I Got a Rangefinder Camera!

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Last month, an RFF member sent me a gift! The box contained a Bessa R2 body that looked like it had barely been used, a Zorki 5 body with an Industar-50 collapsible lens fitted to it, and a Jupiter-8 lens.

The Zorki body and the Jupiter lens both had mechanical problems (I plan to fix them later), but the Bessa and the collapsible Industar work perfectly. I've finally got some shots I made with the combo online to show.

These are just some quick portraits of my son with the Industar at f5.6 on Tmax 400. I'm very impressed with the sharpness of this lens and the overall look of the images, which remind me of the photos I used to get from my old pre-war Rolleiflex with a 75mm f3.5 uncoated Zeiss Tessar. Of course, the Industar is a copy of the Tessar, so I guess it shouldn't have surprised me that the images looks similar. The Industar I have is coated, unlike the Rollei Lens, but it has similar look anyway.

I'm really falling in love with this camera! It is taking me some time getting used to rangefinder focusing....I think I may need to get glasses, because I am having trouble seeing small details in the viewfinder/rangefinder on the Bessa. My Olympus SLRs have built in Dioptric correction that I adjusted for my eyes so everything looks clear through them. I'm getting old, I guess its time to go see the optometrist 🙁

 

[Trius]

Chris: Congrsts and NICE images! I recently scored a Zuiko 50/3.5 Macro for cheap ... new gear is so fun!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

The Zuiko 50/3.5 macro is a nice one and I've been seeing them go pretty cheap lately. I've got the 50/2 Zuiko Macro, which I got used for almost nothing from a small town camera store in Muncie, Indiana several years ago.

 

[maddoc]

Two very nice portraits !! It seems you got a very nice RF camera 🙂

 

[gb hill]

I saw a photo of you holding that camera somewhere on your website/blog the other day, I can't remember where. Nice portraits of your son. That is a nice lens, really sharp.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I saw a photo of you holding that camera somewhere on your website/blog the other day, I can't remember where. Nice portraits of your son. That is a nice lens, really sharp.

Yeah my girlfriend took that one of me. I usually look BAD in pictures, but she made me look good in that one so I use it on my 'about me' pages.

 

[Way]

I didn't know that you never had a rangefinder camera before!

 

[RayPA]

good god, man! you've been here almost two years with almost 900 posts and you never had a rangefinder?! How could you withstand the GAS?! 😀 We need to start checking new members at the door. 🙂

Congrats! Little words of advice: don't look through the VF of a Leica, ZI, HRF, CLE, Nikon, or Canon RF. If you do, you'll be doomed.


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[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I withstood GAS because it was buy cameras or feed my son and I. We live on almost nothing; most of my equipment was either given to me by people who liked my work enough to help me get things I needed, or bought by me cheap when I found good deals. I joined RFF because I liked the discussions of art and philosophy of photography that I never found anywhere else, and I liked the people i met here.

I have actually looked through several M-Leicas, and they're awesome. They're also way beyond what I can afford. I have some really magnificent gear, including a hasselblad system and a pair of Olympus OM-4T bodies and a collection of lenses, so I can't complain that I don't have what I need. I don't spend much time wanting new gear, I spend more time working on my projects..the images...though I may be tempted when I have the money to get a couple more lenses for the Bessa.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I didn't know that you never had a rangefinder camera before!

I have a Canonet that a cousin found at a garage sale for a dollar a couple year ago. It was in nice cosmetic shape and the rangefinder was accurate. I shot one roll of film and found the frames overlapping on the second half of the roll 🙁

I also have a Minolta 7S that I bought in Santa Fe on Craigslist for $20. First roll with it I discovered it backfocuses quite a bit.

I actually tried to give both of these away on RFF in one of the 'free gear' threads and no one wanted them! The cost of repair is more than I can afford and probably more than they're worth but i know a lot of guys here like to tinker with cameras and can fix them.

 

[RayPA]

I withstood GAS because it was buy cameras or feed my son and I. We live on almost nothing; most of my equipment was either given to me by people who liked my work enough to help me get things I needed, or bought by me cheap when I found good deals. I joined RFF because I liked the discussions of art and philosophy of photography that I never found anywhere else, and I liked the people i met here.

