Anyone in here give up on RF's?

[Steve_F]

If Nikon brought out a full-frame sensor FM3A (body size & real optical viewfinder) I'd probably flog the Leica stuff and get glass for both my manual Nikons.

Steve.

Well maybe keep the Leica and one lens - Doh!

 

[bensyverson]

I love rangefinders, but they are not kid cameras. You really want a modern SLR (film or digital, doesn't matter) with a fast autofocus lens. The best part is that they're simple enough for the kids to use, too! A lightweight SLR with a 50mm f/1.8 is light enough for an 18-24 month old to hold on their own (with supervision). Bring a lot of film -- they love the motor drive.

Of course you can get some good kid shots with any camera (just like you can technically shoot sports with a view camera), but an SLR is really the appropriate tool for this job.

It doesn't mean you've failed or are incompetent!

 

[BillBingham2]

Hate scanning 35mm says the guy who just sold me an N80 😀
....

Crazy thought look into the old Nikon slide copier attachment. A few years back folks used them and were quite happy. I never did so no first hand experience.

....I REALLY do appreciate all the advice and suggestions, I'm exploring all of them. I'm exploring several options right now:

-Digi P&S
-Leica CM
-Contax G
-DSLR

I'd look into a M8 but they are just crazy money....

What I carry these days is a GRD III and use it in snap/manual focus mode. The user interface is VERY GOOD and if you search the P&S forums here you will find a lot of other folks who love it. I have a black metal CV 28mm bright line finder on mine for the times I do not want to chimp (e.g. very cold weather to save power, existing darkness when I do nto want to be obvious).

Another option is to wait a bit and look at the Fuji X100. APS-C size sensor and interesting user interface. It might have a very intersting viewfinder hybrid of bright line and digital.

AF and little kids, unless you use some high end Nikon or Canon DSLRs and expensive glass is hit or miss with anything longer than a 35, at least IMHO.

B2 (;->

 

[kevin m]

A $300 beater Leica is probably a good investment if it keeps you from pissing big money on the fantasy of having an M-system that you don't need or even use effectively.

Nicely said, Frank. I've been toying with the idea of a Barnack Leica because, first, I love the mechanical feel of the things and, second, because my 5D can't mount an uncoated Summar. 😀

 

[NickTrop]

A rangefinder is probably the least effective photographic tool for shooting little kids who don't stay still for a second. Remember those who say they like the "slow, contemplative approach" of RF shooting? Little kids = wildlife photography, literally - birds or something... Hell, I take that back. Little ones set still less than birds. Go with a DSLR with a kit zoom and image stabilization. Hell, any ole soccer mom silver point-n-shoot digital would be better purposed than you Leica. In fact, that's what they're designed for - at least in part. I wouldn't sell the Leica though - you might appreciate it when they're a little older and will "let you" take a nice portrait of them (for an ice cream cone or somethin') with that great Leica glass.

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Nicely said, Frank. I've been toying with the idea of a Barnack Leica because, first, I love the mechanical feel of the things and, second, because my 5D can't mount an uncoated Summar. 😀

neither can my Nikon - thank God! 😀

 

[Frank Petronio]

I love the idea of Lecias but the hard truth is that I can almost shoot a medium format as quickly and then I have a real negative to work with. I have a few 35mm images that really seem to work and benefit from the virtue of being shot on 35mm film -- they're grainy and rough, they look like they're from the 1930s -- but the vast majority of the stuff I've shot with 35mm would probably be better done with a digital or larger format film camera. Heck even that noisy little Panasonic still makes a better image than film at ISO 1600. Right now I see using 35mm as a special effect, kind of a cool little crutch, like people who use Polaroids or Lomos.

I guess the real question is how useful is 35mm film? If you can live with it, then there are so many great options, from that cheap but very capable Nikon N80 I unloaded on you to the all-out Uber-Leica.

 

[jmooney]

I love the idea of Lecias but the hard truth is that I can almost shoot a medium format as quickly and then I have a real negative to work with.

I guess the real question is how useful is 35mm film? If you can live with it, then there are so many great options, from that cheap but very capable Nikon N80 I unloaded on you to the all-out Uber-Leica.

That is a valid question.

What sort of MF camera do you have in mind?

 

[Frank Petronio]

Well I sort of settled into digital for kids, dogs, action, darkness, drunken partying, etc.

And larger film, like with a 4x5, for quieter moments, considered, posed portraits, landscapes, and good light. But medium format could substitute for 4x5 in a lot of the same situations....

I just find it easier to make a good scan on a cheap scanner with larger film than it is to attempt to make a decent scan on a cheap scanner from medium-sized film. If I had a CoolScan 9000 I would definitely shoot more medium format.

 

[healyzh]

I think this is in part a question of using the right tool for the job. I think the best camera for little kids is a DSLR. Having said that, I have better luck with my M6 than I do with my FM2 or F3. I do fine with my N75. Trying MF or LF is an exercise in hair loss! 😀

I'd actually list my Leica M6 TTL as the best film camera I have outside of the N75 for taking pictures of small kids.

Your choice of lens can make a huge difference on the speed of your focusing. I can focus my Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens almost as fast as my D300 with an AF lens. OTOH, it takes forever to focus my Soviet made Jupiter-8 50mm f/2 lens.

