Sold all my RFs and bought D40 and prime

[loneranger]

I keep seeing posts by people who claim to have sold off their big DSLR and the huge zoom lenses, and bought a quiet small rangefinder, and they have never looked back. Well, here is the oposite story. I recently sold off all my rangefinders (for tons of money). Instead I bought a canon 40D and a 24mm prime. The whole package is not small but it is not at all huge and the weight is reasonable (around 1000gm with lens and body, compare with leica m8 and 35mm lens which is around 800gms). The cost for lens and body is around $1500, not cheap but not at all exprensive compared to the competition. The best part, in live view, the shutter is quieter than the m6 shutter. I have saved tons of money and time because I dont have to purchase and process film. No more time wasted scanning. No more wasted negatives. Have not looked back ever since and have never been happier.
I still have my mamiya m7 for landscapes. That will go too when the update to canon 5D comes out.
I guess I will consider getting a digital RF when the prices come down, but for now, I am sticking with the DSLR.

 

[jan normandale]

It's all about taking pictures. DSLR's are fine or they wouldn't exist. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see a gallery for you so I can't comment on that. Choices I make or you make are just that, choices.

From the sounds of your post the digital world is where you want to be. Go shoot up a storm!

 

[oftheherd]

Everyone has to do what makes them happy. If you are happy, good for you. I have a digital P&S that I like, but I am not yet ready to give up on film and all those wonderful bodies and lenses I have invested time, money, and soul in. Obviously, your milage varies.

 

[Al Patterson]

Why not the D40x?

 

[photogdave]

Some of us simply prefer the actual shooting experience of RF vs SLR and personally I prefer the film workflow over digital.
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint and daring to be different! 😉
Good luck with your photography!

 

[didotcicero]

I use both (Bessa R rangefinder and Nikon D50 dSLR). dSLR is my weapon of choice for concert photography 98% of the time.

Still my Bessa keeps amazing me. It feels so natural and never lets me down.

 

[loneranger]

I do not mean any disrespect to this wonderful community, I am after all still using a film rangefinder (mamiya) and in a heartbeat I would sell my DSLR and buy a the leica M8 if the price was even remotely reasonble. I just want some of you diehard RF fans to consider a different viewpoint, my point was that not all DSLRs are big and dumb, and they do not have to be used with zooms.

 

[djonesii]

Funny, I am brand new to the RF world because my DSLR was getting just too much, I seriously looked at the road you describe ...... The new CV 40mm pancake and a Catz eye focusing screen would make a cool addition.

Dave

 

[jan normandale]

...... and a Catz eye focusing screen would make a cool addition.

Dave

Okay .. what is a Catz eye focusing screen... ?

 

[vincentbenoit]

Condolences.

Vincent

 

[FallisPhoto]

I keep seeing posts by people who claim to have sold off their big DSLR and the huge zoom lenses, and bought a quiet small rangefinder, and they have never looked back. Well, here is the oposite story. I recently sold off all my rangefinders (for tons of money). Instead I bought a canon D40 and a 24mm prime. The whole package is not small but it is not at all huge and the weight is reasonable (around 1000gm with lens and body, compare with leica m8 and 35mm lens which is around 800gms). The cost for lens and body is around $1500, not cheap but not at all exprensive compared to the competition. The best part, in live view, the shutter is quieter than the m6 shutter. I have saved tons of money and time because I dont have to purchase and process film. No more time wasted scanning. No more wasted negatives. Have not looked back ever since and have never been happier.
I still have my mamiya m7 for landscapes. That will go too when the update to canon 5D comes out.
I guess I will consider getting a digital RF when the prices come down, but for now, I am sticking with the DSLR.

Do you mean a 40D? The D40 is a Nikon. If you got the Nikon, I'm sorry to hear that you did that. If you had to get a Nikon DSLR, you would have been better advised to get a D50, D70 or D80. The D40 is little better than a glorified p&s camera.

 

[loneranger]

Oh yes, the new CV 40 pancake looks COOL but I would only use it with full frame camera, on a crop camera, it is basically a portrait lens. Personally I like wide angles.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Okay .. what is a Catz eye focusing screen... ?

It's an aftermarket focusing screen for an SLR/DSLR. It uses a split image focusing aid that takes a sample from opposing edges of the lens. Focusing moves the split images in relation to one another. When they line up, the camera is in focus. Yeah, that's right -- in effect, it turns an SLR/DSLR into a rangefinder.

 

[FallisPhoto]

"The D40 is little better than a glorified p&s camera."

I think this is kind of funny, actually. This forum is full of threads with folks extolling the virtues of 1960's point and shoot rangefinders. Of Olympus XA's. Of Canon GIII's. The D40 is in most every way superior to these cameras.

Amazing.

Try focusing one manually with a prime lens 50mm or shorter, then say that again.

 

[loneranger]

Sorry, I meant canon 40D, the nikon D40x also makes an extremely compact package, but I prefer the canon, for other reasons....

 

[nobbylon]

The D40 is little better than a glorified p&s camera.

Have you used one? I have and it's a great picture taking machine and yes i'm talking about the Nikon! It is so much more than a p&s.

 

[Kin Lau]

Okay .. what is a Catz eye focusing screen... ?

It might help if it was spelled right. It's Katz Eye, www.keoptics.com

It works well enough, I have one, GeneW does/did also.

 

[clicker]

Shoot with what makes you happy, great images wll follow !

 

[kevin m]

Don't try to jam a square peg into a round hole. 😀