Just curious. What's the very worst RF you've ever had?

[john341]

FED 5 until I worked out how to re-align the rangefinder image from almost out-of view. Kiev 4 has a crook r/f but the Zorkis are OK-what a viewfinder! I love my 3C

 

[FallisPhoto]

Still thinking of taking a chance on a Moskva-4 6x9 at some point in time.

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dont do it! If you feel like you have to get a Moskva, get a 5, or at least a 2. Apparently it took the Moskva people up to at least the model 5 to get their stuff together and I understand that the model 2 has some Zeiss parts.

 

[btgc]

>Yashica Electro - Basically never had one that's worked properly out of about 5 different cameras.

I'm really surprised about people feeling 40 y.o. cameras should work right out-of-the-closet. I hope, no one here expects unused car from same era to be daily commuter right after it's picked up for sweet nothing?
I apologize in advance if quoted sentence were meant as "5 Electros were serviced and malfunctioned over time". I'm not a big user of G-series for personal ergonomical issues, but let's face it - great camera in past and now.

Just to add, earlier G model is made better than GSN, which shows clear signs of economical shortcuts in construction. Except the glass.

I must admit, I have no "worst RF" nomination. All I have - while they aren't equal, all of 'em have their unique feel.

 

[FallisPhoto]

I can never see how bellows can ever be better than a collapsible lens barrel...having combined VF/RF isn't significantly better, especially when the Xenar focus tab is hard to locate without moving the eye from the eyepiece.

Collapsable lens barrel, with few exceptions = front cell focusing.

 

[FallisPhoto]

I must admit, I have no "worst RF" nomination. All I have - while they aren't equal, all of 'em have their unique feel.

Well, some are just too much trouble to bother with. Consider the process of taking a photo with an Autronic. First, lug it out to the location. The thing is made of thick sandcast pot metal, so it weighs more than most medium format cameras. It is even heavier than a C3, by quite a bit. Find something to shoot and meter it. The selenium POS in the camera won't work, guaranteed, but that pareticular one point isn't that big a deal. Okay, now you're ready for the fun part though. You know now that you need to shoot at 1/125 second and at f/16. You look at the front of the camera, where the setting indicators are and you see on both indicators NOT 125, 250, 500 and so on and 8, 11, 16 and so on, but instead you see the numbers corresponding to Argus' so called "improved" exposure system. The numbers, on both indicators, will be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on. Therefore, you need to go into the camera case, where you have secreted a sheet of paper with the corresponding standard shutter speeds and f/stops. You look up the numbers you need to use and now you can set them. God help you if the light changes. Okay, you focus and trip the shutter and you're ready to do it all over again for the next photo. This abomination was actually intended to compete with cameras like the Yashica GSN and the Retina IIIs.

 

[btgc]

Consider the process of taking a photo with an Autronic.

Thanks for pointing out my place 🙂 I realize how practical (unimaginative) my choices have been! Googled around and well, I agree that Autonic is....I wouldn't call it "worst" or "weird", though.

People don't buy things, mostly they choose ideas. BMW, Saab, Nikon, Pentax, Staropramen, Bud - all this are ideas more than things. That said, there are (were?) people who would like idea implemented in Autronic - and they are/were users.

But I get idea of worst. Maybe I call it "less willing to use". I haven't used Petri 7S for a year because of it's finish (actually, mainly aperture ring is not very pleasing to me), but last week or two I feel urge to put a roll through it - mainly because of it's nice release and lens, giving old look to pics. I'm tactile type, so I judge by "how it feels".

 

[FallisPhoto]

I'm tactile type, so I judge by "how it feels".

Well, the Autronic feels pretty much like it looks; an assemblage of bricks. I don't think anyone had ever even heard of ergonomics back then, at least not at Argus. Yeah, some people bought them, but the Autronic was a commercial disaster.

 

[TheHub]

Yashica Electro 35. It's uncomfortable to hold and somewhat clumsy to use.

It takes nice pictures, though.

 

[pesphoto]

Yashica Electro 35. It's uncomfortable to hold and somewhat clumsy to use.

It takes nice pictures, though.

you guys are nuts, the electro is one of, if not the best fixed lens RF:bang:

 

[FallisPhoto]

you guys are nuts, the electro is one of, if not the best fixed lens RF:bang:

Yeah, I can't figure that one out. You sure couldn't tell that Electros were bad if you were judging by the number sold. You got a lot of value for your money with the Electros. Maybe these guys never learned how to replace the "pad of death?" Maybe they have little hands?

 

[raid]

Konica Auto S; the camera jammed up twice after being repaired [twice]. The S2 is better built.

 

[btgc]

That should be bad copy of KAS...I have one (not completely redone yet, though shutter now works) and it has same hefty feel of KAS2. Problem is, that I like glass of KAS2 and controls of KAS. If glass turns out be as good as KAS2 has, I'll have a dilemma...