I'm a newby!!

[PhotoGeek]

To Rangefinders, not photography.

My name is Peter Lombardi and I'm a Photographer just about to graduate with my BFA from the Brooks Institute of Photography here in Santa Barbara, CA, and I am definitely a camera whore! haha

For the most part I shoot SLR digitals and Hassy's. My current list of toys includes a couple of mechanical SLR Nikons, a Nikon D2X, several lenses, my 501CM, 500C. I love B/W film and it's a love to shoot it when I don’t have assignments or for travel and street photography.

So other than introducing myself this post is also for a place to ask a question. This is going to be my first RF camera, and I have it kind of narrowed down to a couple of camera's within my price range, they are:

Minolta CLE
Voigtlander R3a
Possibly, Leica M3

I wish I could afford a new Zeiss Ikon in Black, but as a student, theirs no way I can shell out the 1770+ bucks up front. So I figure I'll just get used to it on a good lower priced camera, and then save, save, save, haha.

So I guess my question is, which one? I plan to use it traveling a lot, and would like to use a 25 or 28 and 50 lens, possibly a quick 35.

It's a great site you guys have here, nice to meet you all, 😀
-peter

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Welcome to RFF
i'd go for the M3.

 

[Dougg]

Peter, welcome to RFF! The CLE I bought new has remained my favorite 35mm RF, though I still have the M2 I got 15 years earlier... and two Bessas I got since. I too would favor the Zeiss Ikon if I wished to replace the CLE, though it doen't have the modest innocent look of the small Minolta. How about a Bronica RF645? 🙂

 

[jcline]

M3 -- gotta be used to a handheld meter, no auto exposure, extra quiet, better for longer or faster lenses
R3a -- TTL metering, auto exposure, not as quiet, shorter rangefinder base (I've had no problem focusing faster shorter lenses, even my J9 85/2), warenteed new camera
CLE -- TTL metering(flash too), auto exposure, leica quiet, shortest rangefinder base, harder to get parts for.

Pick whats right for you. Personally I've only really played with the R3a and love it. I'm sure any would make an awesome choice for a first rangefinder!

 

[PhotoGeek]

The CLE was on top of my list as well, from everything I've read it seems to be a steal, minus the fixability of the electronics.

Forgive me Jcline, but I'm only somewhat ignorant, but what is the short, shortest, etc, rangefinder base? Is it just what it sounds like?

I like the option of having the auto exposure on a camera.

How is the CLE with quick lenses? like a 50mm f2 or 1?

What are the main benefits to buying an M3? Since were talking about Manuals, what about a M4-p? A little to pricy for me, but I'm a huge fan of the slick black paint, haha.

Doug, what part of Washington are you from? I'm a south sounder myself, grew up in Gig Harbor most of my life. Moving back up there for awhile after I graduate from here.

Thanks guys!
-peter

 

[jcline]

http://www.cameraquest.com/leica.htm <--- lots of good info... lots of good info on cameraquest in general. And it looks like I might actually be wrong about the CLE.

The longer the effective rangefinder base legnth the more accurate the focus. The rangefinder is basically triangulating the distance to the object in focus, if the known side of the triangle is longer it is more accurately able to do the triangulation... wish I could remember math right now, sure it would help...

 

[PhotoGeek]

Thanks jcline! That makes perfect sense! Kinda what I was thinking when you said it.

Cameraquest has been my bible so far on this new camera kick, hahaha.

Thanks again dude, any other input? Anyone have a CLE their trying to unload? 😉 haha
-peter

 

[sf]

M3, for sure.

Welcome, tell us (me) about Brooks. . . I'm thinking about doing that. I actually was accepted and enrolled a couple years ago and dropped out to go get an MBA. Now, I'm thinking I did the wrong thing. . .

RFF is a beautiful place. Don't be a stranger.

 

[jonasv]

..Brooks Institute of Photography here in Santa Barbara..

..a couple of mechanical SLR Nikons, a Nikon D2X, several lenses, my 501CM, 500C..

...as a student..

😕

Isn't the cost for Brooks like a ridiculous $ 70,000 ? How on earth can you still afford all that equipment, worth thousands of dollars, as a student?

 

[jcline]

If you can find a place.. handle them... That might make up your mind right there.... It sure makes a lot of different. Funny enough, I'm currently trying to decide if I want to carry my R3a all the time or If I want to carry my $60 Zorki 1... I love the feeling of the Zorki 1.... So you never really know. You would think it would be a no brainer!

 

[Dougg]

Hi Peter -- I'm easily using the 1.4/40mm Nokton and 2.0/28mm Summicron on my CLE, never tried anything both faster&longer, just the 2.8/90mm Tele-Elmarit. All focus fine. Note the CLE has a longer RF baseline than the CL. As to the electronics, I've heard the concerns, and have to report that three times in 24 years I've had to have the electrical contacts under the shutter speed dial cleaned. My local repair guy says this camera's electricals are old enough that individual components of the circuitry can be replaced relatively easily with standard parts, not that he's ever had to do so. Also, it shares much of its circuitry with the XG-5 and XG-7 SLR models. I'm beyond worrying about the camera's electronics; que sera, sera... It's a wonderful and discreet little rig that performs marvelously. Whew, sales mode off...

I grew up a little north of Bremerton, so have passed Gig Harbor many times to Tacoma and back. When I was a child that was still the main highway. Later bypassed, the Greyhound bus still diverted though town. And while still a small child, I recall taking the ferry from Point Fosdick to Tacoma before they built Galloping Gertie's replacement. Now I see a second new bridge growing next to the old. My mother still lives over there, but I'm in Eastern Washington nowadays.

What will you do with your Brooks education in the great temperate-zone jungles of Puget Sound? 🙂

Edit: Added view of Gig Harbor from Anthony's Home Port restaurant... 🙂

 

[PhotoGeek]

Shutterflower I'll send you a PM tomorrow.

JVX if your going to be a professional photographer and you invest all of the money into the education you had better have at least a decent camera kit to get you by, most of It buy on payment plans and student discounts, and I fund most of my life through major student loans and government grants. I am not a rich kid, not poor either, dirty white collar I like to say, I just don't do anything else other than school and photography, I have no social life, afford gas by riding a motorcycle or bicycle, and eat a lot of peanut butter, and bottled pasta sauce on cheap bulk costco pasta.

Like the old saying goes, if your going to make money, you have to spend money. I'm just happy I've chosen a path that means I still get to wear jeans and play with toys all day.

That's good to know about the individual circuitry Doug, haha, sales mode is good, it's helping me make up my mind.

My little brother still hangs out down at the old ferry dock, it's a great place to look out over the water and onto Tacoma. That second bridge is going to be big, it's an amazing sight to watch it go up, I'm definitely not looking forward to the toll starting though. It's a beautiful area.

I'm mainly hoping to just take a little time to adjust to the real world again, live w/ my parents for a bit, above the garage, haha, and hang out w/ my brothers. It's a much larger added bonus that my girlfriend still lives up in Bellevue, so it'll be nice to be closer than a couple of states away, haha, met her on the plain one time to visit my parents, haha. But I'm going to work my way into assisting for some Seattle and Portland based photographers for awhile, probably a year or so, and then try again to get into a masters program the following Jan/Feb when they start taking admissions again, I only tried to get into the UW school of art this time round. I'll try for a lot more next time. If that doesn't work out, it's off to New York or Europe to assist for automotive photographers to start my career.

Next time your going to head through the Gig Harbor area look me up, if you drink coffee I'm buying.
-peter

Thanks for the Photo of the Harbor, I miss it up there.