Folders: Coupled rangefinder, or no?

[Poohblah]

Hi guys, I'm currently looking to step up to "real" MF from my Holga and I'm doing a little bit of research on some cameras. It would help me a ton if you have any thoughts and opinions on how helpful a coupled rangefinder is on a little 6x6 folder (Super Isolette, Super Baldax, etc.) as opposed to a regular viewfinder and zone focusing (Isolette I/II etc.). I figure that if I buy from Jurgen here: http://www.certo6.com/buy.html then I shouldn't have any problems as far as rangefinder accuracy goes... but I've never used a true rangefinder before.

FWIW, I would love to shoot wide open (or close to it) at relatively short focusing distances.

 

[archphoto]

The best advice I can give you before you buy a MF: check out a 35mm with and one without a RF and see where you will happy with.

I have used both on 35mm and liked both, but this is personal.

Certo6.com seems to be a good one, it is allways good if you can buy from a repairman himself as he knows the camera he is selling to you and he can give you a warranty.

One thing for the RF: you can have a bit of vertical-off (not the distance) as it is easier to see if you are in focus.

Peter

 

[ntenny]

It all really depends on how good you get at estimating distances (and how open "wide open" is on your particular camera). I'm not that great at it and have lost a lot of otherwise good photos to a misjudgement of the range, but you may have a better eye than I.

The middle way is an accessory rangefinder. I've got one on the way, finally, because I have some scale-focus cameras that I absolutely love. We'll see how it works, but it's a whole lot cheaper than any folder with a coupled RF would have been.

-NT

 

[DWThomas]

A year ago I bought a CLA'd Perkeo II from certo6. Not only does it not have a rangefinder, the focus scale is marked in meters. I have not found it to be that big a problem to guess and set. I think of meters as "fat yards" and let it go at that. I did screw up focus on one shot in London, but that was when in the heat of the moment I shot a distant scene without even checking, forgetting my previous shot was a close-up of a piece of statuary! (And of course, I have been spoiled a bit by the high automation of current camera gear.)

You can find separate rangefinders that go in the accessory shoe -- certo6 often has a Voigtländer unit on Eprey. Unfortunately they tend to go for about twice what I'd be willing to pay for one. I suppose if one is doing varied shooting on the street in circumstances where subject distances are somewhat unpredictable and frequently changing, a coupled RF could be nice, but for casual shooting of landscapes, architecture and similar stuff, I don't miss a rangefinder.

DaveT

 

[JPD]

Cameras with coupled rangefinders are a little faster to work with that those with uncoupled (or if you have an accessory rangefinder). We're talking about five seconds, or so, faster. Not much, but only you can decide if it's worth it.

I was lucky to buy a Voigtländer RF Bessa from 1938 with a 3,5 Heliar for €40 a couple of years ago. The rangefinder is spot on. A very nice camera, but has one window for the rangefinder and one for framing.

Another nice 6x9 folder I have is an Ercona II with a coated 3,5 Tessar. I use a Voigtländer accessory rangefinder with it. Not much slower to use than the RF Bessa.

 

[Schlapp]

I have both an Ikonta A 645 and a Bessa 6x9 both with coupled rangefinders. And yes they are great to use - the Bessa being easier than the Ikonta but the Ikonta better wide open. Bit of the swirlies.

 

[Simplicius]

I have a collection of MF folders, I love them all, you want best results wide open go for a super but you'll pay the extra. Folders like these aren't really bokeh kings and you have to do a lot of guestimation and manual zooming to get a decent depth of field effect.

as an entry level the Isolette III is a great item, beaten though by any super ikonta. but even the base model folders are good stopped down. f/8 and neopan 400. hand held metering is fine and good to do as well as you start to learn to read light changes. Something I suspect I'd have never grown to appreciate if I stuck to my Nikon F80 and never strayed into the old beauties.

One piece of advice, test your rangefinder with a tape measure especially at shorter distances. but also a standard paving slab on the street is 500mm. a stretched step is a metre. try your own step over 30 metres, you'd be surprised how close you are.

 

[Anastigmatic]

Hands down, if you can afford it get a crf, for close up work, wide open a crf is even more usefull. i have some of both types and use both. but the reality is because i have the choice i will always pick the crf over the scale focus camera, its simply quicker, easier, more acurate and with a unit focusing lens up close gives slightly better results. i tend to use my scale focus camera just for the fun or experiance of using that partcular camera, or if i just want the smallest camera to tuck away in a pocket (such as the perkeo) but they are slower to use.

 

[Paul Goutiere]

Check out the FSU stuff as well, like the Moskva, Iskra etc. Use caution but check them out. I understand the Iskra can be excellent for about $200 US.

Not FSU, of course, but I'm personally very fond of The Super Ikonta B with the coated Zeiss Opton lens.

 

[P C Headland]

If you can afford it, and don't mind the extra weight, I'd go for the CRF.

Generally, the CRF models were the top of the range, so their overall quality is often higher, and they usually come with the best lens in the range. Unfortunately, sometimes the added features can be the camera's weakest point, so make usre you get to know the weak spot of each model you are considering.

My favourites are the Iskra and Certo Six. Both are good wide open, with the Iskra having the closest focus of 1 metre. Many other CRF folders have a minimum focus distance (without adapters) of 1.3m to 1.5m.

There are many other good choices such as the Mamiya Six folder, Super Ikontas, Super Isolette, etc.

 

[Poohblah]

I have a collection of MF folders, I love them all, you want best results wide open go for a super but you'll pay the extra. Folders like these aren't really bokeh kings and you have to do a lot of guestimation and manual zooming to get a decent depth of field effect.

as an entry level the Isolette III is a great item, beaten though by any super ikonta. but even the base model folders are good stopped down. f/8 and neopan 400. hand held metering is fine and good to do as well as you start to learn to read light changes. Something I suspect I'd have never grown to appreciate if I stuck to my Nikon F80 and never strayed into the old beauties.

One piece of advice, test your rangefinder with a tape measure especially at shorter distances. but also a standard paving slab on the street is 500mm. a stretched step is a metre. try your own step over 30 metres, you'd be surprised how close you are.

Hi thanks, yeah I know about that meter trick, my dad taught me it when we played golf together (although, I'm in the states, so we called it a yard). It's a fairly accurate way to measure distances on the golf course

Anyway thanks to all of you, I would really like to get my hands on a Super Isolette, but first I need to sell off some of my 35mm gear that I don't use any more.

I'm debating between a Super Isolette and a Yashica Mat 124G. So you could guess that I'm debating size vs. a nice viewfinder. Having both a folder and TLR would be nice but money doesn't grow on trees you know Although, I could sell the ol' digital...

Oh and as far as metering goes: I'm practicing a ton with Sunny f/16 and I'm getting better every day.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

I'm debating between a Super Isolette and a Yashica Mat 124G. So you could guess that I'm debating size vs. a nice viewfinder.

My wife shot most of the work in her
exhibit, "Jacob's Ladder," with an Agfa
Record folder (uncoupled rangefinder),
and did not feel burdened by it.

I have a Super Baldax with a coupled
rangefinder and I like it well enough.
But I have yet to find an instance
where I prefer it to a Rolleiflex.