Inexpensive Black Rangefinder Recommendations

Compact you seek... Vivitar 35es is a great camera. Mine worked A-OK right off, and they seem to go pretty cheap.

Yashica GX is a favorite of mine, a little more expensive. Yashica CC/CCN cost more. For the Yashicas, make sure you get one that has had the attention of a talented technician.

For something really pocketable, one of the nice P&S could be very good in black. Yashica T4, or Olympus Stylus (various models).
 
Rollei 35S, I got mine for around $ 280. Not sure how accurate the meter is since I use a hand held Sekonic. Sonnar lens is super sharp and camera is very small. At one time it was the smallest 35mm camera made.

DaveO
 
Take a look at a Yashica Electro 35 CC...nice and compact but with a true 35mm lens and f/1.8. The lens is killer too!

Andy
 
I got nothing yet, Paul. Still trying to figure out the post from the guy that seemed upset about "money" and "cheap"! Must be a language thang. Wonderful ideas here though. I'm looking at a lot of stuff on the auction site, and wow, there's a lot of black $20 cameras! Finding one that works right for that price is pretty difficult though.

I like looking for deals. It's fun. Any old dentist (as an example) can plop down a few grand and go out and get amazingly sharp and cool photos, but doing it for 20 bucks takes a photographer. I are a photographer, sorta.
 
Paul,
took me a while, but I found a black GAF Point Five rangefinder. Looks exactly like a Konica C35. Rumor is, when Konica stopped making the C35's, they sold the licensing to different camera makers (GAF, Chinon, Sears, Ricoh, you name it) who basically rebadged them w/ their own names. Bought this one from Pacific Rim Camera for $15 plus $8.60 shipping, so it's a little over my budget, but close enough. It should be here next week some time. Apparently it works fine, meters OK and all, but the back door has a tendency to pop open. Should be an easy fix, or as the seller said just tape the door shut. A small, cheap, black rangefinder w/ AE and AE lock for peanuts. It's possible.
The last C35 I had took outstanding photos, but it was silver, and I am not willing to pay the big price premium for a black one. The seller I mentioned is wonderful to deal with by the way, and you can talk to them on the phone just like a regular camera store.
 
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mine ;D
Canon QL17 GIII
Konica C35 automatic
Minolta Hi-Matic G2 (scale focus)
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Olympus XA (rangefinder)
Olympus XA2 (scale focus)
Olympus XA1 (fix focus)
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This one:

3547413113_54c2d08f92.jpg


It has real RF, not like those Rollei 35.
A bit lighter on the build, but it works okay given you're not pounding on nails with it.
 
I can only second the Konica S3 recommendation. I had one for a while and it did a good job until I accidentally dropped in on stone floor (no camera would have had a chance).

 
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