Your first rangefinder ... would you buy it again?

[Sirius Glass]

My first rangefinder camera was a Voigtländer Vito IIb, a folding 35mm camera but not a rangefinder. One had to estimate the distance or use zone focusing [6' to 10', 10' to 30']. I attached a cold shoe clip and fasten a bar rangefinder or a light meter to it. I learned about depth of field and how to compose using it. It was not a great camera but I recently bought one again because at might be useful to have a folding 35mm camera.

So what about you? Would you buy your first rangefinder again?

 

[faberryman]

My first rangefinder was a Canonet 28 circa 1975. I wouldn't mind having it back, though I am not actively seeking one out. I would rather have a Fuji X100F, which is it's natural descendant.

 

[Chan Tran]

The first camera I ever used was the Petri 7s 35mm rangefinder. It was my father's. Over the years I tried to buy one and I bought 2 of them but they are both not in good condition. I would buy another if I can find one in good condition. So sure I would buy it again.
I have Canonet QL17, Olympus RC and Olympus XA, XA2 but they are all automatic. The meter requires battery to work. Not as simple as the Petri 7s.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I don't have to buy it. It is still in use by me. FED-2 and Industrar-26M.

I purchased another just for parts. It was sold as for repairs. And I fixed it.

 

[BAC1967]

I never used a rangefinder until I got a Kodak Signet 35 about 5 years ago. It's now my favorite way to focus and I now have several different rangefinder cameras including Leica, Polaroid, FSU, Medium Format, Large Format... I still have the Signet and use it every now and then but my favorites are Leica Screw Mount. I probably would buy another Signet if I found a really good deal on one but I'm not seeking one out. The Signet is easy to fix and installing a replacement beam splitter has made it a joy to use.

 

[Michael Firstlight]

Ricoh 500G - great starter 35mm rangefinder! Definitely would buy it again and did for my collection.

 

[Ces1um]

My first (and only) rangefinder is a Voigtlander R3M. The lenses are amazing but I would not buy it again. The focusing mechanism falls out of alignment yearly and the leatherette (more like a rubber) keeps peeling off. I also find in the cold that the led's are hard to read. It produces wonderfully sharp photos but I definitely wouldn't spend the money on it again.

 

[bdial]

The first rangefinder I used was my dad's Konica, don't know that I'd buy one, but it was a decent camera and he used it until it was utterly worn out. My kid-hood, and that of my brother and sister were well documented with that camera, roughly 20 years worth of photos until I bought him a replacement Konica SLR while I was in the service.

The first rangefinder I bought personally was a Kodak Retina, and I've bought a few others since, so I guess that qualifies as buying one again. My learning experience with them has been that the first thing you should do on buying one is have it serviced, then use it. It's frustrating doing it the other way round.

 

[MattKing]

I might - at least partially because of the memories.
It was a Kodak 35, it was my first 35mm camera, and it was given to me by my Dad.
If you have ever held one, you would know why I was later so attracted to the Olympus OM system
Here is an internet image:

 

[Theo Sulphate]

My first rangefinder, bought in 1986 and fourth camera ever, was this Leica M3 DS ST PV with collapsible 50/2 Summicron (on the left).

Youxin serviced it recently.

As you can see, I did buy another M3 SS.

 

[Cholentpot]

I've never bought a rangefinder.

I was given a few though. My first one was a Canonete QL17, metering doesn't work so it's all manual. I then scored two C3's and a Vito guess focus.

Don't know if I'd buy a rangefinder though....

 

[Jim Jones]

My first rangefinder camera was a Minolta in 1953. The lens was fine, but the body soon developed a few problems. It was replaced with a Nicca which was loaned to a friend, and I never asked for it back. The third time was a charm, also in 1953, a Leica iiif with a 50mm f/3.5 Elmar. After years of hard use it finally got bashed in. Also, something got tangled up in the shutter and punctured a curtain. It and the lens are now merely mementos. I would buy one again if I used lots of film and had surplus money, although the Elmar 50mm f/2.8 would be an improvement. The Barnack cameras had a few shortcomings, but were quite compact and reliable. My M4 is my all-time favorite.

