Hi,
I don't know your budget, nor what you intend to use it for...
Anyway, here goes: FED/Zorki 1's a good copy with improvements of the 30's Leica II. Cheap to buy, coated lenses and the world famous Oleg does not charge a fortune to overhaul and repair them. But no meter and all the disadvantages of the 30's Leica (dreadful VF, no flash and difficult to load).
Then there's the FED 2 which is superior in every way and, with the Industar 26 on it a brilliant bargain. Plus it has a flash contact and is easy to load. There's also the Zorki 4 in both versions with good and bad points to them both. Lever wind but poor shutter speed dial printing vs. engraving without the lever wind).
Then there's Olympus, millions made but not all have manual settings and the meters may be past a reasonably priced repair. Plus the battery problem, try finding a couple of 640's with the right voltage for example. Anyway, an Olympus RF with manual available can be brilliant and cheap-ish.
Then the Olympus XA comes into the next class with the 35 SP, both sought after* and pricey but repairable and with knowledgeable technicians available to do the job. The XA has a sliding cover and so the meter cell may not be dead. Others rely on lens caps to preserve the meter and we all know how easy they are to lose or forget...
Also dirt cheap with battery problems and meter problems lurking for you to discover the hard way are the range of RF's made by almost everyone. With one or two exceptions cheap in ebay and, who knows?, you could be lucky. Beware of ones advertised as RF's as many ebay sellers think any camera that isn't a SLR is a RF. The Olympus Trip 35, Yashica 35-ME and some Ricohs often get labelled as RF's but aren't. But they are nice cameras...
Leicas, you can be lucky with them but a repair on a Leica can cost as much or more than the camera and lens did... Don't bother with pre-war ones as the lenses are uncoated and flare unless you are careful. OTOH, the IIIc's are plentiful and good work horses. A good one from the late 40's with a coated lens can be a bargain and work well in terms of the print. But they have the dis-advantages of the pre-war ones (VF's, loading etc).
I've ignored the Leica M series and CL and Minolta CLE as you are talking of budgets. You don't have budgets with them until you have hindsight and that can cost a fortune.
Personally, again with hindsight, I'd look for a FED 2 with the Jupiter 8 f/2 or Industar f/2.8 lens, plus a Helios external VF for those extra lenses; the 85 mm and 35mm ones are a bargain. And I'll wish you luck when you go looking for them.
Regards, David
* Sought after means people will offer rubbish for high prices and you won't find out until after a couple of rolls through them. Best bought from a dealer with a guarantee and higher price than auction sites.
