Considering an SLR

Yashica FX-3 or Contax S2 with the superb Zeiss lenses made for the C/Y mount. Contax also made some diopters for use with the Contax/Yashica line, drop-in lenses to be used with the Contax eyecup. The original Contax diopters are reputedly hard to find, but the Nikon diopter lenses will reportedly work fine as substitutes.
 
If you can separate yourself from the nostalgic romanticism of the old manual focus cameras mentioned above, none of which could hold a candle to any Leica, get yourself something that will actually give you a significantly different experience... and higher rate of "keepers": A late/modern auto-focus Nikon or Canon with their best glass.

A dirt cheap N80, F100, F5, or F6... or the Canon equivalents, were the epitome of 35mm cameras when it comes to actually getting more good shots. All that technology works. Paired with Leicas you'd have a formidable toolkit. No 1980s SLR can keep up.
 
paulfish4570 said:
everybody seems to have missed the OP's diopter parameter. nikons take interchangeable diopter eyepieces, easily available. not so for olympus and pentax. minolta? others? don't know.
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You are so correct. Thanks for the reminder. The Fujica ST901 did indeed provide that. I never needed them so I don't really know of their current availability.

I might also mention there is a 35mm lens, as well as 50mm f/1.4 and f/1.8. The 35mm lens comes in two flavors as well as I recall; a f/2 and f/2.8, or maybe it was f/2.8 and f/3.5. The battery is a still available 544.

The exposure is aperture preferred or manual. The shutter speeds are available in the viewfinder by led, the aperture by looking at the aperture ring.
 
If I may add, the LX viewfinder has an adjustable diopter. Also, though actually an autofocus lens, the Pentax Limited 31mm is probably one of the finest 30 to 35mm lenses available on any system. And it has the build quality to match. Since it is a Pentax lens it will fit and work on any K-Mount all the way back to the K2.

As far as I am aware the MX does not have diopter correction.
 
Likewise, I seriously doubt anyone here would be embarrassed with the performance of the Minolta Rokkor X MD 35/1.8.
 
I vote FM

I vote FM

Vics said:
Nikon F2 or F3 with the Nikkor-H 50mm and the Nikkor 35/1.4
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The FM is more compact than F2 / F3 and has all one needs including a solid feeling, std. 3V Lithium batteries and a large finder made for manual focusing.

2.0/50 is sure a great lens. About 35mm I am not sure, don't know neither the 1.4 not the 2.8. The 2.0/35 mm produces enormous flare, cannot recommend that lens with a good concience.
 
Specifically on Olympus OM:
I think OM-1 is the wrong OM for those who seek metered camera.

OM-2n is a far better choice. The batteries are easy to find also (silver-oxide 357).
 
aizan said:
not economical, but...

nikon fm3a
carl zeiss 35/1.4 zf.2
carl zeiss 50/2 makro zf.2
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For a purely mechanical body the FM2n will suffice for a lot less money than the FM3A, nice choice of lenses.
 
lukitas said:
Nikon FG?
the smallest and lightest of the metal nikons.
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And the most deadly autoexposure - especially with flash. But if you are young, have you looked into those new digital cameras? Some kids I know swear by them.

I see a lot of recommendations here for the OM-1n. It's the pinnacle of mechanical SLR design, and one of the quietest SLRs. But the exposure and metering is rooted in bygone days. You need to look down on the camera to set the shutter and aperture, and you can't see the meter's needle in the dark (follow Will's advice, shoot it meterless.) But metering is where the FG excels, AND it's the same size as the OM cameras, and the same width and thickness as a Leica M.
 
Yes, the Zeiss ZF and ZF.2 lenses fit the Nikon bodies, with the .2 lenses also providing electronic information to the camera, but no autofocus.
The problem with the Distagon 35 is the size. Here you have a comparison against the rf lenses:

ZF against ZM by mfogiel, on Flickr

And here how it looks on an FM3A

ZF against ZM_2 by mfogiel, on Flickr
 
Nice size comparison, Marek! And let's not forget the Zeiss lenses have been available in Pentax KA mount too, though perhaps not now. As one who likes Pentax, I have the ZK versions of 28mm f/2 Distagon and the 50 & 85mm f/1.4 Planars, all rather large and heavy but beautifully made. They work nicely on the MX and LX cameras along with any number of other lenses the OP might find interesting.
 
Thanks again guys. That was a very useful comparison, thank you!

It is indeed a much larger system. Do you have any samples of photos taken with the 35f2 on the FM3a? How do you like that particular setup?
 
A Nikon FE and a trio of series E lenses will do you nicely and be very compact and light, with excellent image quality. The 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 and 100mm 2.8 are very compact, well-built, and offer excellent image quality. Also very affordable. I have the above kit and the whole thing cost me less than $400 for gear in very good condition.
 
crsantin said:
A Nikon FE and a trio of series E lenses will do you nicely and be very compact and light, with excellent image quality. The 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 and 100mm 2.8 are very compact, well-built, and offer excellent image quality. Also very affordable. I have the above kit and the whole thing cost me less than $400 for gear in very good condition.
Click to expand...

Yes, a good 3 lens SLR kit....
 
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