Price of rangefinders.

[awty]

If you are that concerned about the money then get a Canon 7. You won't really be missing out. I use my two Canon 7's more than my Leica M3, thought not as much as my Konica Hexar RF. If the Canon had an M mount it would sell for almost as much as a Leica. You can even buy brand new lenses for the Canon. Voigtlander just released a new 28mm in ltm. The Canon is a no brainer, and if you decide later to move to a Leica, you can use the same lenses on it as well.

Which 28mm LTM lens is that?
Really should stop praising the model 7, I might need another.

The m3/2 only has 50mm frame lines, so limited in focal lengths. Still plenty of nice 50mm lens available.

 

[Henning Serger]

I’d live to get my hands on an interchangeable lens rangefinder, but the prices are insane. Leicas are of course way over my budget, so I was looking at the Leica/Minolta CL and the Voigtländer Bessa R2 and R3. They’re all pretty expensive, a Bessa R2C starts at around $1000 if I import it from Japan. My questions is: Do you expect the prices to go up, down, or stay? Should I hold on getting one, or get one soon?

It is unlikely that the prices will go down in the future. Because of the following reasons:
1. The production numbers of all 'cheaper alternatives' to Leica M cameras have been quite low.
2. The total number of these alternatives will slowly decrease over the coming years / decades, because always some cameras will be totally destroyed by accident, or damaged to an extent so that they cannot be repaired anymore.
3. New film rangefinder cameras are currently only produced by Leica, and in limited numbers (lower 4-digit range). Because of the high demand for these cameras this additional production won't be enough to put price pressure on older used Leica M cameras, which would then put price pressure on the Bessas or Zeiss Ikons or Minolta CL.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Kodachromeguy]

The m3/2 only has 50mm frame lines, so limited in focal lengths

The Leica M2 has finder frames for 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm lenses. The M3 has frame lines for 50mm, 90mm, and 135mm lenses. Google is your 10sec. friend for topics like this.

 

[warden]

I’d live to get my hands on an interchangeable lens rangefinder, but the prices are insane. Leicas are of course way over my budget, so I was looking at the Leica/Minolta CL and the Voigtländer Bessa R2 and R3. They’re all pretty expensive, a Bessa R2C starts at around $1000 if I import it from Japan. My questions is: Do you expect the prices to go up, down, or stay? Should I hold on getting one, or get one soon?

Get an M3 and see if you like it. Buy local to avoid the tax. If you like the camera it’ll serve you well for the rest of your life with normal maintenance. If you don’t like it you will lose little or nothing on resale. Consider it a cheap rental of top quality gear if it ends up not being for you.

 

[GregY]

Which 28mm LTM lens is that?
Really should stop praising the model 7, I might need another.

The m3/2 only has 50mm frame lines, so limited in focal lengths. Still plenty of nice 50mm lens available.

As mentioned the M2 has 35,50,90....the M3 50,90,135. Very common to use 21, 28 with auxiliary finders and other longer lenses with the Visoflex

 

[Paul Howell]

In your price range a Kodak Retina IIIS, unlike the early Retina has a set of true set of lens from 28,, to 200, the 200 does not work with the work with the rangefinder, and the lens for the IIIS will also work in the later model but not all lens made for the Reflex has the cam. When a lens is attached brings up the viewfinder for that lens, I think the 28mm needed a separate viewfinder. Downside is that that the top shutter speed is 1/500th as it uses a leaf shutter, upside, flash at all speeds. Downside uses the EV exposure system, either you love it or hate it, upside it has a built in non coupled meter, if you can find one that is working. From Cameraquest.

Kodak Retina IIIS

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Which 28mm LTM lens is that?
Really should stop praising the model 7, I might need another.

The m3/2 only has 50mm frame lines, so limited in focal lengths. Still plenty of nice 50mm lens available.

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/threads/six-versions-new-voigtlander-28mm-f2-8-aspherical-m-ltm.4815585/#post-4844386

 

[Sirius Glass]

Why would some people want interchangeable lenses for range finder cameras?

