johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
for something less 'sophisticated' than the Canonet G17-III or the Olympus RC, consider a FED-2.
It's the better-built Russian RF, with interchangeable lenses, pretty bright viewfinder and clear RF patch (at least it can be, when serviced or in good condition) and the feel of it resembles a Leica M2 in dimensions and weight.
You typically find them with an Industar-26 50/2.8 or a Jupiter-8 50/2.0 lens. It shouldn't be too hard to find in Helsinki either I suppose.
It's the better-built Russian RF, with interchangeable lenses, pretty bright viewfinder and clear RF patch (at least it can be, when serviced or in good condition) and the feel of it resembles a Leica M2 in dimensions and weight.
You typically find them with an Industar-26 50/2.8 or a Jupiter-8 50/2.0 lens. It shouldn't be too hard to find in Helsinki either I suppose.
Contarama
Well-known
Get a M2 or M3 and if you don't like it then sell it...but I imagine you will like it. 
leicapixie
Well-known
Leica technicians keep our cameras and lenses going! Sure they want pay for work done.If the work is good, the user satisfied where the problem? A service technician in any profession/trade/skill is not going for the "Miss Congeniality" Prize or the Nobel one! Facts may not be happy.Technicians that are factory trained very important! My M3 arrived new with major parts not fitted..Final assembly and full check done by a technician. That was in 1967. Sure the camera has had many other services and repairs. Many of my other cameras cannot be serviced due to manner of construction or fact the material/parts bank was destroyed. Leica does try.. not as hard as in the past but better than most others.
Noll
Well-known
Lots of good suggestions above. To add my own 2 cents, since tiring of my own Olympus DSLR I've been dabbling with all manner of cheap-ish fixed-lens RF's, Scale-focus, P&S, SLRs etc.
A couple stand out - Yashica CC (killer 35mm lens) and the Olympus XA2 (fast-starting, small, sharp and cheap). My most recent addition of an OM1 also has me delighted. It's the most satisfying visual and tactile camera experience I've had in a long time.
Also do consider the small additional investment of a home development kit for B&W. It's extremely liberating to not have to worry about $6+ processing costs for each roll.
A couple stand out - Yashica CC (killer 35mm lens) and the Olympus XA2 (fast-starting, small, sharp and cheap). My most recent addition of an OM1 also has me delighted. It's the most satisfying visual and tactile camera experience I've had in a long time.
Also do consider the small additional investment of a home development kit for B&W. It's extremely liberating to not have to worry about $6+ processing costs for each roll.
rhl-oregon
Cameras Guitars Wonders
++Canon P 50 1.8
++Retina IIa w/S-K 50 2.0
OM1-4 no brainer +++
++Retina IIa w/S-K 50 2.0
OM1-4 no brainer +++
Fedupwithdigital
Member
Lot’s of interesting suggestions here and good links too.
Like the original poster, about 18 months ago I too decided to pick up a 35mm rangefinder as part of a desire to go back to shooting film and a general dissatisfaction with the “ease” of digital. Interchangeable lenses were out of my reach, so I concentrated on fixed lens cameras.
My main aim was to get back to taking photographs, thinking about composition and light, and away from the snap-snap-snap that I feel I’d drifted into with digital. When you’ve only 36 shots – or 8 if using a medium format folder with 120 film – you tend to think a bit more about what you’re doing (never mind the costs of film and processing compared to digital).
What attracted me about RFs is the ability to focus on a subject with one eye while viewing the scene with the other. Another advantage is the lack of a mirror, coupled with the leaf shutter in most fixed lens RFs, giving the ability to take handheld shots at relatively low shutter speeds. Add to that the fast and wide lens on some of these classic RFs, and the fact you can shoot indoors, without flash, on fairly slow film and still produce decent results.
Of the classic fixed lens RFs I considered, the top of my list is the Canonet QL17 GIII. Fast wide(-ish) lens and very easy to use (just remember not to wind on at the end of a roll to try to squeeze in an extra shot – ripped my first roll right out of the canister!).
The only drawback with mine I feel is the fact that, off the “automatic” setting, you need a handheld meter as the in-built meter just shows the aperture you’ve selected. I wanted to slow down my picture taking – but I don’t want to have to use the automatic setting first to get a meter reading before every picture.
One camera that does allow metered-manual use (in fact, one of the very few) is the Ricoh 500G. With a 40mm, f2.8 lens, this was actually my first RF. It is so small and compact, it really is a pocket camera. It gives surprisingly good results. And it is available for stupidly low money through online auctions.
I have also tried the Olympus 35RD which is a joy to use and gives just as good results as the GIII. Mine needs new light seals (a common problem) but the camera hasn’t (so far) succumbed to the infamous “sticky shutter syndrome”.
Finally, I have an Olympus XA, with a 35mm, f2.8 lens, aperture priority only (so not fully manual). It too needs new light seals but – my God! – for such a small camera, it gives great results. And I feel it is great for street shooting, being so small and unobtrusive. I tend to keep it in a pocket, where you can wind on between shots with the thumb wheel, and then whip it out and take a picture pretty quickly.
Those are the ones I’ve tried (so far). The other cameras I considered were the Olympus 35SP (but the meter cell isn’t mounted near the lens and so using filters requires you to compensate accordingly); the Minolta Hi-matic 7s ii (and “clones”, like the Vivitar 35 ES); and the Yashica Lynx 14e (40mm, f1.4). But all three models go for silly money!
Good hunting and good luck!
