jstanger
Newbie
Hello,
I am looking to expand my horizons a bit from 35mm SLRs, and get a rangefinder.
As I do t want to break the bank, my budget is around $150-200 US
I have done a bit of looking around, and was considering
-either a Made in USSR zorki 4/4K, Zorki 6, or a fed 5b. I know these have low quality but decent lenses, and are interchangeable lens cameras which is a bonus to me.
-Or a Kodak Retina iic, or iiic, I know they are decent built, but have some issues, and lenses that really don’t interchange well.
I’m sure I am missing a few good options here and would like some input on it, if there is some camera I glaringly missed, or others I should consider.
Note, it would preferably have interchangeable lenses, and must have full manual control.
Thanks
I am looking to expand my horizons a bit from 35mm SLRs, and get a rangefinder.
As I do t want to break the bank, my budget is around $150-200 US
I have done a bit of looking around, and was considering
-either a Made in USSR zorki 4/4K, Zorki 6, or a fed 5b. I know these have low quality but decent lenses, and are interchangeable lens cameras which is a bonus to me.
-Or a Kodak Retina iic, or iiic, I know they are decent built, but have some issues, and lenses that really don’t interchange well.
I’m sure I am missing a few good options here and would like some input on it, if there is some camera I glaringly missed, or others I should consider.
Note, it would preferably have interchangeable lenses, and must have full manual control.
Thanks
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
For a maximum of 200 dollars you could snag a working Canon 7 or a Canon P camera body and an Industar 61 or even a Jupiter 8 as a lens, not hard to do these days.
newst
Well-known
I concur with the Cannon P, one of the Canon V cameras, or possibly an L1, I have purchased one of each, in excellent condition, for between $150 and $180. A Canon 7, an equally decent choice, would be even less expensive. I personally don't like the feel of the 7 in my hands, personal preference.
The Soviet lenses are the least expensive in LTM, and can be excellent performers. The difficulty in purchasing one is that their quality ranges from excellent to horrid. Inconsistent quality control in production, decades of use, and lots of amateurs performing CLA over time make them a catch as catch can proposition. My solution was to buy from Fedka.com. The prices are higher than Ebay auction prices, but each lens is CLAd before it is sold, and Fedka provides a warranty.
The Soviet lenses are the least expensive in LTM, and can be excellent performers. The difficulty in purchasing one is that their quality ranges from excellent to horrid. Inconsistent quality control in production, decades of use, and lots of amateurs performing CLA over time make them a catch as catch can proposition. My solution was to buy from Fedka.com. The prices are higher than Ebay auction prices, but each lens is CLAd before it is sold, and Fedka provides a warranty.
Fjäll
■̷̛̈́̉̓́̽&
If you want to check out a rangefinder for cheap (and can live with a ~40mm) the fixed prime cameras from the 70s are affordable performers. My daily driver is a Leica M but I still take out my Canonet QL17.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Google for Oleg and get serviced Kiev without exposure meter with Jupiter-12. Better lenses and cameras compared to FSU LTM.
You should be able to find working Canon P in this price range and J-12.
Or just dodge it and get still working Olympus XA. Mine lasted couple of years before going to its common stage. And then you’ll have most compact, 35 mm brightlines VF for free and get what you really should get. Serviced Barnack. They are only slightly above of your budget. Interchangeable mount, only manual and original RF.
You should be able to find working Canon P in this price range and J-12.
Or just dodge it and get still working Olympus XA. Mine lasted couple of years before going to its common stage. And then you’ll have most compact, 35 mm brightlines VF for free and get what you really should get. Serviced Barnack. They are only slightly above of your budget. Interchangeable mount, only manual and original RF.
dourbalistar
Buy more film
shorelineae
Finder of ranges
Olympus 35 SP - about $200 or less.
NorpA
Established
quote: " I know these have low quality"
well, they have variable quality, especially after 50/60 yrs and without any service.
I am very lucky to have a good copy of Zorki 3M. it is gorgeous to use.
Probably Zorki 6 is my suggestion for you, in reality they are much much much better than in picture and for sure you can still have them with half of your budget (so you can experiment without using the entire budget).
well, they have variable quality, especially after 50/60 yrs and without any service.
I am very lucky to have a good copy of Zorki 3M. it is gorgeous to use.
