Little RF for a big guy..

f/stopblues

f/stopblues

photo loner
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Oh forum-goers of great knowledge.. 🙂

I've been perusing these boards and a lot of other resources and I've come to this conclusion: There is a LOT of rangefinders out there! I'm feeling a little bogged down with my decision. Unfortunately, there's not too many shops that have many rf's on hand around here. Everybody is slr this and digital that. That being said, a couple of my questions are things that could be answered from holding these things.. or asking people who have 🙂

My main purpose for going to a rf from the big ol' slr is to actually carry the thing around instead of it being such a burden for times when I'm out, but not out just for shooting, ie. out for the evening with the girlfriend, etc. Since most of my shooting ends up this way, I would like whatever camera I buy to hold up as a daily user. Another critereon is size.. I can't actually hold these easily, so are there any that are particularly small or big ones to stear clear of. I really want to shoot more than I do. Thanks for the points in the right direction 😎
 
Are you looking for something new (that leaves you with either Leica or Bessa) or some thing vintage (hell lot of choices)?
 
> Oh forum-goers of great knowledge.. 🙂

and others just willing to express opinions...

You should look at a Canonet QL17 GIII. Small, well-built, easy to adjust, bright RF spot with projected framelines, fast-lens (40mm F1.7). Good starter RF, and good ones are under $100. Francisco went everywhere with his before going into Leica. I've had them constantly for the last 30 years.
 
Olympus XA/XA2.
Konica C35 and its many clones (Minolta Hi-Matic, Chinon EE, etc.).
Bessa L/R/T/R2, etc.
FED-series

...all great choices as carry-around cameras. And cheap, too.

My advice to you would be to buy like a half-dozen various small cameras. 😉 Use them all and keep the one(s) you like best. Think of the process as similar to buying new shoes. Would you buy the very first pair you try on?

Have fun.
 
A rollei 35S - high quality, small size but larger controls. It only reuires turning 2 relatively large dials and a focus wheel. No small buttons nor switches involved. Very mechanical and an excellent picture taking machine.
 
and don't forget the Yashica GSN... it's somewhat on the larger size, as opposed to the Canonet, which is very pocketable.. but the GSN has an excellent lens, and the price is hard to beat (often under $30)

here's the very first shot I took with mine
 
Minox 35 is a great camera, good lens, very quiet, fstop priority, but its very small. Probably the best camera for its size. Its also not a real rangefinder, you have to guess the distance.

Vivitar 35 es (aka revue 400 se) is very cheap on the bay (20-40bucks), and has a great 40/1.7 lens, shutter priority. Relatively quiet and a perfect size I think.

These are my favourite run around and shoot cameras. Of course if you are into some real nice old rangefinders, there are also a bunch of Russian cameras to choose from. Zorki, Fed, Kiev with interchangeable lenses. Look into russian RF section.
 
I agree with lubitel.. I've got both a Minox 35PL and the Vivitar 35ES.. I wouldn't recommend the Minox as anything other than a camera to stick in your glove box or purse, altho I've seen some decent results from other users

the Vivitar, on the other hand, is an outstanding camera.. of the 15 or more RFs that I now own, that's the one I carry everywhere.. a clone of the Minolta 7sii, apparently.. it's a friendly size that's not too big or small, the controls are very easy to work, and the lens is tack sharp.. the only thing I don't like about it is that it's shutter-priority rather than aperture-priority.. but it shows you the selected aperture in the viewfinder, so it's really not a problem
 
Rangefinder ? Canonet Glll QL17 or XA. Personally I'd pick the XA because of the slightly wider angle lens (35mm vice 40mm) than the Canon, it has the aperture priority mode and will fit it just about any pocket.
 
As you mentioned taking the camera out in the evening, I figured a camera with an F2 lens or faster was important. The Canonet has an F1.7 lens, fast enough for restaurant shots and other times you do not want a flash. Other RF's have fast lenses, but fast and small is more difficult The Minolta 7s-II and Konica S3 are good choices, are smaller and lighter. They are not as heavily made, and cost more. Of course a Leica CL or Minolta CLE with a 40mm F2 would be nice, but will set you back upwards of $500.

Canonet QL17 GIII, all from a DIY repair job. All about F4:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2161&cat=3204&page=7

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2160&cat=3204&page=7

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2158&cat=3204&page=7
 
cbass said:
Olympus XA/XA2.
Konica C35 and its many clones (Minolta Hi-Matic, Chinon EE, etc.).
Bessa L/R/T/R2, etc.
FED-series

...all great choices as carry-around cameras. And cheap, too.

My advice to you would be to buy like a half-dozen various small cameras. 😉 Use them all and keep the one(s) you like best. Think of the process as similar to buying new shoes. Would you buy the very first pair you try on?

Have fun.
Click to expand...

I beleive that the XA also takes SR44 batteries (silver oxide). An advantage over some of the other rangefinders that may take the mercury batteries.
 
Wow, so many responses really quick! You guys must either stay up late or live in far away time zones!

Thanks for all the info. I'll attempt to narrow things down a little. What prompted this question is that I checked out the dimensions of the Bessa R2A and it said 5.4 x 3.2 x 1.4". I compared that to the Nikon n80, which is probably pretty close to my n90s and that was 5.6 x 3.9 x 2.8". Ya, the Bessa is definately smaller, but not THAT much smaller. Furthermore, I use generally small primes on my Nikon. The whole thing got me wondering if dropping $1k on a Bessa and lens is worth it if there's not a significant difference in size/portability/quietness. I suppose I don't really want to make the compromises of a pocket type rangefinder. I hope that helps a bit!

-Chris
 
ahh.. then best that you pick up an inexpensive rangefinder to find out what they're like.. they don't suit everyone, but they are capable of excellent photos.. particularly in low light
 
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