Get a rangefinder kit, its lighter

[egpj]

I have seen it mentioned a few times here on the forum about how light the rangefinder kit is. Really, I'm not buying into that. I have an R9 with 35-70 lens and when I compare that to my MP with say the 75 Summicron attached it feels like the MP is made out of dark matter or some such element. If I were to load my L2 Alice down with 2 bodies and 3 lenses then I had better not fall into water that would be over my head cause I'm going straight to the bottom. You guys picking up what I'm laying down here?

The only thing that gets lighter after you buy a Leica is your wallet. My rant is not against the Leica brand or the high quality that it represents but against those who say, "get a rangefinder kit because it's lighter and easier to carry around."

 

[egpj]

f3.5 and now some text so the system will let me post.

 

[Ash]

I find a rangefinder easier because I sacrifice speed for convenience. I se a f/3.5 collapsible LTM lens on a camera. That means both my Leica's, my Fed-2, Zorki-4k, all fit in my pocket/bag/coat pocket. The Kiev doesn't even if I had a collapsible lens in contax mount.

All the cameras are heavier than my Cosina and Zenith (probably the zorki is heavier than both SLR's together), but I'm sure if I was using a Bessa the rangefinder would be lighter than the SLR's.

I think the smaller rangefinder lenses are lighter and easier to carry than SLR lenses.

A rangefinder kit (if I had one body and 3 lenses) is a helluva lot lighter than an SLR kit of the same spec's, especially if I got both kits from the same decade 😉

 

[JohnM]

I dunno.

My M3 with a 50/1.4 and a 90 feels lighter and is certainly a heck of a lot less bulky than my 20D with a 30/1.4 and a 60/2.8. The Leica lenses can go in a coat pocket, while the Canon lenses really can't.

 

[rbiemer]

Gee, Glenn, my Zorki 3m kit is very much lighter than my Kiev 60 kit...
Ahem. Not honestly sure about weight, but my RF kit is significantly smaller than my 35mm SLR kit. I don't often carry the complete kit for either system but when I do, the RF kit takes up much less room. That's a plus. And for day to day walking around, it's RF around the neck and sometimes another lens in the pocket. A lot lighter than the Pentax and one zoom.
Rob

 

[Rafael]

It really depends on the lenses

And on the bodies I would have to say. When I do a shoot with my two EOS 1n bodies (w/boosters), a 28-70/2.8, a 70-200/2.8, film, and maybe a flash, I come home about two inches shorter than I was at the start of the day!

 

[FrankS]

It isn't any smaller either when compared to compact slr's like Pentax ME, MX, Nikon FG, etc.

 

[Nikon Bob]

A Leica M4 and a 35 pre asph lux weighs about the same as a Nikon FM2n and Nikkor 35/1.4. It is less bulky especially the RF lenses. You are not saving much if any in weight unless your normal kit is a monster SLR/DSLR and fast zoom lenses.

Bob

 

[aad]

It isn't any smaller either when compared to compact slr's like Pentax ME, MX, Nikon FG, etc.

I keep going around with this-I have an MX and a lot of K-mount lenses, including a 40 pancake, but the LTM with a collapsible sure is easy to carry.

On the other hand, I've messed up shots with the Leica due to framing.

 

[Ben Z]

I have an R9 with 35-70 lens and when I compare that to my MP with say the 75 Summicron attached it feels like the MP is made out of dark matter or some such element.

The R9 weighs 790g, the 35-70/3.5 either 420 or 450 depending on whether you have the Japan or Germany verson. Total wt 1210 or 1240g.

The MP weighs 585g and the 75 Cron weighs 430g, total 1015, a difference of between 195 and 225g. For us non-metricated folk that's very roughly half a pound more for your R9 outfit, which would let you carry a 35 Cron with the MP.

Now try dividing your 35-70 and R9 among your sportjacket pockets. I do that easily with two M6s and 2 or even 3 lenses, so that I can go without a camera bag if I want, and sit down at a restaurant without laying my camera on the table or holding it in my lap. If I go into a place where cameras aren't allowed (unless there's a metal detector) I don't have to check it at a desk. If I get on a subway, tram or bus I don't have a camera bag to whack into other people.

I travelled for many years with a couple of Pentax screwmount SLRs and 3-4 lenses, those being among the smallest around save for the Olympus OM-series, and to me there's no comparison the convenience travelling with a Leica M outfit. Not to mention being able to handhold at slower shutter speeds so not needing a tripod, and being able to see to focus it accurately in very dim light.

 

[cbass]

Just for laughs I weighed some cameras on my wife's kitchen scale. Cameras held batteries but no film or lens caps. Here are the numbers:

Bessa R with 35/2.5: 490 grams
Vivitar XV-2 with 50/2.5 (compact AE SLR, shares chassis with Bessa R): approximately 562 grams.
Minolta SR-T Super with 55/1.7 (old school all-manual SLR): approximately 2.2 pounds, or 1 kilogram.
Vivtar 35ES (compact fixed-lens RF): 462 grams.
Holga 120N (toy camera): 186 grams.