Probably Zorki 6 is my suggestion for you, in reality they are much much much better than in picture and for sure you can still have them with half of your budget (so you can experiment without using the entire budget).
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
If you are willing to accept a fixed lens, there are lots of choices in that price range. These are what I have and paid less than US$200 for each. They are all in fully working condition (otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them):
Canon Canonet QL17 GIII
Canon Canonet 28
Kodak Retina IIa
Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
Olympus 35 RC
Olympus XA
Yashica Lynx 14E
The least expensive was the Canonet 28: one (1) dollar at a camera show / swap meet.
The Cameraquest web site will keep you occupied for hours reading about all the choices.
https://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm
That site is responsible for at least 50% of my cameras.
Canon Canonet QL17 GIII
Canon Canonet 28
Kodak Retina IIa
Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
Olympus 35 RC
Olympus XA
Yashica Lynx 14E
The least expensive was the Canonet 28: one (1) dollar at a camera show / swap meet.
The Cameraquest web site will keep you occupied for hours reading about all the choices.
https://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm
That site is responsible for at least 50% of my cameras.
NorpA
Established
I believe one of the requirement was interchangeable lens.
Isn't it?
David Hughes
David Hughes
I'll go along with the others and say buy it from a dealer. That won't guarantee a perfect camera every time but if it turns out to have a problem it will usually be put right if guaranteed. The first roll of film will usually be critical so allow for testing the thing thoroughly.
You can buy the lens and body from two different sellers and get a bargain. I've noticed dealers using Leica digital cameras to prove that the screw threaded lenses work and then putting the test shot on eBay to show you.
I'll add my vote to the list for a Zorkii-6 and perhaps a FED-2. The first is a more conventional camera but the second is an old warhorse; easy to find and dirt cheap. That means you can spend a bit more on the lens. Also important, both of them have instruction manuals available in English from the makers. And both of them are well thought out designs, albeit a little old fashioned, like most film cameras these days.
My vote for lenses would be for the Jupiter* and Industar** versions, which I have used and like. I've never had a Canon RF and can't comment but I'll agree with the Olympus XA suggestion. There's a lot more RF's with prime but you may find the mercury battery problem coming into the equation and there's the age and abuse of the meters as well.
Regards, David
* The Jupiter-8 seems to be the most popular and those with the English inscriptions are probably best. Lens hoods are easy to find at reasonable prices as you don't stray into Leica territory when searching for them. (Leica prices are charged usually for hoods that fit Leica lenses, even if not labelled Leica. Search for 36mm to see what I mean.)
** These are f/2.8 compared with the Jupiter-8 at f/2 and the J-3 at f/1.5...
You can buy the lens and body from two different sellers and get a bargain. I've noticed dealers using Leica digital cameras to prove that the screw threaded lenses work and then putting the test shot on eBay to show you.
I'll add my vote to the list for a Zorkii-6 and perhaps a FED-2. The first is a more conventional camera but the second is an old warhorse; easy to find and dirt cheap. That means you can spend a bit more on the lens. Also important, both of them have instruction manuals available in English from the makers. And both of them are well thought out designs, albeit a little old fashioned, like most film cameras these days.
My vote for lenses would be for the Jupiter* and Industar** versions, which I have used and like. I've never had a Canon RF and can't comment but I'll agree with the Olympus XA suggestion. There's a lot more RF's with prime but you may find the mercury battery problem coming into the equation and there's the age and abuse of the meters as well.
Regards, David
* The Jupiter-8 seems to be the most popular and those with the English inscriptions are probably best. Lens hoods are easy to find at reasonable prices as you don't stray into Leica territory when searching for them. (Leica prices are charged usually for hoods that fit Leica lenses, even if not labelled Leica. Search for 36mm to see what I mean.)
** These are f/2.8 compared with the Jupiter-8 at f/2 and the J-3 at f/1.5...
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
I believe one of the requirement was interchangeable lens.
Isn't it?
Interchangeable lenses is a bourgeois concept.
The OP did say that interchangeable lenses were a bonus and preferable, yes.
zenza
Well-known
I was able to buy a mint Canon P and Canon 50/1.8 off eBay for $130 this year. Canon P deals are out there for sure and it's a great camera.
I would check the Classified ads here, and also place a want-to-buy.
It is always better to buy a camera that has been used for photography instead of one that has been sitting for years and untested.
