If you were unable to shoot with a RF...

Mcary said:
I'd be sad at first but then I'd become very angry and release my army of evil minions on the world.
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It does sound like a plot from Sony and Fuji to control the photographic world.......Please just answer the question Mr. Mcary, are you now or have you ever been in the employ of Sony, Fuji or ever purchased one of their products? The committee wants to know!!!

B2 (;->
 
I am basically unable to operate most cameras, especially any manual focus camera with an eye level finder. About the only camera I own that I can operate myself is my 3 mirrorless digitals (E-P1, K-01, X100). That hasn't stop me from shooting film with nearly every type of manual focus and auto focus, 35mm and medium format camera ever made.
I just got a Rolleiflex 3.5f. To take a photo, I have to have a friend wind it, set the exposure, preset focus, then I hold the camera while they adjust focus as per my verbal directions, they I, usually with difficulty, compose and press the shutter button. I have a Zorki 4 that I use, and once a friend winds it and sets exposure, I just guess focus distance and then compose blind and shoot from the waist.
I something isn't working for you, find something that does or find new methods :)
 
If you can't use one camera system then moving to another system doesn't help to be you to be better photographer. If you started RF before you knowing the SLR then you can find what you are looking for to suit your problem.

But in my case I have stated with SLR and given up for RF as I have seen and learn different between and My photography was much improved after RF.
 
Swift1 said:
I am basically unable to operate most cameras, especially any manual focus camera with an eye level finder. About the only camera I own that I can operate myself is my 3 mirrorless digitals (E-P1, K-01, X100). That hasn't stop me from shooting film with nearly every type of manual focus and auto focus, 35mm and medium format camera ever made.
I just got a Rolleiflex 3.5f. To take a photo, I have to have a friend wind it, set the exposure, preset focus, then I hold the camera while they adjust focus as per my verbal directions, they I, usually with difficulty, compose and press the shutter button. I have a Zorki 4 that I use, and once a friend winds it and sets exposure, I just guess focus distance and then compose blind and shoot from the waist.
I something isn't working for you, find something that does or find new methods :)
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That's quite the struggle! Bravo for you keeping going at it!

G
 
Interesting. The questions makes me realize that it's not the RF that I like so much, but the constellation of qualities that go with it. And many of those qualities are also held by other camera types.

- small size - many high quality cameras are of similar or smaller size to the average RF.

- quiet shutter - loads of cameras have shutters that are as quiet or even more so, like mirrorless systems and leaf shutter compacts

- optical viewfinder - got me on that one, no other camera provides the living RF experience with no blackout, unless its a viewfinder camera

- manual focus - focus peaking can work very well in many situations, but some are much easier with the RF technique, like picking out a single flower in a bunch. Focus peaking will often just show a mass of high contrast edges in that situation

- discreet - there are many cameras that are more discreet than a RF

- lightness - same as above

Cameras like the Sony A7 series, Fuji X series and various m43 cameras provide most of the above benefits, with the exception of being able to see the scene directly. Many are more discreet, more quiet, smaller, lighter, and have the benefit of being able to shoot with perfect focus without having to raise the camera to your eye.

My RF's haven't had a lot of use in the last several months since getting the Ricoh GR, Panasonic LX7, and GM1. I tend not to use the first two with their VF's, and they provide me with all the discreetness, ease of carry, and image quality that I want for my everyday shooting. I tend to break out the M9 for special occasions when I want maximum image quality and the surety of direct manual focus.
 
Hi,
My first camera was my Rolleicord Ia. If rangefinder cameras were unavailable, I would continue to photograph with twin lens reflex, single lens reflex, field/view cameras, and some scale focusing cameras as well.
JustPlainBill
 
No biggie for me, although I do like using my various RF's. But I'd just use the other film cameras I cycle through anyway - a couple of 35mm SLR's, a couple of MF (one TLR, one scale focus folder), and my trusty viewfinder Agfa Silette.
 
The world of cameras is changing. I would (and do) use an Electronic View Finder (EVF). EVF is the new present, not the future. Sure there are improvement to be made. But it is only going to get better. The complexity of of a single lens reflex system is going to give way to the EVF like rangefinders faded when SLR's took over.
 
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