 

[BayG75]

Ricoh 500G - great starter 35mm rangefinder! Definitely would buy it again and did for my collection.

View attachment 193634

I opened this thread to post the very same thing. At age 12 I got a Ricoh 500G for Christmas 1975; it was my first camera and I used it through my teens until buying a Nikon FE2. Last summer I came across a very nice one at my local vintage camera store and bought it for old time’s sake. It was a fine beginner rangefinder.

 

[StanMac]

My first serious camera was a rangefinder, the red-headed step child of the Retinas - a IIf. I took a lot of slides with that camera, which are stored neatly away in cigar boxes (a perfect fit for hieght of a slide and 5 rows, I believe). I still have the camera and use it occasionally.

Stan

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
If you have ever held one, you would know why I was later so attracted to the Olympus OM system
...

It looks like it was designed by Rommel (that's a WWII reference to youse young folk).

Good review of it here:

http://www.mikeeckman.com/2015/12/kodak-35-original-rangefinder-1939-1948/

 

[MattKing]

It looks like it was designed by Rommel (that's a WWII reference to youse young folk).

It actually reminds me a bit of the Kodak Medalist, which itself has a vague resemblance to a WW 1 tank!

 

[mshchem]

Once I looked through a Leica M viewfinder I was hooked. I liquidated my Leicas a few years back. I wasn't using them much.Needed cash.
Well I have a new old stock Leica M6ttl along with a 6 bit Summicron 50 on it's way, should be here this week. I had a M2, lovely, and a M6ttl black. . My new M6ttl has 0.85 finder, is silver, which is what I wanted ,silver lens. I'm very fond of Fuji 690 rangefinders I repurchased a couple of those too.

I really would like to try an M10.
Mike

 

[narsuitus]

Would you buy your first rangefinder again?

No, because I still have my first rangefinder.


Argus C3 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[btaylor]

I did buy my first rangefinder again. I wanted a Leica M2 when I was a teenager, but it was completely out of my reach. I bought a used Contax IIa with the f2 50mm Sonnar with $80 of my paper route money instead. The focus was stiff and the vertical adjustment of the rangefinder was off but other than that it worked pretty well. The "Contax grip" felt natural and I liked the way it operated and felt in my hand. Even then servicing a Contax was expensive, and more than I could afford, so I sold it and bought a beater Pentax slr. A few years ago I felt the need to use some of that classic Zeiss glass again and I picked up a clean IIa on eBay. Beautiful camera. Service was expensive, but the Contax grip still felt natural and I enjoy using it even more than I did when I wanted it to be a Leica!

 

[mrosenlof]

I had a couple of rangefinder earlier, but the first one I actually bought was a Fuji gw690iii. When it fell off a tripod and broke bad, I finally bought another. This time a ii, but basically the same, so yes, I would buy it again.


I previously had for free an Argus c3 and a retina IIsomething. At this point in my camera travels, I don't need either of them.

 

[anfenglin]

Never, I don't like rangefinders.

 

[R.Gould]

My first actual rangefinder was a Voigtlander vitomatic IIa, which I still have and use, lovely camera and the color skoper lens is no slouch, and yes, if I needed to I would most certainly buy another one

 

[guangong]

My first ref was an Argus C3 and I have absolutely no desire to go back. My second ref was a Leica M4, bought new with 50 mm Summicron for, I believe, $400 total. Shortly after bought another M4. Sometime later got a good deal on M3. Forty five years later bought an M5. Friend gave me a IIIa. All have served me well. In last couple of years had all CLAedmso that they would go on for another half century...well, for the IIIa that’s another 80+ years.

 

[choiliefan]

First rangefinder for me was a Yashica Electro 35 gifted by my brother n in the early 70's. Great camera with xlnt metering and the 1.7 lens delivered great slides and prints. Used to get the batteries off the shelf at Radio Shack. Still have it but unfortunately the lens is a bit loose on the body and the batteries non-existent.

Second rangefinder is a Medalist II and third is a Leica IIIC with a few lenses. Later came a couple Super Ikontas and more.

 

[jim10219]

My first rangefinder was a 4x5 Speed Graphic, and hell yeah I'd buy that thing again!

The traditional 35mm RF cameras don't really appeal to me.