Sub $100 35-40mm fix lens manual RF?

ic-racer · Nov 3, 2024

Chan Tran said:
They couldn't build a new one for $500 not even for $800.

That is inexpensive and would be great. New Leica at B&H is $6000 today.

Paul Howell · Nov 3, 2024

My 1952 Wards Photography Catalog list the Leica IIIF at $525 which is $6827 when adjusted for inflation, the Contax IIA at $440 or adjusted $5255. Even $1000 for a quality lens on a fixed lens rangefinder is decent price. In 1952 a Argus C3 would cost $862 in 2024 money.

rcphoto · Nov 3, 2024

You can often find Canonet QL 17 GIII's listed as QL-28s on ebay for well under $100. The last QL-17 I bought was listed as-is but I found it to be fully functioning.

loccdor · Nov 4, 2024

The original Olympus XA ticks all your boxes except you might have to throw in an extra 50 dollars -

IF you are willing to use the ISO setting and/or the +1.5 EV backlight lever to impart manual control.

When I bought mine during the Great Film Exodus, they were going for $20. Probably the biggest camera bargain I ever encountered.

xkaes · Nov 4, 2024

Most of the cameras mentioned so far don't have full manual exposure control -- which the OP is looking for -- let alone being under $100.

reddesert · Nov 4, 2024

There are a lot of manual control fixed lens rangefinders in this category - I can't speak to current prices but the less-hyped ones should still be less than $100, I would think - but the sticking point is metering in full manual mode. For many of them, the meter needle is active only when you set to shutter priority auto (for example Canonet QL17, Konica auto S2, Olympus 35RC). I am not sure if this is a limitation of the trapped-needle exposure mechanism, or was also done to save battery.

There are a previous generation of rangefinders that have a meter and were manual only, so the meter works in manual mode (for ex Yashica Lynx), but they are older and may have dead meters or selenium meters or use weird batteries (I mean weird like a PX640, not a PX625 which is easier to work around).

I used rangefinders of the meter-only-in-auto variety for a long time and they were completely usable. Cameras of this type don't have a super-sophisticated meter, so I felt you still had to either go with what it was doing, or take a moment to adjust the exposure by intuition, so the speed of working with meter in viewfinder was less relevant. It's not a matrix metering SLR.

Any of these machines have pretty old meters by now. Some of mine have meters that I used in the 1990s but the meter seems unreliable now, although the camera still works.

Paul Howell · Nov 4, 2024

I agree with reddesert, fixed lens rangefinders were designed for the casual photographers in mind who wanted auto exposure. Replaces by the AF point and shoots for the late 80s and 90s. Build quality is so and so, some lens are very good, mosted has limited ASA range, from 50 to 400, maybe 800. As meters are getting old, maybe a Retina II.

rcphoto · Nov 4, 2024

xkaes said:
Most of the cameras mentioned so far don't have full manual exposure control -- which the OP is looking for -- let alone being under $100.

I guess the aperture and shutter speed controls on the Canonets are just for show.....

xkaes · Nov 4, 2024

The OP was also asking for a FAST lens, too. That pretty much narrows it down to three Fast, Compact, Full-featured 35mm rangefinders:

http://www.subclub.org/minman/leanmean.pdf

I just nabbed a Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII (one of the three listed in the above link) for $40. I don't need it but it was too good to pass up.

Paul Howell · Nov 4, 2024

Just remembered the Ricoh 500, lens is slower, 2.8 but a 40mm, auto and manual exposure. Also sold under the Sears house brand.

Ricoh 500 G - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

camera-wiki.org

Chan Tran · Nov 4, 2024

loccdor said:
The original Olympus XA ticks all your boxes except you might have to throw in an extra 50 dollars -

IF you are willing to use the ISO setting and/or the +1.5 EV backlight lever to impart manual control.

When I bought mine during the Great Film Exodus, they were going for $20. Probably the biggest camera bargain I ever encountered.

rcphoto said:
I guess the aperture and shutter speed controls on the Canonets are just for show.....

I use the Canonet in manual mode. I don't care for meter. I can guess exposure quite well.

OAPOli · Nov 4, 2024

Yashica Lynx 14e. Metered manual, 45mm f1.4 lens, big and heavy, ballpark $100.

Chan Tran · Nov 4, 2024

OAPOli said:
Yashica Lynx 14e. Metered manual, 45mm f1.4 lens, big and heavy, ballpark $100.

I have both the 14e and the older 14. Neither has a working meter. Shutter speeds are slow on both of them. Very nice cameras but I am disappointed.

Jbennett68 · Nov 7, 2024

FriedLouisStudio said:
I picked up a Petri 7s at my local flea market for $20 a couple of years ago, the f/2.8 45mm lens version. I could immediately see that the shutter speeds and rangefinder were working correctly, and the original lenscap was on so the selenium meter was still working.

It's not a great camera - the lens barrel seems loosely attached, and vibrates like it's going to fly off when firing the shutter - but I put some Tri-X through, trusting the rangefinder and meter, and got pretty nice results. It's an okay performer if you find one for a good price in working condition.

View attachment 382546 View attachment 382547 View attachment 382548 View attachment 382549

Very under rated camera. I love shooting mine. Still work perfectly including the meter.

xkaes · Nov 7, 2024

Back to the OP's question -- a compact, fast rangefinder with auto and complete manual exposure for under $100 -- I just picked up a Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII today for $45. It's in mint condition, everything works, and it came with the original camera case & strap, AND a Minolta Autoflash 14 with case -- which is compact and has auto & manual exposure .

MFstooges · Nov 8, 2024

So as far as I know the old fix lens rangefinders are mechanical. How did they engineer a shutter priority on these cameras? I can't think of a way to do it without electronically controlled aperture mechanism.

xkaes · Nov 8, 2024

MFstooges said:
So as far as I know the old fix lens rangefinders are mechanical. How did they engineer a shutter priority on these cameras? I can't think of a way to do it without electronically controlled aperture mechanism.

It's TRAP-NEEDLE. You pick the shutter speed. The meter moves the needle in the viewfinder to the correct f-stop (for the ISO & subject light). When the shutter release is pressed, the needle location is TRAPPED which determines how much the aperture stops down.

Nicholas Lindan · Nov 8, 2024

xkaes said:
It's TRAP-NEEDLE.

And heaven help you if you need to fix it. If one of these stops working it is best to just get a new (well, new used) one.

Paul Howell · Nov 8, 2024

Konica T and A along with Topcon Auto series up to the IC (Intergraded circuit which is electronic) used mechanical shutters with shutter speed priority exposure and proved to be reliable.

Donald Qualls · Nov 8, 2024

Nicholas Lindan said:
heaven help you if you need to fix it. If one of these stops working it is best to just get a new (well, new used) one.

Sometimes they're repairable. I "fixed" the one in my Olympus Pen EE-S2 (just cleaned up the sticky bits to restore function). Fifteen or so years later, the shutter got sticky again, but I don't have a good workspace to open it up again.

woody g · Nov 25, 2024

If you don't like the Yashica Electro 35 (I have a GSN), try the Lynx 5000. 1.8 Lens and a top shutter speed of 1/1000. I prefer it to the Electro series.

Sub $100 35-40mm fix lens manual RF?

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