Like the original poster, about 18 months ago I too decided to pick up a 35mm rangefinder as part of a desire to go back to shooting film and a general dissatisfaction with the “ease” of digital. Interchangeable lenses were out of my reach, so I concentrated on fixed lens cameras.
My main aim was to get back to taking photographs, thinking about composition and light, and away from the snap-snap-snap that I feel I’d drifted into with digital. When you’ve only 36 shots – or 8 if using a medium format folder with 120 film – you tend to think a bit more about what you’re doing (never mind the costs of film and processing compared to digital).
What attracted me about RFs is the ability to focus on a subject with one eye while viewing the scene with the other. Another advantage is the lack of a mirror, coupled with the leaf shutter in most fixed lens RFs, giving the ability to take handheld shots at relatively low shutter speeds. Add to that the fast and wide lens on some of these classic RFs, and the fact you can shoot indoors, without flash, on fairly slow film and still produce decent results.
Of the classic fixed lens RFs I considered, the top of my list is the Canonet QL17 GIII. Fast wide(-ish) lens and very easy to use (just remember not to wind on at the end of a roll to try to squeeze in an extra shot – ripped my first roll right out of the canister!).
The only drawback with mine I feel is the fact that, off the “automatic” setting, you need a handheld meter as the in-built meter just shows the aperture you’ve selected. I wanted to slow down my picture taking – but I don’t want to have to use the automatic setting first to get a meter reading before every picture.
One camera that does allow metered-manual use (in fact, one of the very few) is the Ricoh 500G. With a 40mm, f2.8 lens, this was actually my first RF. It is so small and compact, it really is a pocket camera. It gives surprisingly good results. And it is available for stupidly low money through online auctions.
I have also tried the Olympus 35RD which is a joy to use and gives just as good results as the GIII. Mine needs new light seals (a common problem) but the camera hasn’t (so far) succumbed to the infamous “sticky shutter syndrome”.
Finally, I have an Olympus XA, with a 35mm, f2.8 lens, aperture priority only (so not fully manual). It too needs new light seals but – my God! – for such a small camera, it gives great results. And I feel it is great for street shooting, being so small and unobtrusive. I tend to keep it in a pocket, where you can wind on between shots with the thumb wheel, and then whip it out and take a picture pretty quickly.
Those are the ones I’ve tried (so far). The other cameras I considered were the Olympus 35SP (but the meter cell isn’t mounted near the lens and so using filters requires you to compensate accordingly); the Minolta Hi-matic 7s ii (and “clones”, like the Vivitar 35 ES); and the Yashica Lynx 14e (40mm, f1.4). But all three models go for silly money!
Good hunting and good luck!
taffy
Well-known
I would recommend two options for you starting with the camera bodies.
1. Bessa R2A (good working condition) + Russian Jupiter 50mm
2. Leica M4-2 (user condition) + Russian Jupiter 50mm
The first one gives you the conveniences of auto exposure like your digital rig so the transition won't be too abrupt plus you're getting a very good camera already. I have the R2A and I'm quite happy with it. Jupiter lenses should be pretty cheap but they're classics.
The second option gets you a Leica already. User condition bodies should be very affordable but you'll be getting the real Leica experience that you will eventually look for anyway.
You could get used Voigtlander lenses also. They're good by any standard and can bought at really good prices.
1. Bessa R2A (good working condition) + Russian Jupiter 50mm
2. Leica M4-2 (user condition) + Russian Jupiter 50mm
The first one gives you the conveniences of auto exposure like your digital rig so the transition won't be too abrupt plus you're getting a very good camera already. I have the R2A and I'm quite happy with it. Jupiter lenses should be pretty cheap but they're classics.
The second option gets you a Leica already. User condition bodies should be very affordable but you'll be getting the real Leica experience that you will eventually look for anyway.
You could get used Voigtlander lenses also. They're good by any standard and can bought at really good prices.
taffy
Well-known
Forgot to mention that the Leica M4-2 has no light meter.
Landshark
Well-known
Another rec for the Canon Glll 1.7.
Fast, good quality lens, right between your 35/50mm range. Easy loading with the QL system.
Try it, don't like it? Sell it for the same $$ you paid for it usually $100 or less.
Fully manual camera without a battery, shutter priority in Auto.
Corroded battery chamber is very common and the battery is no longer available. There are work-arounds for the battery.
Fast, good quality lens, right between your 35/50mm range. Easy loading with the QL system.
Try it, don't like it? Sell it for the same $$ you paid for it usually $100 or less.
Fully manual camera without a battery, shutter priority in Auto.
Corroded battery chamber is very common and the battery is no longer available. There are work-arounds for the battery.
Nick
Established
Used Voigtlander RXX and a C-Biogon 35/2.8. A great lens to start you off with and Voigtlander's are good and cheap used.
David Murphy
Veteran
The Canon P, Canon 7, and Bessa R a all pretty good rangefinders for entry level use. These are all interchangeable lens Leica thread mount cameras, well made, not too hard to find, and can be found at reasonable prices, particularly the Canon 7.
The more common Canon rangefinder lenses are also good moderately priced lenses for getting started. The more popular Cosina Voigtlander lenses too are really good, but cost a bit more. There are a few other (slightly harder to find) lens/camera possibilities - hang out on this Web site and you will learn all about them!
The more common Canon rangefinder lenses are also good moderately priced lenses for getting started. The more popular Cosina Voigtlander lenses too are really good, but cost a bit more. There are a few other (slightly harder to find) lens/camera possibilities - hang out on this Web site and you will learn all about them!