Hall of underrated cameras

Second the Konica AR lenses and more particularly the AutoReflex T4 model.

It's plastic but it has a 1:1 viewfinder so you can shoot it with both eyes open. Electronic shutter and loud too, but when the meter is dead you can shoot the camera in full manual and it'll churn away without wavering.

I still have one left that was planned to be a parts donor but was arriving with a dead meter as well and too good to discard. Not shooting it, it's a waste...
 
paulfish4570 said:
the bessa Rs are seen as stepping stones to real rangefinder cameras, the leica m series ...
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It's true, and while I do sort of agree with the maxim that "you'll get a Leica eventually anyway", I'm not 100% sure the user will stick with Leica. I love my M3, but perfect they ain't, and if you value meters, light tight shutter, AE, and crystal clear finders, then a Bessa is probably a better bet.
 
My first mechanical camera was a pentax mount Carena KS. It was an absolute tank, it fell off my lap on the bus and hit damn near every hard surface it could before I finally got to it. A slight ding on the metal and that was the extent of the damage. Came with a 55mm 1.7 Carenar lens, and had shutter speeds from b to 1/1000. I learned so much about manual metering from that camera that when the battery door eventually fell off I didn't even have to bother taping it back on.
 
Bingley said:
I agree about the Minolta X700 being underrated; the XD series is only slightly less so. Around here, it seems that the Olympus OM and Nikon SLRs get most of the attention (and adoration), but the Minoltas were/are great cameras, just as compact, and the glass is excellent. They're pretty cheap these days.
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... agreed, my daughter uses one and the lenses are spectacular ... whole system 4 lenses and flash for under a £100
 
The Agfa Apotar lensed Silettes and Memars (Ansco), whether in regular or Super (rangefinder) configuration are very good for a triplet. At least when they are cleaned of the Bayer grease, and focused properly.

And yes, the Minolta X-series gets a bad rep because of the capacitor issue, but the lenses are great.

PF
 
The Voigtlander Vitessa, especially with Ultron lens: glass at least as good as Leicas of its era, a quieter (leaf) shutter and--if needed--the ability to shoot more quickly without an accessory winder.

Such advantages arguably compensate for its glaring eccentricities...

Regards,
D.
 
D.O'K. said:
Such advantages arguably compensate for its glaring eccentricities...
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To my mind, its "glaring eccentricities" are features, not bugs. In an era dominated by Leica and its lookalikes, the Vitessa had a charm and distinctive identity of its own. A quirky original of design, and superb performer as well.
 
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The humble Argus C-3, lovingly nicknamed "the Brick."
Not the most ergonomic camera, but the world's best-selling 35mm camera. Inexpensive to buy used, and a great gateway to more advanced rangefinders.
I bought my first C-3 a couple years ago in an antique store in St. Louis in rather good shape. From my guesthouse room I downloaded the manual so I could study it, and the next morning I pounded the streets of the Soulard using it, getting the hang of its quirkiness. When I got home and developed my film, I found that I'd shot the most consistently well-composed and well-exposed film roll I'd ever shot, despite my uneasiness with the controls. I became an instant fan, and subsequently bought three more, for a total of three black models and one C-3 Matchmatic.
Despite how pretty the Matchmatic is, the all-black ones are the best to get, since they're more plentiful and adhere to standard aperture/shutter speeds.
I've also bought the Argus 21 viewfinder camera and the Argus C-4, but unfortunately I seem to have bricked (pun intended) the C-4 by adjusting something incorrectly and I'm looking for another in decent condition.

Still, I'd heartily recommend the C-3 for anyone who is new to rangefinder cameras and wants something that's a little quirky and different, but with a charm all its own.
 
Lubitel. Try one. I have two. My expensive one was GBP 3 (call it $5) at a car boot sale and the other was free. A properly processed 3x enlargement (168mm/6.6 inches square) has the tonality of a contact print, and at only 3-up it's still surprisingly sharp at f/8 or less. Crop it and print it to half-plate (4.75 x 6.5 inches) and tell people it was made with a Gandolfi, and they'll believe you if you get it right.

Cheers,

R.
 
so i have to load my lubitel with some film. i have one lying around here already quite a time, but still haven't used it. was the only tlr i ever saw on a flea market here.

i was never so much motivated to use it, because the handling is a bit ugly.
interesting to read your thoughts about the lubitel here, because it's really a bit bad reputed.
 
Hasselblad 500 EL/M. People say they are heavy and big and have been used by professionals in their studios for years. Well, I agree...
But nontheless they are great and if you have one that works and you use it on a tripod you have a very good camera. They are so cheap in the bay these days, also because of their batteries but you can buy adapters for 9V batteries so you don´t have to worry. I love mine and although I don´t use it very often in the field I wouldn´t sell it!

Thomas
 
Dylan Hope said:
My first mechanical camera was a pentax mount Carena KS. It was an absolute tank, it fell off my lap on the bus and hit damn near every hard surface it could before I finally got to it. A slight ding on the metal and that was the extent of the damage. Came with a 55mm 1.7 Carenar lens, and had shutter speeds from b to 1/1000. I learned so much about manual metering from that camera that when the battery door eventually fell off I didn't even have to bother taping it back on.
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IIRC the Carena was a Cosina clone that included many other great beginner cameras such as Olympus OM-2000, Nikon FM10, Canon T60, Pentax P30T, Ricoh KR-5xx and Vivitar 650SL.

The Ricoh which I passed on to my son is a great, inexpensive camera and somewhat underrated.
 
I don't know if it's underrated, but the Voigtländer Perkeo II I just acquired is a gorgeous, finely made piece of equipment.
 
autocord is underrated compared to a rolleiflex
leica IIIc is underrated compared to a IIIf
leica M2 is underrated compared to M3
Hexar RF is underrated compared to M6/M7
hmm, looks like all my gears are underrated stuff..
 
The Perkeo II is a steal. Some have issues fitting spools in - they are very tight cameras - but the later lenses and build quality are stellar. If you can confirm one is in good condition, particularly with the Hesper or Neo Hesper lenses, jump on it.
 
I'm on my second Werra. The first, a Werramatic I got off Etsy for $45, was fairly stiff to to focus and set speed/aperture, with a slightly out of vertical RF, but the 2.8 Jena Tessar produced good images, and the VF-metering, though unique (i.e. odd), was good.

The Werra III that I just purchased from a Werraphile in Budapest, though, is far better, with smooth winding, a purring shutter, a big bright viewfinder, a perfect diopter for my -3 vision, and a pristine case. Oh and a reliable (non-TTL) selenium meter. All for very little more than I paid for my first. I think there just aren't many decent Werras in the US. But what a full-featured little camera.
 
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raid said:
The K1000 has always been highly rated, but it is inexpensive.
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The K1000 quite often sells for more than a Nikon FM (a much more durable camera) because it has some sort of cult status as a good student camera. In my experience (seen hundreds of 'em) they tend to fall apart, especially the film transport. Surprisingly, the meter tends to outlast the film transport & the shutter.
 
Can I say the Leica M6 is underrated? Everyone gets all starry - eyed over the MP or the M7. The M6 is a workhorse but folks get bent out of shape because the top is not brass...
 
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