Did any brand ever make a camera like this?

[Juan Valdenebro]

Hi, I would like to get a camera like the 70s' compact rangefinders (fixed lens), but without autoexposure: manual speeds setting, and a 35mm lens.
Was it ever made?
I don't need meter, and it will be for scale focusing, so no rf is required.
I wasn't able to find one on the net...
Thanks!
Cheers,
Juan

 

[splitimageview]

Leica CL with a dead meter, a broken RF and a 35mm lens. 🙂

 

[Noll]

An olympus RC 35 with no batteries comes close also, but has a 40 mm lens.

 

[nhchen]

What about the Olympus wide-S 35mm f2 lens rangefinder?
I think there's quite a few listed here:
http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/35mmwide/wide.html

regards,
nathan

 

[DavidKKHansen]

Rollei 35 comes close...

 

[SolaresLarrave]

One of the early Minolta Hi-Matics comes to mind. I used to own one: almost like an Instamatic: 40mm f1.7 lens, no AE (but meter) and situation focusing (landscape, group and portrait modes). Must figure out which model it is... Got it VERY inexpensively priced in the *bay.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Sorry, it's the Minolta Hi-Matic G, and it was an automatic-mode only camera. Won't do it for you. Keep on looking! 🙂

 

[Particular]

Nikonos, but it isn't that compact.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Ricoh 35 ZF (Zone Focus)

Ricoh 35 ZF (Zone Focus)

Here's one that I owned many years ago.
Remove the battery and go have some fun!
The Ricoh 35 ZF is a viewfinder camera with a fixed lens made in Taiwan by Ricoh from 1966.

Specifications
Type: viewfinder camera
Film: 35mm
Lens: Rikenon f 2.8 / 40mm
Shutter: Ricoh, Speeds 1/8 - 1/500 sec + B
Focusing: zone focus with 3 symbols (1m, 2.5m, infinity).
Exposure Control: manual shutter speed selection, aperture controlled by CdS meter or manually.
Power: Originally a PX625 mercury cell.
Dimensions: 111x71x56mm
Weight: 400g

 

[Ezzie]

If its wide you want, the Kowa SW has a 28/2.8, very compact fixed lens VF, no meter.

 

[Jack Conrad]

I got a neat little Petri Color 35 in the classifieds right now.

 

[Dave S.]

Lens: Fixed Lens 35mm
Shutter: Manual
Exposure: Manual
Focus: Manual (scale or rangefinder)
Meter: No / Optional

Here's a few possibilities:

Minolta AutoWide
Welmy Wide
Walz Wide
Ricoh Wide
Olympus Wide S
Mamiya 35 Wide

 

[lynnb]

Petri 7s ticks all the boxes except it has a 45mm f2.8 lens. Although it's a RF, it has a distance scale on the lens barrel so you can prefocus. It also has a battery-less exposure meter (under/over needle reading in viewfinder). Shutter speeds to B to 1/500, apertures to f16. It's about the same size as an M.

Why not consider a Barnack, or a Japanese or Russian Barnack copy? They are small and nice to use. You can add an external finder if you want.

 

[Axel]

A Braun Paxette would fit your needs, too.
But it is older. Around 1955.

 

[Keith]

I agree with Lynn about a Barnack with a finder ... that seems ideal to me.

 

[Pherdinand]

how 'bout a FED with a 35mm on it.

 

[valdas]

The lens is 40mm, but the rest "ticks the box", zone focusing, manual aperture and shutter:

http://microsites.lomography.com/smena/smena8m/specifications

 

[splitimageview]

Zone focus would be more difficult with the typical 40-45mm of the 1970s fixed lens RFs, so a 35 makes sense. A CL will provide a much nicer viewfinder than nearly any other option. CLs with dead meters are fairly common, and inexpensive but the 35mm lens will boost the price. A working barnack with a quality viewfinder will probably cost more than a CL.

What's the budget? If it's low, then some compromise is probably necessary...what is the feature order of preference? If AE is an acceptable compromise than a Yashica CC is it...fast 35/1.8.

 

[nongfuspring]

Olympus Wide and Olympus Wide-S both fit all your requirements.

 

[Mark Wood]

Somewhat earlier than the 1970s but what about the Ilford Advocate?

http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Advocate.html