I have actually looked through several M-Leicas, and they're awesome. They're also way beyond what I can afford. I have some really magnificent gear, including a hasselblad system and a pair of Olympus OM-4T bodies and a collection of lenses, so I can't complain that I don't have what I need. I don't spend much time wanting new gear, I spend more time working on my projects..the images...though I may be tempted when I have the money to get a couple more lenses for the Bessa.

note the smilies in my post. i know you've got nice gear. RF cameras can be had for $50, and I've GAS'ed at those cameras (still own a couple). not making light of your situation, how could I when I didn't know. sorry if I offended you. 🙂

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[jbf]

Chris, some beauitful portraits of your son. I've always loved your work, and I wish you only the best my friend. You deserve the best, and I honestly mean that. I'm always rooting for ya my friend.

Congrats on the cameras and keep us updated with your work. 🙂

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Ray,

You didn't offend me at all. We don't have much money because i live off sales of my work, and have gotten used to living on very little. I got custody of my 11 yr old son last year because his mother is mentally ill, so things have been harder. I should have explained that better in my previous post. I don't often buy gear even when I have money since anything I get now is "wants"..I don't need anything, lord knows! I still live pretty simply, I spend money when I have it on my son, and on film and gas for the car so I can go take pictures.

 

[RayPA]

I'm all too familiar with certain aspects of what you have been through and what you are going through. Nothing I'd like to air out on a public forum, however. Best to you and your family. Hope you enjoy your Bessa.


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[sienarot]

Hey, those look nice! Congrats!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks for all the compliments guys! here's another:

This dumpster is in the apartment complex i live in. I didn't know any of the neighbors were so politically aware!

 

[Al Kaplan]

Chris, I wish you continued success with your rangefinders! Here's something that might help you with your focusing. Instead of concentrating on seeing the double images merge into one, look at the contrast in the rangefinder patch. Most people can notice a sudden "POP" in contrast when you've achieved focus. Give it a try.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Chris, I wish you continued success with your rangefinders! Here's something that might help you with your focusing. Instead of concentrating on seeing the double images merge into one, look at the contrast in the rangefinder patch. Most people can notice a sudden "POP" in contrast when you've achieved focus. Give it a try.

Thanks Al, I'll try that tomorrow. I just realized its 2:30am and I have to get up at 6:30 to get my son ready for school! Oh well, sleep is so overrated! RFF beats sleep anyday...or night...LOL

 

[neelin]

spend money when I have it on my son, and on film and gas for the car so I can go take pictures.

Are you mixing your own developer & fixer from scratch?
Rodinal can be made REALLY cheaply from Lye, Tylenol, Wine bottle sanitizer. And you're in farming country, for sure you should be using 12-0-0 fertilizer (ammonium thiosulfate----that's rapid fixer). I built a precision scale for weighing out the chemistry for nothing (well, I'm using coins for precision weights, so not exactly nothing) with stuff around home.
I'm kind of proud of my tri-x pushed to ISO3200 in my home-made developer.
http://flickr.com/photos/16449896@N00/3149891670/

I've got a picture of my home-made scale in there too (don't be drinking anything when you're looking at the picture or you might have an accident).
Robert

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Are you mixing your own developer & fixer from scratch?
Rodinal can be made REALLY cheaply from Lye, Tylenol, Wine bottle sanitizer. And you're in farming country, for sure you should be using 12-0-0 fertilizer (ammonium thiosulfate----that's rapid fixer). I built a precision scale for weighing out the chemistry for nothing (well, I'm using coins for precision weights, so not exactly nothing) with stuff around home.
I'm kind of proud of my tri-x pushed to ISO3200 in my home-made developer.
http://flickr.com/photos/16449896@N00/3149891670/

I've got a picture of my home-made scale in there too (don't be drinking anything when you're looking at the picture or you might have an accident).
Robert

No, I don't. I mostly use Rodinal, which is so cheap to buy premade that it isn't worth bothering to find all the materials needed and take the time to mix it. I go through about 2 bottles of it a year at $16 a bottle. I go through a $20 jug of Ilford Rapid Fix a year. The $50 a year I'd save would be undid by the danger if having to measure and work with powdered raw chemicals in a small apartment. When I was in college livingwith my parents in their big house where I had a dedicated darkroom I did make up some chemicals myself....Toners are REALLY expensive to buy and really cheap to mix.