Favorite fixed lens range finder?

[nocrop]

Fuji GW670 III: 90mm f/3.5 EBC Fujinon lens is the reason.

 

[Metroman]

XA - fits in my shirt pocket.

 

[Minniesmum]

XA - fits in my shirt pocket.

love my XA too Love the Konica C35 Auto but its chunky compared to the XA.

 

[Trask]

Konica IIIa -- great lens, 1:1 viewfinder

 

[doomtroll]

My Yashica Electro 35 GSN

 

[benjiboy]

35mm f2.8 Minotar on my Minox 35 GT

 

[Pumal]

Yashica Lynx 14e IC
Yashica Electro 35 GSN
Ricoh 500 GX

 

[Dave Pritchard]

My coolest fixed-lens rangefinder is a Bolsey B2 with a Wollensak 44mm, f3.2 lens. It is very compact, very old-school (circa 1949), no meter.

The one that gets the most use is a Yashica Electro 35 G, with Yashinon 45mm, f1.7 lens.

 

[Marc Akemann]

The Olympus XA has been my favorite up until just recently. A new, to me, chrome Olympus 35 SP has quickly become my favorite fixed-lens rangefinder camera.

-Marc

 

[John R.]

Little XA's are great and so are the older Rollei 35's, different league though.

 

[fotopom]

Canonet QL17, even without the frame counter (malfunctioned and had to be removed so the double exposure prevention would work!) Its very quick and very sharp, and very convenient due to its size.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Olympus XA.
Small, quirky, touch-feely, featured and reliable ... at least until the shutter button died...

 

[elekm]

-- Retina IIa (with 50mm Schneider Xenon)

-- Retina IIS (with 45mm Schneider Xenar)

-- Zeiss Ikon folding Contessa and Contina II (with 45mm Zeiss Tessar)

-- Zeiss Ikon rigid Contessa (with 50mm Tessar)

-- Voigtlander Vito III (with 50mm Ultron)

-- Voigtlander Vitessa L (with 50mm Ultron)

 

[ntenny]

The folding Contessa is basically an Ikonta 35 with an upgraded lens and a rangefinder, right? I'd love to have that camera; I've got an Ikonta 35 that I bought by accident (it came in a lot with a 645 folder that I thought I wanted, because I'd mistaken it for a 6x6), and I've been really startled by its performance. It's a reliable little tank of a camera.

The only fixed-lens rangefinder I have, I guess, is a Minolta 7s, which has also performed like a champ. I'm really impressed with its metering; I routinely trust it in auto mode with slide film---it also sports certainly the sharpest lens I've ever paid US$9.99 for! I do wish it would shrink a little, though.

-NT

 

[ricksplace]

Retina 3c and 2a.

 

[perkeleellinen]

The Olympus 35RC.

What a great camera, nice compact size and light-weight. The lens seems nice enough and 2.8 is fast enough for me, short focus throw, full-manual ability plus a shutter priority mode. Viewfinder shows aperture / shutter information and rangefinder patch on mine is visible.

It fits my hand very well. The shutter release, lens barrel, thumb crank and shutter dial all seem very well placed. I use this camera more than any other and it would be my 'only camera' if such a decision had to be made.

 

[FilmLives!]

Konica Auto S2. Mine was purchased new in the early 70's, and was recently overhauled with a CLA, new light seals, and a meter repair. What's not to love? A razor sharp fast lens; shutter-priority automatic or full manual control (shutter works with no battery on manual); nice, contrasty viewfinder/rangefinder patch with parallex-correcting frame lines; solid metal everywhere, built like the proverbial tank (but as a result it ain't a lightweight); and not too tiny - it fits the hand very well. 36 years with it and no other fixed-lens rangefinder has tempted me ...

jZ

 

[GFDarlington]

GR1v

 

[elekm]

The folding Contessa is basically an Ikonta 35 with an upgraded lens and a rangefinder, right?

The folding Contessa is similar though not identical. Its body is a bit thicker, and it always has a Tessar while the Ikonta might have a Novar, Xenar or Tessar.

The Contessa also has a coupled rangefinder and uncoupled selenium meter and unified viewinder/rangefinder.

There were three models: Ikonta, Contina and Contessa. Later, these became Contina, Contina II and Contessa -- the first and second models were renamed.

The Contina II was fitted with either a Novar or Tessar and uncoupled rangefinder but no meter. With the Contina II, you focus in one window, read the distance from the dial and then set the lens to that distance. Then you compose your shot in another window. Takes some time, but it's simpler in the real world than it sounds here.

All three were created by Zeiss Ikon's Hubert Nerwin, a brilliant camera designer. They reflect Nerwin's minimalist principle that simpler is better.

There are small differences in the Ikonta, Contina and Contessa, and the Ikonta had at least three variations in its body. The quality of construction and choice of materials of all three cameras was excellent. And with the Contessa, you usually can revive the selenium meter.

 

[elekm]

To add to this, I think that all three are built on the same body frame/shell with the same lens standard. They have different backs, lens doors, top plates and advance/rewind knobs.

 

[nsurit]

Olympus XA. Bill Barber

 

[F2_bokeh]

personally, I am a big fan of the Yashica GSN, but i would love to get my hands on a nice Hi-Matic

 

[JPD]

Kodak Retina Ib with Xenar.

Kodak Retina IIc with Heligon.

And maybe the Retina IB, if my first roll turns out as I want.

 

[Barry06GT]

Olympus XA for its size,

Fuji GA645 for the neg size.

 

[Amir Aziz]

The Ricoh 500G offers either automatic or full manual control and the 2.8 40mm Rikenon lens is up there with the best of them.