Alone or with others?

Happy new year to you also, Bill.

When I returned to "serious" photography, after a near 25 year hiatus, I got into digital right away! I felt that I needed to get back into it in a way that wouldn't get me started 2 steps behind everyone else. So for several years, I shot wildlife with a DSLR. The perfect tool for that genre. But when I felt a need for a new direction about 3 years ago, I found myself grabbing my old Yashica Lynx 1000, and getting out on the street. I began to appreciate the lives of people and their interactions.

I now shoot a Leica MP about 99% of the time. I also have a M6TTL (0.58x), but rarely use it. Now I only hang onto it for a backup. In addition to several other P&S, film and digital, I also have a Canon 40D, which I use for that rare occasion when I get out to shoot wildlife or a wedding. But I just enjoy many things about the rangefinder, that I will find almost any excuse to use it before anything else. And as I have moved more into street/documentary work, it just seems to be the most comfortable tool for me to use.
 
It's probably too early to say, but it seems many of the folks who stick to the rangefinder for a great deal of their work shoot film. Many who use it as just part of a toolkit shoot digital. Who knows if this will prove to be the case.
 
Probably 80% of what I shoot is with a Leica rangefinder, about 10% with a Mamiya C220 TLR, about 9% with a Mamiya 6 folder and 1% with a 35mm SLR. One of the main reasons is noise. My old Canon F-1 and Nikon F are just too noisy for the kind of photography I do.

Jim B.
 
Bill Pierce said:
How many folks here take the great majority of their pictures with a rangefinder? How many folks use the rangefinder as just one tool in their toolbox? And, of course, most important - why?
Bill
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Over 99% of my shooting is with a film RF. Sometimes it is a Mamiya 7, sometimes a 35mm ZI.

I use rangefinders because they just don't seem to get in the way of my photography. They are intuitive to me so don't become part of the thinking process. I don't do technical work, formal portraits, weddings or the like; so RF's seem to fit. I do have an SLR, a Bronica SQA that I use for macro and the rare tripod work.

I did shoot a roll in my old Nikonos on a family tubing trip down the river right after Christmas. Just zone focus, sunny 16, a real simpleton's delight. Plus it is always fun to watch the tourist's reaction when you fall off the tube into the river with camera in hand.
 
I've tried both Leica and Olympus SLRs and have pretty much abandoned them. While SLRs are the most versatile tool out there (and probably for most situations, the best tool), I'm only interested in taking a certain kind of photo. I have little interest in focal lengths outside the 28-50mm range; the smaller lenses are more comfortable to use; and it's quicker to frame the picture than hunting for one in an SLR. I shoot more photos by stealing people's point and shoots (at parties, to sneak in a couple random pictures) than I do with my SLR.

Bill Pierce said:
It's probably too early to say, but it seems many of the folks who stick to the rangefinder for a great deal of their work shoot film. Many who use it as just part of a toolkit shoot digital. Who knows if this will prove to be the case.
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I'm now without a digital camera after my Ricoh GRD broke. Digital is certainly more convenient up front, but to get pictures to look good you have to spend time fiddling with curves and other settings. Slide film naturally has the contrast and saturation built in while B&W naturally has the tonality and grain. Adding that in post processing is kinda like fiddling with Pro-Tools to make your music sound like it was recorded on a 4-track. I'm not under pressure from anyone so why not just use the real thing instead of emulating it?
 
I use both dslrs and my m8 my lone 35 film camera left is an m6. Most of my own work is with an m8 most pro work with my canons dslr though after getting a canon 5d mk 11 leica needs to seriousily upgrade the m8 or come out with an m9 already. David
 
fraction of time using a RF

fraction of time using a RF

I'm at >95%. Mostly M8 but an M2 gets some use, recently to see how things look with an extreme wide angle. The other 5% is Olympus E-3 with its 50/2.0 and 50-200 for specific subjects.

scott
 
Nearly hundred percent. Of course I used SLRs now and then, but rarely (could be over 2 years between uses) and shot maybe 10 rolls total.
 
Up until recently, I shot the vast majority of my stuff with Leica rangefinders in black and white. I also used Pentax 645's for some black and white as well. I shot a little color with digital--not much, mostly doodling around.

More recently, I've been moving toward using digital more and more for both B&W and color. Sadly, it has been some time since I've shot with my rangefinders and even longer since I've used my medium format or 35mm SLR equipment. I expect that will eventually change so I don't plan on selling anything. Historically, every time I've sold photo equipment I later regretted it and ended up buying it back again.
 
When I use an SLR its just to run film through one in my collection to keep it working. SO not counting that and the playing I do with a brownie and holga I shoot about 40% with one of my rangefinders and 60% with my pentax dslr or Lumix. Photography is my hobby. As I get better at using the rangefinders I find I am using digital less. Main rangefinders I use are konica auto s2 and bessa R, but just got the r3m. I only use a 50mm prime on my dlsr though so I continue to see same view as I usually do with rangefinder. I guess I have the amateurs view in that I take lots of digital shots for free but Have about as many keepers as I do with film, since I go slower with film and concentrate more. I also find myself taking same shots with both in case my film doesn't turn out I still have shot. Anyway if digital went away, lol, I would be just fine since I love film.
 
Bill Pierce said:
It's probably too early to say, but it seems many of the folks who stick to the rangefinder for a great deal of their work shoot film. Many who use it as just part of a toolkit shoot digital. Who knows if this will prove to be the case.
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I think the former is a gimme, given that there's no real market of digital rangefinders. All you've really got is the M8 and RD-1. M8 costs arms and legs, so only a few both can afford them and are willing to pay, and the RD-1 no longer is produced. Therefore, the vast majority of people who mostly shoot RFs would have to be mostly shooting film because there's just not enough digital RFs in the world for them to be doing otherwise.

For me, while I own three rangefinders, they probably only get about 15% play. At heart, I'm an SLR guy. The whole handling of an SLR just seems to suit me better. I bought RFs because I wanted specific options that their design offered in certain circumstances, but they're really special purpose tools I use for the smallest and quietest (for some RFs anyway) package vs image capture area I can get. RF handling is something I tolerate rather than prefer. Doesn't help that I'm not really a fan of the semi-wide lens for general use. I much prefer a short telephoto.

I do a lot of DSLR shooting, but I also have film SLRs that get action. Even in medium format, my chunky Mamiya Super sees more use than my comparatively svelte, folding Fuji GS645 RF.
 
Leighgion said:
I think the former is a gimme.
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Not necessarily, in other words some shoot SLR film as well and between the two shoot mostly film. I used too till I got a DLSR then I gave up my SLRs for everyday. Your right about the digital rangefinder choices. Hope Cosina comes out with an affordable digital Bessa. I believe they wouldn't be able to keep them in stock.
 
Probably 80% with film rangefinder. This would shift to digital if/when I can afford an M8 or M9(?)... 5% D-SLR (car, bike, boat racing) and 15% 120 Yashica TLR .

I mainly use the rangefinder for travel - it's small, light, has a great lens, love the look of slides I get from it.
 
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