Inexpensive, sturdy, mechanical rangefinder?

Deardorff38 said:
OP "Would be nice to have something i can kind of beat up and it'll still function fine, but not too pricey if it gets dropped or stolen."

Precision instruments aren't really designed to be dropped, or beaten up. If it happens in the course of your work, you get it repaired or you replace it. Like Phil, I've used Leica M's for decades without malfunction. As well, not every SLR (even Nikon) that gets dropped survives. So I also disagree with Ko.Fe's characterization. Even durable mechanical cameras are not indestructible, and you can't really fault them or their makers for that.
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I'm not faulting Leica. I have an M3 myself which I must get around to finishing one day. But Kostya had a point, and you have quoted a relevant portion of the thread starter's criteria, yourself. If one is looking for a not too pricey rangefinder to beat up that doesn't object to being dropped or banged around, an M is not exactly at the top of the list, is it, and whilst their finder prisms may take a belt in the face it's really not a good idea. As is my habit I was trying to respond to the question posed. Whether or not Leica Ms are well made, durable cameras wasn't it (and is not really in doubt, is it?). 🙂
Cheers,
Brett
 
A Leica III, black and nickel. The only thing that can stop them, is the small, round fragile spring under the wind knob. Just don't remove the wind knob. The best, most solid 35mm camera there is. I bought it for EUR 90. Everything works for 100%. Smooth like silk.

Erik.

40049588501_b2a1372e0f_c.jpg



gelatine silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica III black and nickel (made with the above camera and lens)

Erik.

51052938163_7dfca8022a_b.jpg
 
Yashica Electro 35 GSN or GTN if 45mm view is OK. Used for real cheap $, but need the POD fixed. Don't try for a $20 miracle, but fixed up it's a terrific $100 camera.

For 35mm view, the harder to find CCN.
 
The question posed puts us in quite a quandry, as the OP said " but not too pricey." Based only on price, the fixed lens suggestions are in the ballpark, but they're certainly not as versatile as the pro-level Nikon F2.
 
In early 2018 I bought a Canon 7 on a whim, and since then it became one of my most used and one my all time favorite cameras. Buying the Canon 7 eventually led to buy a Leica M2. The feel, fit, and finish of a Leica M is hard to beat, but the Canon 7 isn't far off, and it's built like a tank. If you look around and are patient, you can find a Canon 7 in near mint condition for under $200.
Also, FWIW , if the lack of an accessory shoe is keeping you away from the Canon 7, you can buy a Canon Accessory Coupler and a Canon 7 body for less than the 7s usually sells for.
For the OP, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Canon 7.
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
I'm not faulting Leica. I have an M3 myself which I must get around to finishing one day. But Kostya had a point, and you have quoted a relevant portion of the thread starter's criteria, yourself. If one is looking for a not too pricey rangefinder to beat up that doesn't object to being dropped or banged around, an M is not exactly at the top of the list, is it, and whilst their finder prisms may take a belt in the face it's really not a good idea. As is my habit I was trying to respond to the question posed. Whether or not Leica Ms are well made, durable cameras wasn't it (and is not really in doubt, is it?). 🙂
Cheers,
Brett
Click to expand...

Brett, well said, but I was responding to Ko.Fe.'s typical exaggeration:

Ko.Fe. "Nikon F series are much more superior to film Ms. F are not fancy looking, but they are designed and build completely different from flimsy Ms.

In the end, a person's individual view even when strongly expressed, doesn't set a benchmark in reality. 😉
 
Does it have to be "mechanical?" Because it is not the 1970s anymore, there is no longer a presumption that "mechanical" means "more reliable." If you are looking for a "rugged" rangefinder that can compare to an F2, that may not really exist. Leica Ms are somewhat fragile as far as film cameras go, really cannot take being dropped onto a hard surface (or even slammed into a hard surface like a door) without taking some damage that affects its functionality. Direct sunlight can burn through a Leica M shutter. All rangefinders are prone to being knocked out of alignment, just drift out of alignment over time, or the viewfinders/rangefinders begin to degrade. Sure, there are people who use and have used Leica Ms and other rangefinders in challenging conditions, but those cameras were all one drop or bang or wrongful angling into the sun from becoming non-functional.