 

[jmooney]

That makes sense on both counts. If your going to go to all the trouble of develop and scan might as well scan a 4x5.

I guess part of problem here too is admitting that digital is the best tool for the job at hand. I think this falls under the irrational attachment category as well.

Giving up the Leica dream and film. Sheesh....

If anyone needs me I'll be over in the corner dealing with a double paradigm shift.....

 

[jmooney]

I think this is in part a question of using the right tool for the job. I think the best camera for little kids is a DSLR. Having said that, I have better luck with my M6 than I do with my FM2 or F3. I do fine with my N75. Trying MF or LF is an exercise in hair loss! 😀

I'd actually list my Leica M6 TTL as the best film camera I have outside of the N75 for taking pictures of small kids.

Your choice of lens can make a huge difference on the speed of your focusing. I can focus my Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens almost as fast as my D300 with an AF lens. OTOH, it takes forever to focus my Soviet made Jupiter-8 50mm f/2 lens.

The N75 is a great camera. I shot one for a while and it lacked nothing. It's petty but I wish they came in black....

 

[Jamie123]

I just recently sold my Bessa III primarily for that reason. I find parallax extremely annoying as it somewhat defeats the purpose of composing carefully. Now I'm going back to a medium format SLR with ground glass focusing.

 

[Jamie123]

Well I sort of settled into digital for kids, dogs, action, darkness, drunken partying, etc.

And larger film, like with a 4x5, for quieter moments, considered, posed portraits, landscapes, and good light. But medium format could substitute for 4x5 in a lot of the same situations....

I just find it easier to make a good scan on a cheap scanner with larger film than it is to attempt to make a decent scan on a cheap scanner from medium-sized film. If I had a CoolScan 9000 I would definitely shoot more medium format.

I keep flirting with the idea of getting a 4x5 camera but reason tells me I should stick to medium format as I have a Nikon CS 9000. Not just that but film and processing costs would add up to about $9/sheet (c-41) which is quite pricey. Still, the slowness of LF cameras really appeals to me.

 

[Bruin]

I appreciate your honesty, Jim. You're a few years ahead of me on the kids front, but I'll be there soon, too.

For me, I'm keeping my RF and using an EVIL camera for my digital needs. Grandparents and relatives want to see pics online ASAP, so the NEX-5 is good for that. Great in low light, takes adapted lenses when I feel like playing around, and AF is fast enough (for now, haha...). Hopefully next year Zeiss bring out a 35/1.4, which will be my prime prime! I like how compact this kit is, so I can always have it with me wherever I take the family. Plus I got an APO close-up lens that makes the system even more versatile for near-macro shots.

I use a swivel-tilt flash for shooting film with my RF indoors. My diffuser is a strip of Ikea clear shelf liner and a rubber band. All the ceilings and walls in my house are off-white, so bounced flash doesn't look bad at all. Flash sync at 1/125, zone focus, and essentially zero shutter lag.

 

[izziebears]

I made the switch back to SLR a few months ago. Found that I could get more bang for my buck by picking up a used Olympus om1n that came with a 50mm 1.4 and a 35mm-70mm zoom and was about the same size as my Bessa.

 

[atlcruiser]

I am stuck hard with RF cameras. I want simple, easy, smallish. I like the fussy aspects of Leicas. Also, I have no kids to worry about 🙂

I have a mamiya 645af. hands down I think it is about the best camera taking machine ever made. Fast to use, dead on AF, great meter, great glass, easy to use etc....It is also a TANK; heavy, hard to hold, difficult to use in the field...lots of downsides.

I just got a mamiya 7. It is quickly going to replace the 645af. it is a dream in size, glass, quality and easy of use. It is not perfect by any measure but it is crazy good 🙂

About 3 weeks ago I found my original OM-1n for about 1981. I half-assed restored it and started using it. Love the size, feel, speed and images. it is a SLR but the size of my M6. I carry both at once to confuse myself

I take pictures cuz i like taking pictures. My goal is to have fun........ If I could have more fun with a mac daddy nikon or canon digital monster machine I would go for it...not my thing but not a thing wrong with it.

Get the camera you want to use...not always the one you want to own 🙂
(I tell myself this all the time)

Oh yeah....looks liek I might be the pround new owner of a Calumet 4x5...answered an ad on craigslist and the guy was giving me a 4x5 enlarger then he pffered the camera mor eor less for free......no time.....gotta go scan 🙂

 

[jmooney]

Just finally looked at the specs of the Fuji X100.....if it doesn't suck for some crazy design flaw no one foresaw it may be the answer for me.

Of course need to do something in the meantime.....

 

[ferider]

Try a Hexar AF.

 

[Fawley]

Use the best tool for the job. Simple as that in my mind/quote]

This is indeed the sensible approach. I read somewhere that a good camera is one that you barely have to think about in use, and so doesn't get in your way while picture shooting. That said I often don't follow this advice because many RF's are just so darn much fun and I still haven't gotten over the novelty phase. When functionality does matter the most I reach for: 1) My Minolta XK when I feel I must have the best possible exposure and still get the shot fast, 2) one of several rangefinders when size, weight and useing slow shutter speeds become determining factors.