Most compact rangefinder?

jasonjoo · Jun 4, 2007

Thanks Earl! The Konica C35 seems like a very cool camera as well! I'm really fascinated by these "toy-like" rangefinders!

k_jupiter · Jun 4, 2007

XA would be my first choice. Nice camera, I sent my Mom to Thailand with one in 1981 and she had a blast. Second choice would be a Cannon Sureshot. Usually 10 bucks, auto everything, if you lose it, oh well. I bought a couple for aerial kite photography, use one as my everyday keep in the car camera.
Third choice... Kodak Retina IIa. You need a meter but it's bullet proof, takes great photos no matter what lens is on it, and can be gotten for under 30 bucks. And I don't think anyone would steal it. The Schneider or Kodak lens models are wonderful but any of them will give you great images.

tim in san jose

AgX · Jun 4, 2007

I just had a look at the XA on the net. I did not know that this first model had a rangefinder. Its short base is likely to make the rangefinder window appear as an exposure meter window.
A very interesting camera. (I have never heard about a “reversed retrofocus wide-angle lens” before too; making a super wide-angle retrofocus lens, turning it around to have an anti-retrofocus standard wide angle lens…)

k_jupiter · Jun 4, 2007

AgX said:
I(I have never heard about a reversed retrofocus wide-angle lens before too; making a super wide-angle retrofocus lens, turning it around to have an anti-retrofocus standard wide angle lens)

*L* Just take the pictures.

tim in san jose

Donald Boyd · Jun 4, 2007

Olympus SP or RC or RD.

bogeyes · Jun 4, 2007

ECX-1

I will let you into a little secret, one of the best compact cameras to be had on ebay is the Samsung ECX-1. I have bought 2 of these for less than £15. It is not exactly small but it will fit into a large jacket pocket. What makes the camera outstanding is its schnieder lens. The camera was £300 when it was first introduced. I suggest you google and check out all the cameras features. You get a lot of camera for your money, people tend to overlook them because they do not associate the electrical giant Samsung company with great cameras.

rosey · Jun 4, 2007

More on the Samsung and several others

I agree about the high quality of the Samsung. I have one and enjoy it, but it is as far from compact as possible. In fact, I don't have another P&S camera that's bigger, except maybe the Pentax 105-R, and I have more than 50 or so P&S gems.

I took my Samsung to a pal's wedding reception for kicks, and the pictures (with zoom tele and wide) were actually very fine. Several enlargements turned out great. The camera's unusual design elicited some favorable comments, too

When it comes to compact with high quality, I have several Konica Big Mini versions, plus the original A4, which I think started much of the compact camera craze. And the Stylus Epic. The Leica Mini, also. All are very, very good. Some have zooms, usually 35-70, but the fixed lenses have best quality. In fact, anybody needing a compact P&S for self or youngster can email me for a good deal, and my wife would be thrilled if I thinned out my massive collection of mint and demo gear.

Alas, we are drifting far from the original question about a compact rangefinder.

But before I close, I'd like to toss in another gem that constantly amazes me with its high quality. That's the tiny Canon Elph Jr., with its fixed 2.8 lens. It's APS, I know, but enlargements to 8x10 are astounding. With fast film, turn off the flash and it's great indoors. Better, I think, than the other APS stuff with zoom lenses. I have a couple of these. The Elph Jr. will actually fit neatly in a shirt or vest pocket.

jasonjoo · Jun 5, 2007

Well, I just won my first Olympus XA! It's going to cost me $84 bucks + shipping (Includes the A11 flash), but I hope that it will be well worth it!

This will be my first rangefinder and I must say, I'm getting a bit excited!

bjorke · Jun 5, 2007

Good! I hope that you have enough time before your departure to use it -- a good deal. Not just to ensure that everything is square technically with the camera, but so that you don't have to think twice about its use once you're out in the world. Let your brain be busy seeing and shooting, not fiddling with the $%^%!! shutter speed.

As for Sao Paolo favelas themselves, check out Robert Neuwirth's book Shadow Cities which covers the topic from the perspective of a person on the ground there (rather than some travel writer). Ask your library. He also spoke at TED:

Neuwirth video (about 20 minutes)

related Stuart Brand video (about 3 mins)

As in most such squatter cities, the people in the favelas have been displaced by trade globalization. They are mostly relocated rural people and their families... kind of like a lot of Americans, two or three generations ago. One of the biggest squatter cities in the world, 70 years ago, was Seattle, where the ball park and Starbucks Headquarters are now.

Check out Salgado's Migrations too!

jasonjoo · Jun 5, 2007

Thanks bjorke. I really hope I have enough time to familiarize myself with the XA. While reading about it online, and going through it's manual, it seems like a very simple camera. I'm awaiting the seller to ship off the camera and am currently looking for a couple more XA's for the trip

keithwms · Jun 5, 2007

It is quite a simple camera. I explained it to my dear dad, who has no photographic inclinations, and in about 5 minutes he was good to go. He shot two rolls on a recent vacation and all but a couple were technically perfect. The only part that isn't completely obvious is rewinding the film, but it's also not hard once you locate the release button and flip out the teeny-tiny rewinding crank.

jasonjoo · Jun 6, 2007

Thanks for the heads up Keith!

Man, I wish the seller would contact me already! Or at least e-mail me a confirmation code. I'm really excited to use one of these things already!

jasonjoo · Jun 6, 2007

Woohoo! Just won my second eBay auction for another XA + A11 flash.

In case anyone was wondering, I paid $84 + shipping for the first set and $63 + shipping for the second set. Can't wait for both of these to arrive!

elekm · Jun 6, 2007

If you want to skip the need for a rangefinder, you could opt for a Minox 35. Very nice cameras with closed shell. Requires a battery.

