TaoPhoto
Documentary Photographer
About a year ago, I set all my cameras on a table, and decided to spend a year with rangefinders for most of my photography work. I sold my Nikon cameras and lenses, and purchased a Leica IIIf to get the ball rolling. After that year has passed, and many rangefinders and come and gone, here are the high points of what I decided:
Leica IIIf: I don't know what the attraction is. Sure, it's well made, but there are Russian cameras that are easier to use.
Leica M6: Okay, this will get me voted off the RFF island, but I really, really don't get the big deal here, either. Nice viewfinder, yes, but others, including the Bessa, are comparable. I realize how beautifully it's made, and how lovely the film advance feels, but what does any of that have to do with making pictures? This week I sold my M6 and m-system lenses, underwhelmed with the experience.
Russian Rangefinders: A ton of cheap fun. I'll keep these, and use them, even for paid work once in a while. I shot a memorial service yesterday with my recently acquired Fed-2, an I-61LD, and Tri-X pushed to 1600. Lovely photos. I didn't miss the M6. Best of all, I didn't have constantly worry about where my $5000 worth of photo gear was when there were crowds around. Feds, Zorkis, Kievs: minimalist photography, at its best.
Bessa R: Okay, I loved this camera. The viewfinder is wonderful, the framelines very helpful. It's easy to use, has accurate metering. It doesn't work with one of my favorite lenses though, the J-12. I'm selling mine now, but I'll miss it.
Olympus XA, Yashica GSN and others: useful keepers. I still carry the XA in a pocket almost every day. I still use the GSN with its stellar lens for low light work, like a shoot I recently did during a Jewish service. Each has it's use.
Still, for most of my photography, including the paid stuff, I'm going back to my Olympus OM SLR's. That OM-1n is a wonderful manual camera, quiet (as SLR's go), with really nice lenses available that are faster than I could ever afford in the Leica M world. I also have an OM-2sp, and a new-to-me OM-4t on the way. Hi, my name is Norm, and I'm a Zuikoholic.
Leica IIIf: I don't know what the attraction is. Sure, it's well made, but there are Russian cameras that are easier to use.
Leica M6: Okay, this will get me voted off the RFF island, but I really, really don't get the big deal here, either. Nice viewfinder, yes, but others, including the Bessa, are comparable. I realize how beautifully it's made, and how lovely the film advance feels, but what does any of that have to do with making pictures? This week I sold my M6 and m-system lenses, underwhelmed with the experience.
Russian Rangefinders: A ton of cheap fun. I'll keep these, and use them, even for paid work once in a while. I shot a memorial service yesterday with my recently acquired Fed-2, an I-61LD, and Tri-X pushed to 1600. Lovely photos. I didn't miss the M6. Best of all, I didn't have constantly worry about where my $5000 worth of photo gear was when there were crowds around. Feds, Zorkis, Kievs: minimalist photography, at its best.
Bessa R: Okay, I loved this camera. The viewfinder is wonderful, the framelines very helpful. It's easy to use, has accurate metering. It doesn't work with one of my favorite lenses though, the J-12. I'm selling mine now, but I'll miss it.
Olympus XA, Yashica GSN and others: useful keepers. I still carry the XA in a pocket almost every day. I still use the GSN with its stellar lens for low light work, like a shoot I recently did during a Jewish service. Each has it's use.
Still, for most of my photography, including the paid stuff, I'm going back to my Olympus OM SLR's. That OM-1n is a wonderful manual camera, quiet (as SLR's go), with really nice lenses available that are faster than I could ever afford in the Leica M world. I also have an OM-2sp, and a new-to-me OM-4t on the way. Hi, my name is Norm, and I'm a Zuikoholic.
