Anyone use automatic Rangefiners?

[panerai]

Bought a Canon A35F for $8. Flash is dead, but camera works after cleaning the contacts in shutter battery compartment.

Has manual focus only

No film yet as I still have 2 others to try out.

Looks like a nice simple camera for quick shooting

DON

 

[oftheherd]

I guess you mean auto exposure? If so, many here at RFF have and use them. I have a Canonet III QL 17, Olympus 35 SP, and a Petri Computer 35, as well as an Olympus XA. I actually use them on occassion. I can only imagine an RF that had manual focus.

I am not familiar with your camera, but Canon as others, put out some very good RF cameras, especially 70s vintage.

 

[newspaperguy]

And without auto exposure, many of us preset our exposure and our distances to use them, in effect, as automatic RF cameras.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

AE can be great help or a big problem depending on how and where you use it... The solution is not avoiding AE, but using it well and knowing your camera and its meter... Apart from mechanical RFs, the AE RFs I use are Olympus XA and Bessa R3A, the first one for direct sun and the second one for soft light.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[panerai]

Correct - Auto Exposure

Only ring on the lens is for focusing

Actually started to undo screws on it unitl I decided to recheck the battery contacts and saw some caked on gunk.

Other cameras are a Yashica GX, Konica Auto S2 and Panasonic LX3

DON

 

[kdemas]

I really like AE rangefinders. I use a Leica M7, Olympus XA, Rollei XF35 (rarely) as well as the Contax G2 (which also happens to be auto-focus).

Depending on the circumstance I really like the speed that AE can bring to fast changing metering situations. That said, you have to know your camera and how it meters or you can end up with some unexpected results.

 

[DNG]

I use a Olympus XA, it is wonderfuly small and the AE exposure works fine on bright days. AE exposure can be a image saver if you have a slit second to take it, and the light changes fast to get it.

 

[charjohncarter]

I have a few, and I think they are great: Olympus 35RC (also manual), Konica C35, Petri 7s (the best, and also manual), Agfa Optima IIs, and if talking about outside 35mm the Automatic 100 by Polaroid.

 

[akremer]

AE can be great help or a big problem depending on how and where you use it... The solution is not avoiding AE, but using it well and knowing your camera and its meter

Exactly.

I use a G2. I've gotten used to the meter and focusing and shoot with total trust.

 

[arzitek]

I use all kinds of RF, including auto exposure ones, especially for street/candid/snapshots.

 

[mike-s]

My only true AE rangefinder is a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S that I bought in Japan about 1970. Still going strong. When in auto mode this camera shows only the EV in the viewfinder so you don't know the actual shutter speed/aperture combination, although the instruction book does provide a chart showing the preferred combinations for a given EV. This camera also has the advantage of being able to disengage the auto operation and using pure manual if required.

 

[Ezzie]

I use my R-D1 in AE mode most of the time, but very seldomly without AE compensation. The meter is not exactly area matrix, but more centre weighted down towards the left, meaning it you have to know when to compensate. The metering is also generally biased towards underexposure by at least 1/3 of a stop in order to protect the highlights from overexposure.

 

[btgc]

Frankly speaking, RF camera should be automated by Av or Tv (as you prefer) mode, not full auto mode.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I have only one that´s full AE, the Minolta Himatic 7s (programmed exposure, it is shutter speed and aperture are set by the meter). The other automatics are either aperture preferred (Yashica Electro 35) or shutter preferred (Ricoh 500G, Konica Auto S2, old Canonet QL19). All my other RFs are only manual forcing me to use a handheld meter or camera´s meter if they have one.
I had excellent results with the automated ones, the only you have to, is to know how the metering system reacts (as said in previous entries) to changing lighting conditions, and how is the system weighted, either spot as in the Oly 35SP or averaged as in most other cameras. I found that average isn´t that, in fact all are some center weighted but with varying degrees from one camera to another. You can do a simple test using a white led and moving it in front of the camera within VF limits, and seeing how the meter needle moves on the scale. Shutter preferred and Programmed modes, both based on trap needle principle brings another benefit, it is to lock the exposure and recompose.
The only camera that brings no clue about what goes on is the Yashica Electro 35, but after seeing the results I trust meter readings/choice.
Cheers
Ernesto

 

[NickTrop]

Sexay little camera. A beauty in black. Bet it takes a mean pic too. For 8 bucks - what the heck!