Camera Selection from Another Angle?

[CarlRadford]

Hi Folks,

First post and asking for help - nothing new eh 🙂 I've been away with large format stuff and have done any 35mm for a while but I want to retun to making more images and the 5x7 is probably not that spontaneous! Some might clock the name from CONTAXG or APUG forums so I had used a G2 for quite but alas it has now been sold on. I got frustrated once of twice with the G2 not locking on focus wise or the messing around recomposing after getting the focus where I wanted it. However, I would go back and live with the minor faults as I enjoyed using it!

Get to the question - OK!

I can afford to spend around £2500 on my new kit - as soon as moving on some that I currently have. For me the questions are which modern rf camera will be easiest to use wearing glasses - my other little foible is that I use my left eye as that is my strongest! I tend to use lenses from around 28 to 90. My aim is to output images in a taditional darkroom as well as digitally and also use the PDN system to make some digi negs enabling me to do some alt prints from them - I know a throw back from LF. I have been trying to find the previous copy of AP that had a three way shoot out with RF - Leica/ZI/Voit but don't seem to have it. The crux is focusing in low light and being able to do it accurately and quickly?

Any input appreciated - especially from those encumbered with our own optics 🙂

All the best, Carl

PS A few old images still exist on ContaxG but hopefully I have moved on a little since then - that said two images from ContaxG days got into the Cotswold Monochrome Salon this year!

PPS Happy to spend a lot less than £2500 and fill the fridge with film or storage devices 🙂

 

[JohnL]

I use reading glasses with an M7 0.72x viewfinder. I look over the specs for everything but the 28mm. I usually take my specs off for the 28mm, for convenience, but not out of absolute necessity. I have a diopter on the viewfinder.

 

[Bromo33333]

Biggest brightest viewfinders are, consensus wise, Voigtlander and ZI - both supposed to be glasses friendly compared to Leica (thoug Leica is not slouch).

With GBP 2500, you can get nearly anything.

Suggest you find the viewfinder you like best and then get whoever's lens you think is the best. I prefer Zeiss, but I always have. You could get Leica, easily, and be happy as a clam.

DO you want new, or are you OK with used?

 

[CarlRadford]

OK with used...

OK with used...

as I want to make images not start a collection 🙂 Its unfortunate that I can only get to handle a Voigtlander and not a ZI up here in sunny Glasgow!

I'd prefer not to do the flicking up and down of the glasses thing but I suppose you'd get used to it. I really need to try and get down south sometime soon and see if I can get my hands on on ZI - that'd be new of course and that is the only limitation is that there will be no 2nd lenses etc - the 85(?) is pretty steep by all accounts!

Thanks for the input, Carl

Biggest brightest viewfinders are, consensus wise, Voigtlander and ZI - both supposed to be glasses friendly compared to Leica (thoug Leica is not slouch).

With GBP 2500, you can get nearly anything.

Suggest you find the viewfinder you like best and then get whoever's lens you think is the best. I prefer Zeiss, but I always have. You could get Leica, easily, and be happy as a clam.

DO you want new, or are you OK with used?

 

[Bromo33333]

as I want to make images not start a collection 🙂 Its unfortunate that I can only get to handle a Voigtlander and not a ZI up here in sunny Glasgow!

[...] that'd be new of course and that is the only limitation is that there will be no 2nd lenses etc - the 85(?) is pretty steep by all accounts!

All of these are M-mount - so nothing to stop you form mixing and matching lenses. The 85mm is very expensive - you could alsways get the Voigtlander equivalent or buy used Leica (or other used M mount) for that.

 

[CarlRadford]

Following some other threads...

Following some other threads...

and there seems to be loads of positive stuff re ZI and as you say the glass is interchangeable so I think it will be a ZI for me. Just need to hunt round for best prices etc! Thanks again for the help!

All of these are M-mount - so nothing to stop you form mixing and matching lenses. The 85mm is very expensive - you could alsways get the Voigtlander equivalent or buy used Leica (or other used M mount) for that.

 

[Dougg]

The good part is that all three of your RF choices are fine choices. (I gather you're ruling out the G2 due to experience...). The ZI has the best range/viewfinder, and I think that's a very important advantage. The large physical separation between the two RF windows means a larger visual displacement of out-of-focus objects leading to faster focusing and better accuracy. The brightness and wide field of the viewfinder is especially good for glasses wearers. I too am left-eyed, so for verticals I turn the camera wind-lever down.

 

[Avotius]

I think the veiwfinder on the zeiss ikon is great, I am one of those people who has a hard time seeing the 35mm framelines with a .72 leica (consider a .58 leica if you dont want to shoot long lenses) and with the zeiss ikon I had no problem seeing the 35mm framelines and the outsides of them, but I couldnt see the shutter speed readout without moving my eye around. I had bigger problems with my ZI (stuck shutter) but I know a lot of people out there with poor eyesight are loving the ZI simply because of the veiwfinder. I think it could be a winner for you!

 

[CarlRadford]

I think the decision is made...

I think the decision is made...

just need to see where it is going to come from now?

Thanks for the help, Carl

PS The beauty of pinhole and eye relief 🙂