Budget in hand, help me join the RF ranks

[Wayne R. Scott]

Excellent choice!!! Except now that leaves the Bronica RF645 kits at KEH available and they are calling to me, must not listen, must not listen, must not listen.

Wayne

 

[Doug]

Congratulations, Molten; that's a great kit! Excellent lenses, and small enough to pack around easily, should be a good street/documentary shooter! I've been using my Bronica RF and a Fuji645 for this and environmental portraits; check my gallery if you wish...

Wayne, KEH has the Bronicas listed rather strangely, don't you think, referring to them as having a 100mm BL (baseline?) RF and the other with a 135mm BL. In truth it's not the baseline that differs; it's the framelines for the longest lens that differs. One is set up for the 100mm lens and the other for the original and recalled 135mm.

I noticed that the "135mm BL" camera disappeared for a week or two, and now it (or another) is listed again. I wonder if the confused description led to a mistaken purchase by a buyer who thought he was getting the more accurate RF?

I'd love to find one of those 135mm lenses and have it matched to a non-refitted body that still has the 135mm framelines. In fact I'm tempted to order that 135mm model KEH now has discounted, and then work on finding the lens. If only funds were less limited!

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

Doug,

I hadn't looked at them for a couple of days and didn't know they had been lowered in price. I need to find some extra coins around here.

I think they may mean BL as Bright Line in the viewfinder.

Wayne

 

[Doug]

I'll bet you're right, Wayne; they meant bright-line, not base-line!

 

[Doug]

Gee, I think I'm having a forum-induced GAS attack too! Trying to suppress it... What do I want with a second Bronica RF, when I have two Fuji 645's too (60 & 45mm)? Is the 135mm lens capability important? I seldom use the 100mm Bronica lens as it is. And if I want to use longer MF lenses, well, there are two Pentax 6x7's with 7 lenses, 3 of them longer than the normal, out to 300mm. Hmm... there, I may have the attack under control, for now! Good shopping to you, Wayne! 😀

 

[QuillianSW]

Nobody likes the Rollei? I've had a 35 AF (the compact camera, not the RF) for several years and been quite happy with it. I am also looking for some entry into RF cameras; having lugged a Nikon F100 around for years, I'm looking for something more suitable for street & candid photography. Baring a quality used Leica, the Bessa is the consensus?

 

[aizan]

bessas or hexar rfs. if you're a 50mm guy, the r3a is a dream. the hexar rf is best for 28 and 35.

 

[achmannyc]

I would look at a Canon P or 7 (or a VI-L like I use everyday) and a Voigtlander 35mm lens to start. The Canons are built better (at least the P and VI-L) and they have what you need...a beater Leica CL would be great too,...save some $ for film and a decent scanner...

 

[gabrielelopez]

With that budget, I would go for a R2 and a 35, and spend the rest on fim and traveling around a little bit for shooting it.
Think well at the AE need, you could go for the Bessa R kit with the 35 for little more than 400$ and get a wonderful Jupiter 50 f2 for few bucks.
Just I too own the FM2, and I don't think that the shutter is as loud as that of the Bessa, just even because you simply have no mirror, and the FM's mirror slaps hard, you know..
Surely the bessas aren't quiet as Leicas but after all, that's not a big problem under uman conditions... 😀

Good luck and welcome...your message looked like one of mine some years ago..

 

[gabrielelopez]

wow, looked at hte mamiya decision late, well, congrats anyway...!!!

 

[satbunny]

Here are my 2 cents:

I'm sorry, I can't help it. Leica bodies do it for me. I have no qualms about using non-Leica lenses though.

I agree, but I'd get a M4 which is the best manual M camera for me.
Pick your poison tho'