Most Reliable Rangefinder?

J

jljohn

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With the host of recent threads bemoaning camera repairs, I was wondering: What the is most reliable Rangefinder? For clarification, I am not wondering which rangefinder will still be going strong in 100 years with regular service (thereby leaving you without one while it is serviced.) Instead, I am wondering which rangefinder is least likely to need service for any issue (other than an expected alignment as we are discussing rangefinders) during its lifespan. I know that any mechanical unit can malfunction, but what is the least likely to spontaneously malfunction without good cause?

Any takers?

Jeremy
 
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My Olympus XA seems to be constructed quite easily and it’s working for about 25 years now (although I’m younger than that :D, it was my mothers one). Although light may come into the body as the light seals are quite down, I shot two rolls with her and didn’t have any problems. I’m pretty optimistic with her.
 
Leica M2 - no meter, no batteries, finely constructed, built to last. I even accidentally dropped mine on the sidewalk from waist level - a three foot drop, maybe, and no damage. Not even a mis aligned rangefinder.
 
Any Barnack that's been serviced in fact and I would agree with Jim above. I have never had any issues with my Canon's that have been serviced either but I would have to vote for the early Leicas if I had to name just one.
 
I know they're not in the same league w/ Leicas, but in my personal experience the Bessa R, R2, R3 etc are the most dependable. All of the Leica M cameras I've owned were starting to show the results of being made 50 years ago or more. Excellent design, quality materials and fine craftsmanship, but nothing goes on forever. They also have a cloth shutter that can be destroyed by simply leaving a lens cap off at the wrong time.
 
Of all the rangefinder cameras I've owned, those that have been the most reliable have been my Leicas: specifically, M2, M6TTL and Barnacks.

John
 
The Nikon SP with the Titanium shutter would have to contend with the M2/3 for the title of most reliable. It is, basically, a Nikon F in rangefinder form (I like to think of the F as a SP in SLR form!).
 
Canon P is very reliable indeed. My camera repair guys tell me that its mechanics are "Leica standard". Canon VT might be even more rugged if Mr. Gandy says so.
 
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I had a canon P but I did not like it. I did not have it long enough to decide maybe but wrinkled shutter and constantly misaligning rangefinder gave me bad feelings about this camera...
 
The only people who could possibly supply meaningful answers to Jeremy and Janice's question would be repair persons. Literally everyone else is speaking only from personal experience with a small set of examples, plus anecdotal information which they have gleaned from various sources.
 
my answer is both unpopular and easily dismissed: electronic cameras are generally more reliable.

leica m7, zeiss ikon, hexar rf, bessa, minolta cle, etc.
 
Over the years I've owned, at various times, a Leica M4-P, M4-2, II, IIIa and IIf. None of them have broken, despite a reasonably heavy amount of use (except the bent rewind on my M4-2 when I dropped it on a hard surface - "field repaired" it with the pliers on my Leatherman), and I couldn't pretend to know which is most or least reliable. All of them have been fantastically solid and well built and, in my opinion, the extent to which individual bodies have been used or abused over the years is far more significant (among the Leicas - and I know your question extends beyond Leica) than any debate about which camera was originally best built . YMMV.
 
aizan said:
my answer is both unpopular and easily dismissed: electronic cameras are generally more reliable.

leica m7, zeiss ikon, hexar rf, bessa, minolta cle, etc.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't argue with this at all.

Given the same use and care, the electronically-contolled gizmos will hold accurate shutter speed and aperture settings without adjustments much longer than mechanically-controlled devices. Seems like the parts that fail on electronic cameras are usually the mechanical ones.

'Course there has to be a readily available power source.
 
No question about it, the Nikon S3-SP is the most reliable under the OP's parameters. As abovesaid, a Nikon F without a prism-designed to run dy, or almost dry. Leicas are fantastic, but generally do need service more often-designed to be lubed.
 
Contax G2 - maybe not STRICTLY a rangefinder but I bought mine new 16 years ago and it's never so much as hinted at a repair, cla, problem etc.
 
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