Off Ebay- buy from someone with a return policy of 30 days or so to give a chance to test the camera with film. Dry-firing a camera will not detect light leaks.
$200 these days buys a Canon P or Canon 7 with a lens. The Jupiter and Industar lenses benefit from being adjusted for a Leica/Canon rangefinder. Not hard- but better to find one that has been used in that combination. Also best to find one that has been relubed.
The Kodak Retina series are fine cameras, unless the shutter cocking rack is worn. Parts are still sold, it is not an easy job for a beginner. Find one that is known to be working.
It is always better to buy a camera that has been used for photography instead of one that has been sitting for years and untested.
Off Ebay- buy from someone with a return policy of 30 days or so to give a chance to test the camera with film. Dry-firing a camera will not detect light leaks.
$200 these days buys a Canon P or Canon 7 with a lens. The Jupiter and Industar lenses benefit from being adjusted for a Leica/Canon rangefinder. Not hard- but better to find one that has been used in that combination. Also best to find one that has been relubed.
The Kodak Retina series are fine cameras, unless the shutter cocking rack is worn. Parts are still sold, it is not an easy job for a beginner. Find one that is known to be working.
santino
FSU gear head
I‘d get a Fed 5b with Industar 61LD. Don‘t pay more than 50. The lens is excellent and the camera (despite beeing a brick) is a decent performer. If you end up with a lemon you still have the lens and decide whether you would like to get deeper in the rf experience with better cameras or not.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
I believe one of the requirement was interchangeable lens.
Isn't it?
Who knows. Might be another one post OP.
Does Retina has interchangeable lenses? It is listed in OP.
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
The III series have interchangeable front elements to achieve different effective focal lengths. Even then, the serial number on the front element should match that of the lens body.
On the IIa, the wind lever is operated firmly to cock the shutter every time, there shouldn’t be problems. One of the common problems of the Retina IIa, not often mentioned, is failure of the exposure counter - specifically the little leaf spring which causes the counter to move. Replacement cost, when they can be found, is €50 the last time I looked. Most people find a donor camera instead. That spring is an ideal candidate project for people to duplicate.
The Kodak Retina cameras were made in Germany.
The Retina IIIS has fully interchangeable lenses, framelines for 35/50/85/135, auto-parallax correction, and projected framelines.
https://www.cameraquest.com/ret3s.htm
The Schneider lenses are plentiful and high quality. If the lens has "Moving DOF Indicators" it should RF couple on the IIIS. The last run lenses for the Kodak Instamatic Reflex dropped the RF coupling.
Most of the Retina SLRs jam up, cocking racks break due to the extra strain of the mirror. SO- lots of lenses with fewer bodies to use them on.
Swift1
Veteran
IMO, the Canon 7 is probably the most underrated camera in the world of rangefinder cameras.
You should be able to find a good Canon 7 from a good highly rated seller for around $125-$150. Then find a good Industar-61 or Jupiter-8, and start from there. Later maybe add a Jupiter-12 for a 35mm, and then you can start slowly upgrading your lenses (if you even need/want to).
You should be able to find a good Canon 7 from a good highly rated seller for around $125-$150. Then find a good Industar-61 or Jupiter-8, and start from there. Later maybe add a Jupiter-12 for a 35mm, and then you can start slowly upgrading your lenses (if you even need/want to).
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
If interchangeable lenses is a bonus but not a must, get a Canon Canonet QL17 GIII or an Olympus 35RD and I can almost promise you they'll win your heart. Stunning fast lenses, easy operation, light weight, can be operated with no battery.. IMO, your best choice, as long cleaned and not affected by sticky blades syndrome.
If interchangeable lenses is preferred, I'd like to say get a Bessa R, but that is about twice your budjet. Worth saving money for, though, as their viewfinders are at least as bright as Leica's are. The soviet RF you mention are charming objects, feature very nice lenses and are as sturdy (and heavy) as tanks, but I still have to find one with a bright enough viewfinder (incl. RF patch) to be enjoyable in daily use.
If interchangeable lenses is preferred, I'd like to say get a Bessa R, but that is about twice your budjet. Worth saving money for, though, as their viewfinders are at least as bright as Leica's are. The soviet RF you mention are charming objects, feature very nice lenses and are as sturdy (and heavy) as tanks, but I still have to find one with a bright enough viewfinder (incl. RF patch) to be enjoyable in daily use.