What's your favorite Fixed-Lens RF?

[Jeremy Z]

Bear with me, I want to try to keep the posts kind of brief.

Post your favorite fixed-lens RF or Scale Focus, and the top 3 reasons it is your favorite.

Please no posts like this: "Well, if I'm doing X, then it is Y camera, otherwise, Z camera" Just pick the all-around favorite.

I'll start:

Rollei 35

1) Character
2) Zeiss lens
3) Manual & Mechanical

 

[richard_l]

Rollei 35

1) Mechanical/manual
2) Professional quality
3) Takes great pictures

 

[wlewisiii]

This question is as simple as it gets for me: Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35. Arguably this camera was Hubert Nerwin's finest moment - and he designed a number of great cameras. You could easily call him photography's John Moses Browning... 😱 Good info here: http://www.cameraquest.com/contessa.htm

1) Exquisite construction. More chrome than a '59 Caddy... 😉
2) Compact & simple to use as a P&S camera.
3) Zeiss-Opton T* 45/2.8 Tessar lens. It's a better lens than I'll ever be as a photographer. 'nuff said.

William

 

[Doug]

Well, right now my answer has to be the Fuji GW670III, a recent acquisition from a fellow RFF member.

1) 6x7cm format
2) Large clear viewfinder with parallax compensation
3) Sharp 90mm Fujinon lens

 

[Jeremy Z]

William: Interesting camera. What do you use for a light meter? Any optical comparisons between that and the Retina IIa? I see it has T* in the lens name. Does this mean that this lens was multicoated even in the 1950s? That would be pretty amazing.

Doug: I rather like the idea of a medium format RF, but am scared off by the prices. But I agree. I like the idea of the 6x7 format and a negative over 4X bigger than that of 35mm. The only thing that has kept me away from medium format so far is that I would VERY rarely print anything bigger than 8x10...

 

[wlewisiii]

William: Interesting camera. What do you use for a light meter? Any optical comparisons between that and the Retina IIa? I see it has T* in the lens name. Does this mean that this lens was multicoated even in the 1950s? That would be pretty amazing.

Oops. No star there - I was probably typing faster than thinking at the time. It's "only" a Red T lens though & the coating is very good. It's a very nice example of the Tessa design and I love the look I get with it from Plus-X & Reala. It has the typical look - sharp in the center with a gradual softening to the edges. I had one Retina but I could never get it functional and so sold it to someone who did. But no comparison alas.

As for the meter, the selenium meter on mine is accurate so I use it. You simply need to keep in mind it's limitations & it does an excellent job.

William

 

[jky]

Rollei 35:
1) Durable
2) Heft
3) Discrete/quiet

 

[iml]

Olympus 35 RC

1. The lens. It's great
2. Ergonomics
3. General cuteness

Ian

 

[kellymjones]

Konica Auto S2

1.) Sharp lens
2.) Solid Feel
3.) Nice parallax compensation

Ask me again after I've shot a few rolls through my new hi-matic 7, Oly 35 RD, and (hopefully soon) Oly 35 SP.

 

[40oz]

Canonet QL17 G3
1) It's the only one I have 🙂
2) It's small
3) The meter works well

 

[jkelly]

Konica Auto S2; ditto what kellymjones said.

 

[charjohncarter]

Well, I have a few but the one I like best is the Konica C-35, dents and all. Reason: $40.00 new in 1971, it has never not worked. If I lose it on a vacation, or drop it out of a moving cab like I did in El Salvador 35 years ago, or someone pours beer on it, like in........., or it gets thrown across a room. No big deal.

 

[NickTrop]

Konica Auto S3
1. Lens:
- 38/1.8 lens, focusing to 36" The six element four group lens is an exceptional performer, called "one of the best semi-wide angle optics of its speed we have ever tested" by Modern Photography. Amazingly, ALL apertures had center values between 64 to 82 lines per mm.
http://www.cameraquest.com/kons3.htm

"Everyone praises the Hexanon lens which reportedly gets between 62 and 82 lpi, which is amazingly high performance (Leica-class) for a compact rangefinder."
http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?KonicaAutoS3.html~mainFrame

2. Shutter
- Whisper quite, right up there with the GSN. 1/650 gives you a slightly broader range than than the typical 1/500th.

3. Excellent GN-based flash system with unique and easy to use fill-flash system.

4. Size - smallest "traditional" fixed lens RF camera, cool looking in all black. Fits in the palm of your hand, but with the solid all-metal build quality of yesterday with auto exposure lock.

5. Finder - verrry good. Not in the Leica high-end category but better than good enough...

Excellent budget street shooter...

Minuses:

Meter maxes out at 800ASA, shutter priority only - no manual control. Street shooter runner up, Yashica Electro CC and its excellent Yashinon 35/1.8.

 

[slm]

Minolta Himatic E for me.

Great lens, extremely accurate meter, and you just focus and click, which can be lots of fun cause you concentrate on taking the picture only, nothing else.
Oh and my cost: $2.00 (Canadian !) - thanks to my father.

 

[ully]

Whichever works at the moment.

Whichever works at the moment.

I agree with the Rollei 35 for character. The Oly RC for size and I used the Yashica Lynx 5000 for years, it was my favorite.

Cheers

 

[ruben]

Lately I am enjoying the Lynx 1000:

High quality finish and feel.

1/1000 and f/22

Auto parallax correction coupled to distance ring.

Shortest triggering distance from pushing the low profile button to the actual click.

Quality rangefinder optics.

Working selenium meter, with viewfinder unobtrusive correct exposure display. (yet, like with many hand held meters, under bright light situations you will have to shadow the selenium cell with your left hand)

Very nice balance of size weight and gripping.

Full manual mode only. This can be seen both as and advantage of disadvantage according to the user.

And the killing feature: a kind of shutter priority linkage allowing you to move both the speed and aperture rings while maintaining the same exposure value. This unique feature enables superfast adaptation of speed according to subject.

Overall from this camera emanates a strong feeling of quality fixed lens rangefinder.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[oscroft]

Olympus XA
1) Superb lens
2) Small size
3) Good meter

 

[mike_j]

Ricoh GR1 but it's autofocus.

 

[black_box]

Vivitar 35ES

1) beautiful BLACK brass body!
2) sharp f/1.7 lens
3) arent really rare or expensive

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/black_box/IMG_2633_m.jpg

 

[manfromh]

Minolta Hi-Matic F.
Its the only fixed lens RF I have. I think I concentrate more on composition with this thing, since I dont have to think about exposure. Results from her have been more pleasing than from my Zorki. And the shutter speeds go down to 4 seconds.