looking for RF, inexpensive for low-light

[daniel buck]

Hello everyone 🙂 I have an event that I'm going to in a few months, and I'd like to take some photos to keep the memories, just personal photos for myself.

Most of my cameras are big, (from 35mm slr, to MF-6x7 to LF-4x5), the smallest camera I have is a Contax II, with a fastest lenses of 28 2.8 and 50 1.7. In any case, I'm using this event sort of as an excuse to pickup a 'new' camera, and I'd like to give a range finder a try, as I've never really used this type of camera.


So, what I'm looking for is something inexpensive, with a semi-wide lens (35mm would be ok, 28 would be great, f2.8 or faster would be outstanding!), and of course something that is easy to focus in fairly low light and in general easy to operate. I'll probably be shooting Illford 3200 and developing myself.

Any suggestions for a camera that will fit my needs? I would rather not spend more than $500 on the camera and lens together. I'm not sure what brands to start looking at, and to be perfectly honest I'm not really a brand snob, I'll shoot anything. I wouldn't mind getting a lesser common brand if it keeps the price down and still fits my low-light bill, and give me something fun to play with every now and then 🙂

Thanks!

 

[pvdhaar]

Within your budget, and for that purpose, I'd go for a Konica Hexar AF..

Can focus on a black cat in a coal cellar, and a 35/2 lens that's so good it might be mistaken for a Summicron..

 

[daniel buck]

I'll search around, thanks for the suggestion!

Oh by the way, it doesn't have to be a 35mm, though I assume 120 would probably be to big and bulky? if there are any small 120 Rangefinders, I would be open to that as well 🙂 No smaller than 35mm film though.

 

[payasam]

Daniel, if your Contax II is of the usual kind, you already have a rangefinder.

 

[daniel buck]

Daniel, if your Contax II is of the usual kind, you already have a rangefinder.

sorry, I meant RTS II 🙂

 

[myoptic3]

Some of the best RF cameras for low light are some of the cheapest. A Konica C35 and Yashica Electro GSN both have really good lenses. But they are full auto cameras. You can set the shutter speed on the C35, and the aperture on the Yashica. The Yashica has the sharper lens. Both can be bought for $50 max, but you better read up on the Yashica as it is all too easy to buy one w/ a non working meter. Otherwise, all of the usual suspects will give you great shots if you prefer cameras w/ more control and want to spend up to your limit. A Hexar AF is a great camera. I prefer the Contax G cameras for their auto focus and cheap Zeiss glass, but they are not everyone's cup of tea. Canon made some nice RF cameras too. Keep in mind that at your price point you are not that far from a Leica M3 and good Nikon or Canon glass if you want to shoot a 50 lens. If you want to shoot wider, some of the VC lenses should fit the bill.

 

[sirius]

You should look into the Canon QL17 Giii (it's f1.7). They are very inexpensive but excellent quality and nice and small. It might be a nice introduction to rangefinders, unless you are interested in more. I've seen some great results from the eminently small Olympus XA. This is a great place to start looking:

http://www.photoethnography.com/

If you're used to medium format, you may want to just bite the bullet and get a Leica or Zeiss.

Good luck!

 

[Assaf]

Well, if you use ISO 3200, then you usually don't really need such a fast lens.

I did some low light photography with Canonet QL17 and Olympus SP. Both can be bought in much less than 500$ and their lenses are 40 something f1.7.

Don't be fooled by the f1.7 because the bokeh can be terrible wide open and the RF can be very difficult to focus in low light. However, if you close to f2.8 you can be OK.

Both cameras have a very quiet and simple shutter inside the lens that can allow you to take longer hand held exposures (1/15 and even 1/8 in a good day)

The Canonet has another benefit which is an adjustable self timer - you can use it with a short delay just to reduce the shake caused by pressing the shutter release.

 

[shutterfiend]

Canon QL17 Giii has a sharp 40/1.7 lens and takes 800 ISO film. It's also very compact. You can pick one up on ebay for under $50. I think it also operates without battery in manual mode. It takes hearing aid batteries with a #9 washer to meter and shoot shutter priority.

The Yashica Electro CC has a sharp 35/1.8 lens. It's also very compact, but ISO tops out at 500. It doesn't have a manual mode either.

Rollei 35S has a sharp 40/2.8 lens takes 1600 ISO film. It's probably the most compact of the lot but comes without a focusing mechanism.

 

[vdonovan]

$50 Yashica Electro in the classifieds on this site right now! Hurry up and buy it so I won't.

 

[ruben]

....Any suggestions for a camera that will fit my needs? I would rather not spend more than $500 on the camera and lens together. I'm not sure what brands to start looking at, and to be perfectly honest I'm not really a brand snob, I'll shoot anything. I wouldn't mind getting a lesser common brand if it keeps the price down and still fits my low-light bill, and give me something fun to play with every now and then 🙂

Thanks!

hi Daniel,
$ 500 is not an unexpensive camera budget at all. If I was in your shoes, I would digg very deep within Cameraquest's Voightlander, to fit a body to the Nokton 40mm 1.4

I think this may surpass your budget, but for a folk thinking about 500 as unexpensive, you will diggest the excess without problem.

Take into consideration one thing. You can buy a $50~$70 used camera that may proove later to be defective, and no big harm will be felt. But spending 500 into an used camera, is a risk I wouldn't take. Better buy new, with warranties, even if this involves exceeding your roof budget.

I believe, that within the new cameras/lenses, Voightlander are the best, by far, price/convenience formula. And I think I am not alone.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Fuji Natura.

Not a rangefinder but a close cousin and great for low light.

 

[daniel buck]

$50 Yashica Electro in the classifieds on this site right now! Hurry up and buy it so I won't.

That's WELL within my budget, haha! sent him a PM, thanks for the tip 🙂

 

[40oz]

Canonet G3 QL17, with 40/1.7 is small, has shutter priority as well as full manual controls. Nice lens, pretty good rf, good examples are common under $100US. Small enough to fit in a coat pocket, slow shuter speeds, 800 ISO is fastest auto speed but again it has full manual settings so you can use whatever film you want.