Anyone Shooting an Olympus 35RC?

[Steve M.]

I've been looking for a small and light 35mm camera (the Minox arrived DOA), and I like shooting 50mm lenses. While I like my GAF Point Five, a Konica C35 clone, the 38mm lens on it is a little short. It looks like the Olympus 35RC is very small and has a 42mm lens, so that's a step in the right direction. Does anyone own one? What do you think of it?

From what I can tell from the internet, it's a full featured rangefinder, and about the size of the Rollei 35 cameras.

 

[The Dark]

It's my favorite street camera. Superb lens quality and small body. The high contrast lens is wonderful for B&W. I had traveled far and near with it and I absolutely love it. My only complaint it that it uses extinct mercury battery. Lucky I use a Zinc Oxide hearing aid battery as a substitute.
Overall a superb rangefinder.

Fuji Neopan 400

Ilford Delta 400

 

[Steve M.]

I love that second shot. Doesn't show much about the lens capability, but a wonderful photo. I like the juxtaposition of the empty table w/ no chairs, against the staircase that someone could be coming down at any moment. That mysterious door-to-nowhere is a part that works well too.

Thanks for the feedback on the camera. Sounds very promising.

 

[yossarian123]

Not sure why I sold mine. It was a great rangefinder with a typically awesome Olympus lens.

 

[TXForester]

I do, but auto setting doesn't work. Still works fine in manual.

 

[Doug]

Steve, I like the Olympus 35RC. Mine replaced an Olympus Pen D2 half-frame as a small easily carried rig. The 35RC was not much larger, and full frame. If I have any gripe, it's that the control rings on the lens are very cramped. It served well until in turn it was overtaken by my new Minolta CLE in 1982. Again, only a little larger, and with Leica-mount lenses.

I had a CLA done on the 35RC a few years ago, but the CLE has seen far more use. This creeping growth... at some point it's no longer pocketable. 🙂

Ironically, now my smallest is back to half-frame size, APS actually, a Canon ELPH Jr. which fits in a Canon belt pouch.

 

[Noll]

Can't go wrong with an RC. The Wien zinc replacement battery seems to last longer than the stated 3 months (my latest is going on one YEAR), though the last roll of slide film had some unreliable exposures so it may finally be going.

Only downside - Cheap-feeling shutter speed dial and focus ring, and the 43.5 mm filter. I think adorama sells step-ups to a more normal size. Not designed to take a beating. I'd post an example but there's not much point. If you want sharp, its sharp. My scans can't do it justice. If you want bokeh, get something else.

 

[Steve M.]

That's a good point on the bokeh, but excellent bokeh generally means interchangeable lenses, which means a much bigger camera. I just want a small camera for candids, w/o drawing attention. Something for the train maybe.

I have some wonderful people shots from a Nikon 80-200 2.8D (you can be across the street practically and still get a good head shot), but don't want to carry big, heavy gear anymore. The little RC sounds like my camera. Black instead of silver would be good, but I have paint and brushes.

 

[shadowfox]

35 RC?
Sure, you can even buy a photo book that pays tribute to (and was made with) it:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1537404&postcount=585

 

[Jack Conrad]

I just found an Oly 35 RC that seems to be in good nic and am heading out to try it today.

I have it up for sale in the classifieds as I wasn't planning on using it, but now I can't resist the temptation.

I have yet to receive any offers one way or the other. Maybe I was asking too much? OBO... Anyway, I'll let ya'll know what I think of shooting with it. It seems pretty solid to me. The focus ring is very short, the aperture ring is quite narrow and it has an off switch that is probably easy to forget to turn off.

If the lens makes up for those little concerns, I'd say it's a very nice little rf though.

 

[batterytypehah!]

Missed this originally. Sorry that the Minox didn't work out. If size is the overriding concern, maybe you shouldn't give up just yet. Nothing is really smaller and lighter than Minox 35 and the Oly XA line. Not even APS. People wanted zooms and motorized transport and whatnot by then.

 

[ianstamatic]

The lens on mine is very sharp.
Great people / street shooter.

 

[wakarimasen]

Hello! Some from me:

Having owned (and re-sold) a Canon QL1.7, a Yashica Electro 35 and a Konica Auto S3 this is the only one that I still have and cannot bring myself to part with.

Try one - you'll like it!
Best regards,
RoyM

 

[charjohncarter]

I know it is hard to see on a monitor, but when I received my 35RC back from John Hermanson I, of course, ran a roll through. The three photos below are from one frame: full frame, blow up of center and edge. I use this wall often and this is wide open, tripod. You can tell which is center and edge:

Actually, you can't tell the last one is the edge.

 

[charjohncarter]

Can't go wrong with an RC. The Wien zinc replacement battery seems to last longer than the stated 3 months (my latest is going on one YEAR), though the last roll of slide film had some unreliable exposures so it may finally be going.

Only downside - Cheap-feeling shutter speed dial and focus ring, and the 43.5 mm filter. I think adorama sells step-ups to a more normal size. Not designed to take a beating. I'd post an example but there's not much point. If you want sharp, its sharp. My scans can't do it justice. If you want bokeh, get something else.

One problem with aftermarket shades/hoods and step-up rings on this camera is that they can (and probably will) block the rangefinder patch window. I bought a rubber shade for mine and it didn't work, luckily I also had a Trip 35.

 

[Steve M.]

Well, I bought a 35RC the other day w/ a dead meter. Look forward to shooting it and see how it works. Looks like a winner though from what everyone has posted here. I'll paint it black if I decide to keep it and see if I can get the meter to power up. Small is good, and I would have proffered a metered one, but this one will let me see if the ergonomics and IQ work for me.

Good point about the hood. I had to put a step ring on my Konica C 35 in order to move the hood out a little bit. Couldn't get my fingers in there to focus it otherwise. It blocked the VF a little, but not too badly.

 

[agianelo]

I love the flash GN setting on the lens. The only camera I know of that compensates for flash that way. I always carry mine loaded with color film. It takes up very little space in any camera bag.

 

[Noll]

One problem with aftermarket shades/hoods and step-up rings on this camera is that they can (and probably will) block the rangefinder patch window. I bought a rubber shade for mine and it didn't work, luckily I also had a Trip 35.

Good point. I just checked and stepping up to a 58 mm there's about 10% corner blockage from the filter. I'm guessing that stepping up to 52 mm would only have minimal blockage, and stepping up to 46 mm there is none.

 

[seajak]

I aplogise if this has been posted before but The Trip Man sells 43.5mm hoods, caps and filters. http://www.tripman.co.uk/

cheers,
clay

 

[farlymac]

Just got a 35RC in the mail yesterday, and can't wait to try it out. But I'll have to until I get the seals replaced. Already have a step-up to 46mm ordered, so I won't have to buy anymore filters/hoods. I was told by the previous owner to not use the self timer, as he has two others that broke, and now he can't use them.

PF