Most compact full manual fixed lens RF, who know?

conradyiu

conradyiu

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Dear all,
I'm quite satisfied with my XA however, only aperture priority is not good (fun) enough.
I have an Oly RD but it seems a bit large for my pocket.
Do anyone of you know which is the most compact RF with full manual control?

Thanks
 
Since you're shooting an XA lens speed isn't a huge priority but you're concerned about cost so the answer is easy and obvious and there's only one. The Oly RC. Fairly inexpensive (but prices have gone up), small, all manual, with an f2.8 lens.
 
Lynx 5000 also is rather small[ish] FL RF. It's certainly bigger than 35RC, 500GX and other in this class. Lens barrel is larger, body also a bit.
Lens opening to 1.8 allows shots with narrower DOF than those with max. f2.8

I will not count presence of slow speeds as significant plus because till now after 1/15 I have went for several seconds in B mode. Maybe it could change depending in film, it's sensitivity, rather.

Another nice feature is f/22 and 1/1000th - adds some flexibility for use of fast film in daylight.

Not an option if you want especially compact RF with "flat" lens (not very protruding). In this class I like Electro 35 MC (with it's Av automation and battery dependency) - quite a shooter. Small, compact, reliable Av camera. Don't miss speed adjustment for it, actually.
 
Retina IIa is a folder and very compact when collapsed (50/2 Xenar lens also; excellent). Fully manual -- no meter. But the Olympus 35RC and Ricoh 500G are probably a little smaller yet.

You said RF so I assume that's what you meant -- Rollei 35 is indeed smaller but of course is zone focus.
 
Rollei 35 models with Tessar or Sonnar lens. Usually between $100 and $250. I prefer the ones with the meter needle visible in the top plate, rather than the later versions with LEDs in the viewfinder.

Oops, just read about RF requirement. The rest of the camera is so good though, you could live with scale focus.
 
A few nice compacts I have owned:

Ricoh 500G:
Shutter priority AE plus manual exposure mode
Unique in that meter continues to work in manual

Olympus 35RC, Minolta 7SII:
Shutter priority AE plus manual exposure mode
Meter shuts off in manual

Petri Color 35:
Metered manual exposure only
Scale focus (no rangefinder) - has a terrific distance scale in the finder
(IMO *far* better than most rangefinders)

Chris
 
I would second the Retina suggestion. Full manual everything and a lens that will blow away the XA's... and still pretty small (smaller than any Barnack camera w/f2 lens).

Rollei's are fun and beautiful... Minox have less than the XA even, but much better lenses...
 
Fully manual controls and more pocketable than any other camera :D

Minox AX : I used to load one with Fuji 800 and the other with T400CN (which had finer grain at 8x10" than Tri-X 35mm at the same size).

MinoxAXs.jpg


With the 15mm lens and f/3.5 aperture, there is no problem with scale focusing.
 
There's also the Petri Racer (at least I think that one is manual) and the Argus C 3 & 4 (isn't the 3 fixed lens and the 4 interchangeable?).
 
Another vote for the Olympus 35RC, a superb camera with an outstanding lens and a very compact size. It's amazing to me that Olympus was able to cram so many features (including an off-switch!) into such a small camera and still attain such a high level of quality. The Ricoh 500 G is also a very nice camera with a nice lens, but the Olympus is a nicer step up in my opinion.
 
I second the vote for the Contax T. Manual focus rangefinder with aperture priority and an incredible Sonnar 40mm lens in an ultra compact body.

I believe only the Minolta TC-1 is more compact, but the Contax has a more versatile focal length.
 
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