Most rangefinders will never be as "rugged" as a professional-grade SLR. That is part of the reason why so many pros switched to them in the 1960s and 1970s. Your best bet would be to look for a fixed-lens rangefinder from the 1960s or 1970s that have CdS (not selenium) metering -- most do not cost very much (except for certain "cult" models) and their replacement costs are far lower than a CLA or replacing of a Leica shutter curtain. The Canon P or 7 isn't bad but they are not really pocketable or light cameras or something I would "throw in a backpack."
 
It’s almost surprising nobody has yet mentioned this...

Yet, understandable, as it’s not pretty nor fun to use...

Argus C3

Sturdy, solid, cheap, a rangefinder camera.
 
BWF said:
I second the Canon P and Nikonos V (in either green or orange!). The Nikonos has a fantastic shutter sound.
Click to expand...

I have both cameras, but rarely use Nikonos. It's still a good idea and I affirm Canon P, 7, 7s or Nikonos. Just don't take it in the water unless you are sure of the rubber seals and checked it out. I've seen (mine included) some oily fluid leak from the shutter curtains of Canon P's. YYE was not able to fix mine, so I just use it with some occasional cleaning.
 
Many of the LTM bodies like the Canon 7 and Canon P are good options, but depending on the OP's definition of "inexpensive", once you add a lens it may or may not be quite as cheap, or expendable in case of clumsy butter fingers or thieving sticky fingers.

If you don't need a super fast lens, the Olympus 35 RC is a good fixed lens RF option. Fully mechanical in manual mode, and has a shutter speed dial in the traditional location on the top deck. Some of the other popular fixed lens RF cameras have shutter speed dials around the lens, or are shutter/aperture priority AE only.
 
On re-reading the OP's original post, I realized that he does have M Leica bodies. So, despite my paean to the S2, I think he might be better off with a Canon RF, the logic being that any lenses purchased for the Canon could also be used on an M body with adapters.
The Canon P has a lot going for it. No switchable frame lines or moving parallax correction lines such as the 7. Less to go wrong, like the S2. Cheaper than the 7 as well; the premise here is simple and bomb-proof. For lenses, there are the FSU lovelies, always a gamble but dirt cheap. Get a good one, and you're way ahead of the game.
Certainly, regardless of the brand or model, a reasonably "modern" camera is desirable: lever-type advance, combined range/viewfinder, some type of open-back loading (i.e. non-Barnack style). But an Argus? OUCH!!!
 
Oh yeah, the Nikonos V or even the IVa. Both are amazing cameras and you can almost run them over with a tank and then take pictures of the hole in the ground left after you dig the camera out. I have a green Nikonos V and it would be THE camera I would take absolutely anywhere, any condition, in the world. Got mime for $25 with a tub of Nikon silicone sealant and a spare set of seals.
We're in what Philadelphia calls a "severe thunderstorm" right now and I have a hankering to go outside with the Nikonos. But it will pass soon. I'm from tornado alley and used to be a weather guesser, so this "severe thunderstorm" is what we call and afternoon shower in the southwest and midwest.

Phil Forrest
 
I looked for a green Nikonos V, but found a perfect orange one. What impressed me about the Nikonos V:

- It’s so tight. The seals and construction make the camera controls so smooth and damped. Hard to explain. The shutter is so quiet due to the body’s insulation. The unusual rewind is necessary, but adds to the fun of the experience.

- The shutter speed displays in the viewfinder are nicely and cleverly done.

- The camera will hold the shutter open as long as necessary in low light, metering through the lens.

- Auto, manual, and a fixed 1/90 mechanical speed.

- The 35mm f/2.5 lens (for both land and water) has got to be one of the sharpest 35mm lenses Nikon ever made.
 
I have to admit, for 90 Euro, i'd be happy to use a black/nickel III, and end the search.
 
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