5000, GSN/GTN , or canonnet

[cherryli]

Hi, I've never had a rangefinder before, and I wanted a small camera to have in my bag 24/7 during my travels, so that I don't have to bring my Canon 5D or mamiya RZ.

I'm into fast lenses, so initially, I thought I would want a lynx 14. but after reading the posts on here, I think it may be too bulky for me.

so now it's down to lynx 5000, GSN or canonnet; here's what I like about each:

Lynx 5000: I like the manual control, and leaf shutter. but I may want aperture priority once in a while. what's the difference between the 5000 and 5000e?

GSN/GTN: aperture priority sounds good, but I may want manual controls. what's the difference between gsn and gtn?

canonnet: small. I don't know much else about it.

concerns: how do the sizes of the lynx and GSN/GTN compare? which is bigger? is it difficult to get batteries? it sounds like they need adapters, where do I get those? I read in another post that the 5000 will work with certain batteries, but metering may be off, what's the point of having those batteries then?

that's it for my first post!
Thanks for all your wisdom!

 

[cherryli]

oh! so canonet has manual too! hmmm.... only makes my decision harder. is it easy to find batteries for those?

 

[anandi]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
I have both a canonet QL17/GIII and the Yashica GT. The canon is much smaller and shows information about the exposure via a needle. The Yashica, while aperature priority, just tells you if you're over or underexposed and need to adjust with cryptic LEDs (I say this because I never remember which arrow means what). I personally like the feel of the Yashica better, but end up carrying the canon around a lot more. Both give very nice results. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
-Amit

 

[Keith]

Although the GSN is aperture priority it is possible to compensate for potential over or under exposure with the ISO dial ... I keep the dial well lubricated on mine on it's friction surfaces to make it a little easier. It is quite a large camera though!

The GTN is black and seems to command a higher price because of this! I have tried to get a GTN from eBay on numerous occasions but the bidding always gets out of the range I'm prepared to pay! 🙂

 

[rogue_designer]

What I don't like about the Canonets>
Shutter priority (I have very little use for - if I want AE, I want to control the aperture).
Manual mode the meter is disengaged.
Almost useless if the battery goes.

What I don't like about the GSN/GTN>
AE only (compensating with ISO is slow IMO)
Almost useless if the battery goes.

What I don't like about the 5000>
...



But then I've rarely had a use for AE of any sort, so I guess depending on how important that is to you, it may be the deciding factor.

 

[kzim56]

Here's a vote for the Lynx 5000. I have one that was CLA'd by Mark Hama. I like the elegant build quality and '60's design. Nice bright viewfinder. Very sharp lens like all the Yashicas. Mark adjusted the meter in mine to work with modern batteries. I even like the case. But really, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras.

Karl

 

[cherryli]

thanks for all the replies!
how much should these cameras go for? they seem to range alot on ebay.

 

[Keith]

I'm not too sure about the others ... but I have two GSN's that cost me about $40.00 each from memory. They pop up here in our 'classies' quite often! 🙂

 

[BSchall]

Personally, I'd recommend a Minolta HiMatic 7s, 9 or 7sII. AE mode plus manual, easy to use, and extremely sharp lenses. The 7s and 9 are full size like the GSN, while the 7sII is compact like the Canonet GL17/GIII. The 7s and 9 can usually be found for around $25-$35, while the 7sII runs around $100. I had both the 7s and the 7sII. The 7sII had one of the sharpest lenses I've ever shot and is the one camera I regret selling.

I should also say that I owned a Yashica GSN and hated it. The LED up and down arrows drove me crazy. Also owned a Canonet GS17/GIII. It was alright but much prefered the HiMatic 7sII.

 

[pesphoto]

thanks for all the replies!
how much should these cameras go for? they seem to range alot on ebay.

Put a want to buy ad here on RFF, you'll have much better luck and get more value for your money.

 

[cherryli]

thanks! posting ad now

 

[ruben]

If you happen to have small hands and thin fingers, the Olympus 35RC is custom taylored for you. Champion of small size, full manual override, first class optics, no need of hood, and both f/stop and speed scales seen at the viewfinder.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[cherryli]

thanks! I'll look into the olympus 35rc too!

 

[Kat]

I agree with the others. If you want size and manual control, the Minolta 7sII sounds like a dream (I can't find/afford one!) or an Olympus RC for a lot less (drawback: 2.8 lens-slower- and 1/15 is the slowest shutter speed before B, plus the built-in meter isn't too good at low light). If manual control isn't non-negotiable, there are a lot more options, including a Konica C35, Vivitar ES, Konica S3, etc.