Because there are no zoom lenses for those cameras.​

Why? Here are just two reasons. 1. Because zoom lenses are usually big and heavy. 2. There is something nice about using a fixed focal length lens and “zooming with your feet” to frame the scene the way you want.

I’m sure there are lots of other reasons other people have.

So humor is not your strong suit.

 

[awty]

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/threads/six-versions-new-voigtlander-28mm-f2-8-aspherical-m-ltm.4815585/#post-4844386

Cool, have to start saving my pennies.

 

[awty]

As mentioned the M2 has 35,50,90....the M3 50,90,135. Very common to use 21, 28 with auxiliary finders and other longer lenses with the Visoflex

So it does, I never used 90 & 135 on that camera, forgot they existed, they should of labelled it. The Canon 7 has all 5 conveniently labelled.

 

[GregY]

So it does, I never used 90 & 135 on that camera, forgot they existed, they should of labelled it. The Canon 7 has all 5 conveniently labelled.

Of course but then you also have the downsides. Selenium meter, loud shutter, weak rangefinder patch, screw mount lenses. As always you get to pick....

 

[Sirius Glass]

Of course but then you also have the downsides. Selenium meter, loud shutter, weak rangefinder patch, screw mount lenses. As always you get to pick....

. . . not seeing what is in focus, harder to use a polarizing filter, . . .

 

[awty]

Of course but then you also have the downsides. Selenium meter, loud shutter, weak rangefinder patch, screw mount lenses. As always you get to pick....

My Model 7 is the quickest camera I own and I have a hundred including leaf shutters, I can't hear it half the time, the range finder patch is as strong as any leica I own and the selenium meter is pretty accurate. The Last 6 pictures I have posted in the gallery were using a 7......but it's all about the lens.

 

[GregY]

My Model 7 is the quickest camera I own and I have a hundred including leaf shutters, I can't hear it half the time, the range finder patch is as strong as any leica I own and the selenium meter is pretty accurate. The Last 6 pictures I have posted in the gallery were using a 7......but it's all about the lens.

I have a 50 1.4 and a 28 2.8 Canon from the era & they're fine lenses!

 

[Mogens]

In your price range a Kodak Retina IIIS, unlike the early Retina has a set of true set of lens from 28,, to 200, the 200 does not work with the work with the rangefinder, and the lens for the IIIS will also work in the later model but not all lens made for the Reflex has the cam. When a lens is attached brings up the viewfinder for that lens, I think the 28mm needed a separate viewfinder. Downside is that that the top shutter speed is 1/500th as it uses a leaf shutter, upside, flash at all speeds. Downside uses the EV exposure system, either you love it or hate it, upside it has a built in non coupled meter, if you can find one that is working. From Cameraquest.

Kodak Retina IIIS

Sadly, as I just discovered, if anything goes awry on the Retina IIIS, it's not economical to fix it. It shares the loopy silk thread with the Reflex models that technicians loathe.

 

[retina_restoration]

Sadly, as I just discovered, if anything goes awry on the Retina IIIS, it's not economical to fix it. It shares the loopy silk thread with the Reflex models that technicians loathe.

I tell folks that if they have a IIIS that is currently working, then use it, and worry about getting it serviced when it becomes desperate. Servicing one of these takes two full days of labor, which makes getting the job done expensive. Most who ask, decline to get it done, and I understand why. It's an engineering nightmare inside, but it's a fantastic camera - one of my favorite rangefinders - if it's working well.

Usually, the only real issue is that the shutter is gummy and doesn't play nice at the slower speeds. Sometimes that can be remedied - at least for a while - by warming the shutter with a hair dryer for a couple minutes. Go slow - don't bake it! You may find that it works well enough for a while, at least until you take it out in cold weather.

 

[guangong]

Canon LTM cameras are more affordable, and often more advanced with better construction than Leica LTM cameras. I say this while also using IIIa, IIIc and IIIf cameras.