RF or SLR?

OMFG RF!!!!

Markok765 said:

I just wish the stylus epic was more quiet.

Anyone know how loud the F5 is for a single shot?

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Loud enough to get peoples attention on a quiet street. On a busy city street, it should go un-noticed.

keithwms said:

Marko, try gear you haven't used before; it will help to learn to think beyond the gear.

P.S. Quietest camera I ever had was a konica hexar AF.

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I would second the Hexar AF (with silent mode activated). It is a fixed 35mm lens RF with autofocus and auto film wind on. The lens is a great performer (often compared with Leica) and it is pretty silent even though it winds on the film itself.

Markok765 said:

Would a olympus stylus epic be ok, or would that be too loud?

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My experience with that camera was that it was a bit too loud like SLR. And the viewfinder was not nearly as good as I hoped for. So, when mine died, I didn't get another one but chose a different camera as a replacement: Contax T3. I have not complained since then.

But for your purpose, if the shutter nose is a problem, you just have to find a quiet camera. Leica is good and exellent for that, but Bessa isn't. But then, if you examine more critically, Leica's shutter click is still nice and quiet and gentle, but the rewinding noise is not. So, in a way you can say it's like using any other camera if you snap more than once in one scene.

I use Nikon FM with a 50mm lens for doing casual snap street photography, and for the most part, I don't mind the shutter noise, which is as loud as any other SLR cameras because I don't try to sneak around with it. I just use it as a camera, just like any other camera, and if people I'm photographying do not like being their photos taken, I can see that and I stop. That has very little to do with the shutter noise...

Is it the shutter in the stylus that's noisy? Or the AF?
There's no comparing the sound of an F5, mirror release, shutter, mirror return, advance. to a RF, shutter open, shutter close or a leaf shutter open/close in the Hexar.
The sound of the actual shutter working is probably very close when you compare apples to apples. You cannot compare a Bessa with a vertical travel, metal bladed shutter to a cloth, horizontal travel shutter as in the leica. Even the metal foil horizontal travel shutter in the Nikons will sound diffferent if you lock the mirror up.

It's mainly the winding after, and partially the AF.

I would go with a 35mm SLR. Any of the classic cameras from the "Big 5" Japanese makers will do. I have owned the pro cameras from Nikon and Canon (F100, F5, EOS 3), and am back to MF only. I agree with Ole in regard to focusing with an MF camera. Also, there is just something about the cameras from the 35mm heyday (the 1970s and 80s). They were made for those who have a passion for photography. I tend to eschew the "pro" designation. My "non-pro" cameras have performed very well over the years.

Thus, I would suggest a Pentax Spotmatic SP F, KX, or ME Super. I would also look at the Minolta cameras, too (such as the XG-M, X-570, and X-700). I have an XG-M on the way. Here are the two reasons why I recommend Pentax and Minolta:

1. dirt-cheap, high-quality lenses
2. both Pentax and Minolta have a similar design philosophy--especially in regard to lenses

I always found the F4 as a street camera had people turn towards me. It served me extremely well with sports. The simple & common batteries are easily available anywhere should the camera go down. I recently gave my son my unused Nikon D1 which is similar in size to the F4. He advised me that he started getting questioned about the camera & if he was a professional & what he was shooting that day. I also found that motor drive on the street for one grab shot was not necessary. The older F3 was better. I feel that lighter is better for "street work." One camera one lens seems to serve me best. The 35mm f2.0 or the 28mm f2.8 (24mm too). (Now I am not taking pictures of cityscapes, i.e. buildings.) 4/5 rolls of film is more than enough for a day. Now that everyone is wearing cargo pants with large pockets it is much better than skin tight jeans...just a thought for those that remember trying to pull out that roll of film from the bottom of your pants pocket.

Marko, I'd recommend you take some time and read the page at the link below. While it mainly deals with the series of Olympus rangefinders, it discusses others as well and gives a pretty evenhanded account of each of them. Next might be to check out some prices on the auction site to see what these cameras go for, and you might be pleasantly surprised with some of them. As far as the F5 goes, you're talking about a serious piece of male jewellery here and there is just no way you can be inconspicuous with one round your neck, while the bag/case you'll need for it will not be small either. It takes a full 8 (count 'em) AA batteries, so you'll also need another 8 as standby on your day out.

http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/rangfndr.html