Or a Lomo -- if sharpness isn't a necessity. I think this also requires a battery.

There also are the Rolllei 35's, but I'd hate to lose one of those (again).

jasonjoo · Jun 6, 2007

Thanks for the suggestions elekm. I was thinking about purchasing a lomo a few months back. There's something very alluring about that camera. Perhaps it's the cult following that was influencing me.

However, now that I've discovered the Olympus XA, the lomo is not as appealing (especially because of the price!). Although, a holga would seem like a great addition...

luvcameras · Jun 8, 2007

Another vote for the Olympus Stylus Epic

Here is my article on that camera

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/epic.htm

Dan

mabman · Jun 13, 2007

I'm a little late here, but having taken both the XA and the Stylus Epic with me on vacation a couple of months ago, I have to say I'm very disappointed in both - within a day of carrying them around in my pockets, both broke - with the XA, somehow the film winder release button in the bottom got depressed, I didn't notice and wound the film, which has jammed the shutter release (opening the door, which normally pops the release button back, doesn't do anything), and with the Stylus Epic, when I try to take a picture, the lens adjusts as it normally does for the AF, sticks in the outward-most position, the shutter goes off, and then the camera appears to power off (lens still extended, display goes blank), but if you wiggle the clamshell lid it resets temporarily.

Both of these were in my carry-on for the trip there, not dropped, and worked before I left.

I haven't looked very hard yet, I'm hoping the XA might be fixable because I actually quite like the lens quality as well as the automatic +2 EV backlight switch - but I'd think twice about bringing one with me travelling again.

Speaking of small(-sh) rangefinders, I'm considering getting a FED-2 with a collapsible 50mm lens - entirely manual, made of metal but by most accounts not that heavy, and fairly compact with the lens retracted. This also has the advantage of not being terribly expensive and reasonably common, so if one breaks, a replacement is readily available. The only real downsides are a lack of a meter (time to practice Sunny 16!) and limited shutter speeds of 1/30 - 1/500 (but on average I can't handhold well below 1/30 anyway).

Anyway, just my $.02.

mcgrattan · Jun 13, 2007

I can't remember if I mentioned it already in this thread, but the Kodak Retinas can be pretty small. After some recommendations here I picked up a IIc a month or so back, and it's really compact. Smaller than the Fed-2 + lens option. Very nice lens too, if the first few films are anything to go by.

I'm surprised at the Stylus Epic problem. I've hammered mine over the past year, and it's never caused me a problem.

mabman · Jun 13, 2007

I've considered a Retina folder - in some respects I'd quite like one as well - quite compact, default 50mm lens has max. aperture of 2.8. However, I've taken a look around and I'm not sure where to buy one that's going to be reliable and/or serviceable. I also own an Agfa Isolette III medium format folder, which was restored by Jurgen Kreckel (aka Certo6), but I don't think he does 35mm folders. All the ones I've found in the last while on the auction site and/or KEH seem to be not completely functional. Also, I'm a little paranoid about leaky bellows, which is why I'd prefer to avoid picking one up from someone not reliable and/or a unit that hasn't been CLA'd first.

On the flip side, there are a plethora (well, OK, a few that I'm aware of) of reasonable-to-very-good known FSU camera dealers/repairmen, so frankly I'm more confident with that purchase.

But, feel free to enlighten me - if I can find a working, reliable Retina folder for a reasonable price I'd certainly consider it.

spark · Jun 13, 2007

XA series cameras can be found cheap at garage sales and thrift stores around here- though usually with rotted foam light seals. The John Goodman kits have all you need to fix them and there are instructions on his website. It takes about an hour or so to clean the gunk out, then maybe another 30 minutes to put the new ones in.

mcgrattan · Jun 13, 2007

mabman, I just bought mine off a random seller on Ebay. He advertised it as being a bit sluggish on the slow speeds but otherwise good. As it turned out, after a little exercise, the slow speeds on the shutter were just fine, and the camera was otherwise pretty much perfect.

I do use FSU cameras too. I like my Zorki 2c a lot. But the Retina is more compact.

jasonjoo · Jun 13, 2007

Thanks for sharing your experiences mabman! I have 2 XA's waiting for me at home. I'll have them in my hands on Friday. Hopefully I will not have any issues while I'm on my trip!

I'll have to take a look at the John Goodman kits. Does anyone have a link to his site? Thanks!

Edit: A quick google search and I found... www.kyphoto.com

Seems like the right site!

NormanFX · Jun 22, 2008

I bought a Voigtlander VF 101 off eBay. Its a Rollei clone of the Zeiss Ikon Contessa S312. Its very compact and its a classic 1970s era rangefinder camera. A tad on the heavy side but well made and it sports a Color Skopar 2.8f/40 lens. Its a rebadged Carl Zeiss Tessar. The camera is like a brick and feels and looks like a classic rangefinder but its more of a point and shoot. There are no real manual controls, if you want to fiddle with that kind of stuff. But its a great vacation camera and good to for street photography!

kennethcooke · Jul 16, 2008

jd callow said:
I have a little Rollie 35s, it is about the size of a pack of cigs. It is a good camera, has a metre, but requires special batteries, and I can't tell you if it is cheap or not. I assume by 'regular 35mm' you mean SLR. I prefer an RF over an SLR for travel, but we are all different.

I'll second that. Rollei 35s is a superb camera. Buy one with a 35mm 3.5 Tessar lens. I used one regularly in the Alps. Going back to the 70's it was The climbers camera

lens_hacker · Jul 17, 2008

Was the Rollei available with a 35mm lens? I stumbled into a 35TE with the collapsible 40mm F3.5 Tessar. The TE has the electronic LED meter. Nice little camera. I have to remember to advance the film before collapsing the lens.

Most compact rangefinder?

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