Buy a Voigtlander or remain with my Nikon F100?

[ballen.paul]

Hi,
I know that this is a very random thread, but I thought that it might be useful to get the advice of fellow Rangefinder Forum members, because I am sure that many of you had to make the same descision.

I 18 years, old and live in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have been brought up in a family that is very involved in the arts. My dad is quite a well known 'art' photographer by the name of Roger Ballen (www.rogerballen.com if you are interested).

From a young age, I was introduced to the art of black and white photography, and have been shooting for about 5 years now. I began shooting with a Canon EOS 300 which I began to find way to 'plasticky' and decided to get a much heavier and bukier Nikon F100, which I have really enjoyed using and mainly use the cheap but very sharp Nikon 50mm f/1.8.

Recently, I have begun to look into rangefinder, particularly Voigtlanders (R2A, because of the 35mm and 50mm framelines). Its seems like a beatifully built body and the lenses seem really nice. But I'm finding it difficult to make the final decsion of whether I should 'take the plunge' and buy one.

I know its not that expensive, but I cant figure out if a rangefinder is going to make a large contribution to my photography and whether using a rangefinder,changes you perspective on taking photographs. I know that it isnt the camera that makes the photograph, and I have been brought up knowing that, but it definately, helps you.

Any suggestions about what I do?

Thanks in advance,
Paul Ballen
[www.paulballen.blogspot.com] <-----some photographs are on this site

 

[Roger Vadim]

Maybe you should test the "rangefinder experience" first with a cheap fixed lens rf from the 70's like the Yashica Electro or similar. The glass is really quite good, they feel solid and they can be had for a couple of bucks. Electro is my favorite, but there are others, like the Canonets which are as good. These cams are are really good to find out about the whole rangefinder thing. I love my Electro. And now I want a Leica... (sic!)
Enjoy shooting, Michael

 

[Roger Vadim]

Or you borrow your dads Rolleiflex for a change 😉 (definetly a different experience!) He is my favorite contemporary photographer at the moment. Oustanding work!
Regards, M.

 

[alternatve]

Hi,
I know that this is a very random thread, but I thought that it might be useful to get the advice of fellow Rangefinder Forum members, because I am sure that many of you had to make the same descision.

I 18 years, old and live in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have been brought up in a family that is very involved in the arts. My dad is quite a well known 'art' photographer by the name of Roger Ballen (www.rogerballen.com if you are interested).

From a young age, I was introduced to the art of black and white photography, and have been shooting for about 5 years now. I began shooting with a Canon EOS 300 which I began to find way to 'plasticky' and decided to get a much heavier and bukier Nikon F100, which I have really enjoyed using and mainly use the cheap but very sharp Nikon 50mm f/1.8.

Recently, I have begun to look into rangefinder, particularly Voigtlanders (R2A, because of the 35mm and 50mm framelines). Its seems like a beatifully built body and the lenses seem really nice. But I'm finding it difficult to make the final decsion of whether I should 'take the plunge' and buy one.

I know its not that expensive, but I cant figure out if a rangefinder is going to make a large contribution to my photography and whether using a rangefinder,changes you perspective on taking photographs. I know that it isnt the camera that makes the photograph, and I have been brought up knowing that, but it definately, helps you.

Any suggestions about what I do?

Thanks in advance,
Paul Ballen
[www.paulballen.blogspot.com] <-----some photographs are on this site

Hello,

As a equally young photographer, I would like to advise you not to sell away a camera to get another. I have done this many times myself and have always regretted the loss of the previous camera as it was a valuable tool for my needs. This is especially so if you are changing systems, from the SLR to the RF system. There are somethings you cannot do on a RF, macro and long range telephoto for example. And there are some things SLRs are not efficient for, say street photography and such.

Furthermore, a Bessa R2a with a lens or two is quite an investment on it's own, and if you find that you don't like this type of photography, you would have to sell it off, most likely at a loss and you would have lost your beloved F100 as well.

My suggestion then is to get a cheap RF, like a Canonet to see whether you like this sort of photography or not. Alternatively, there are russian rangefinders with great lenses widely available online for less then US$100 for a lens (or two) plus a body. I myself took this path and still use russian lenses on my R2a.