling out your digital and... battery is dead. Or you are pulling out your folding RF and by the time it is opened, set and focused... the moment of everyday life might be gone.
This is why my current everyday camera has no batteries, yet it is auto exposure and with four zones focusing 40mm lens.

Another candidate for a good pocketable medium format rangefinder, on the less-expensive side, is a FSU Iskra (Spark).

You would need to find one not heavily used. And then you will need to find who will do CLA for them. Not so many of them were manufactured and those which were working ones were very popular among paid photographers. But once this camera is worn out it is not reparable.
This is what I recently read from reviews in Russian on Iskra.
Scroll down the page on this link to read the same in English:
http://www.certo6.com/services

I had a folding MF with a Zeiss lens. The photographs were really sharp but even though it was relatively light I just did not use it enough because I preferred taking the Hasselblad. So I sold it. Great camera.

Colorado CJ said:

I finally put a roll of film through this camera. It looks like taking off the degraded coatings on the inside of the lenses didn't hurt it at all. These are just a few shots I took to test the camera, so nothing great. I shot a roll of Acros 100 and developed it in Pyrocat MC for 12.5 minutes.

The camera itself is very easy to use and the rangefinder is right on the money. I have a nice Zeiss Super Ikonta 531 A MX coming in the mail tomorrow, so I'll see which one I like the most.

Konika Pearl II Test 1 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Click to expand...

I recognize the location. We seem to live in the same town CJ... Nice shots too.