You may draw your own conclusions. If you really want the lightest camera, go with a Holga! 🙂

 

[peter_n]

I think the modern Leica bodies are pretty heavy. I go for the black lenses over the silver ones because of the weight difference. Carry two M bodies and four lenses in a bag with all the other stuff and at the end of the day you are feeling it.

 

[egpj]

I like the Holga suggestion. LOL I do have the motor drive setup on my R9 so that adds to the bulk and weight of the setup. The M's are more compact. One of my MP's has the Leicavit on the bottom and I keep it in the half case. If you decide to shoot with a wide angle then you have to fit the external finder. Funny how these things can start to add to the bulk and weight of the kit. The only SLR experience that I had to draw on was carrying around the R9.

In my experience the perfect carry around range finder for weight, size and quality would have to be the IIf with collapsible 50 Summicron and 5cm external leitz finder. Along with the Sekonic L-208 lightmeter you can go out without a bag and take some smashing good snaps. Too bad it can not measure up to the modern glass but it comes darn close.

 

[egpj]

The R9 weighs 790g, the 35-70/3.5 either 420 or 450 depending on whether you have the Japan or Germany verson. Total wt 1210 or 1240g.

The MP weighs 585g and the 75 Cron weighs 430g, total 1015, a difference of between 195 and 225g. For us non-metricated folk that's very roughly half a pound more for your R9 outfit, which would let you carry a 35 Cron with the MP.

Now try dividing your 35-70 and R9 among your sportjacket pockets. I do that easily with two M6s and 2 or even 3 lenses, so that I can go without a camera bag if I want, and sit down at a restaurant without laying my camera on the table or holding it in my lap. If I go into a place where cameras aren't allowed (unless there's a metal detector) I don't have to check it at a desk. If I get on a subway, tram or bus I don't have a camera bag to whack into other people.

I travelled for many years with a couple of Pentax screwmount SLRs and 3-4 lenses, those being among the smallest around save for the Olympus OM-series, and to me there's no comparison the convenience travelling with a Leica M outfit. Not to mention being able to handhold at slower shutter speeds so not needing a tripod, and being able to see to focus it accurately in very dim light.

I knew that someone would look up the stats on this stuff. Thanks for that. My 35-70 was made in Japan. I don't know what kind of sport jacket you guys wear but I am not going out in public with all kinds of bulges and electronic gear hanging out of my jacket. All kinds of wires, straps and lens hanging out of your jacket. Come on brother! Some of the ladies I've gone out with would be like, "Change that getup now!" Baad enough I got the bag but they usually let that slide.

I could get away with stuffing a light meter in some cargo pants.

 

[Magnus]

another argument being that leicas are less obtrusive (if thats the right word) the must have camera for street photogrpahers, nut yet if one browses through the galleries of the different leica fori you will find that very few pictures need this...

Leica users need something to justify their purchase ... me I'm a leica user, I like leica's, I can generally afford using them thats the only reason for me, my FM3 is barely bigger and with 45 pancake makes excellent pictures, but it's not a leica. Call me a snob, call me what you want actually, I don't care, but I do think it's time for leica users to come out of the closet and be truthfull as to how and why they actually use Leica's, and not beat around the bush with all these "arguments"

Shooting landscape/architecure with a Leica ? ... hey, daaaah

 

[FrankS]

Leicas feel and sound better to me. No diff in the images. Super high quality tool, much quieter than an SLR.

 

[Magnus]

I agree frank, but it's not a real necessity that justifies the cost now is it. I love my Leica's wouldn't get rid of it for anything, but in terms of cost justification it's quite a bum buy .... but still ... it's a leica.

 

[Magnus]

Think of an FM3 which is a really good camera by the way, OK a bit louder than the leica, but think of the equipement you could buy for the price of Leica with 35mm .... you could have multiple bodies, multiple lenses of any kind and every accesory ever released ....

I'v just got my FM3 out of the cupboeard and it's actually a very nice camera, this brought me to think about why Leica and not FM3, and I have no qualified justification for it ...

thats all

🙂

 

[FrankS]

I bought all my Leicas used, and don't have any expensive lenses like the 35 Cron.

Think of it as a tool. You can buy a $2 hammer or you can buy a $20 hammer. The more expensive one feels better and will last longer, but both will pound a nail. Some folks have no affinity for quality in a tool. They don't care, as long as it does the job. Others buy the most expensive tools and never use them. I'm somewhere in the middle.

 

[Ben Z]

I don't know what kind of sport jacket you guys wear but I am not going out in public with all kinds of bulges and electronic gear hanging out of my jacket. All kinds of wires, straps and lens hanging out of your jacket.

The only electronic gear is the meter inside my M6 unless I slip a small flash the size of a cigarette pack into an inside pocket. There are no straps or anything hanging out of my pockets. Strap gets wrapped around the body, fits in one of the inside pockets of any of my sport coats. Mine are made for business travellers and the inside pockets zip shut. I like my travel sport coat a little relaxed in the fit so I can move comfortably, the M bodies are flat and don't create an unsightly bulge. I've waltzed past ticket-takers and ushers in many a theater or concert hall where there was a no-cameras-allowed policy and nobody ever noticed. My wife is extremely unforgiving of being seen with me looking like a goofball shutterbug so if I had camera stuff bulging out of my pockets she'd be the first to blow the whistle on me 🙁