New member, saying hello

[derekfulmer]

Hi everyone!

My name is Derek and I've been lurking these forums for a few weeks now. I'm a member over at POTN (canon forums) and Fred Miranda. I have an interest in picking up a rangefinder (as well as a TLR, medium format, etc) and shooting. I currently shoot mostly digital with a Canon 5D Mark 2 and I just ordered a Canon AE-1 Program after borrowing my father-in-law's Canon TLb for a couple of weeks.

I feel like I'm going to learn a lot around here. Anyone have any suggestions for a first time rangefinder? Bessa? Canonet?

 

[rhl-oregon]

Welcome from Oregon, Derek. Depends on your interest & budget. Bessa is a good way to experience modern rf systems with Leica mounts; fixed lens rf like Canonet is better maybe if you like one lens length / one cam's handling best. Clearly the former permits more expansion. My own fixed-lens cams include Retina IIa, Rollei 35, Hexar AF, Ricoh grdiii and fujica 690-- only 2 of those are rf. I have a few leicas & old/new lenses. All of them do things differently and have their own special pleasures. But if I were down to any 2 of these I'd get the most from them. Gearheading is fun, but image making is the point--and you'll get lots of both here. Enjoy.

 

[oftheherd]

Welcome to RFF from Northern Virginia.

A little more information about what you like in photography, why you want an RF, and a price range would help in recommendations.

 

[derekfulmer]

Welcome from Oregon, Derek. Depends on your interest & budget. Bessa is a good way to experience modern rf systems with Leica mounts; fixed lens rf like Canonet is better maybe if you like one lens length / one cam's handling best. Clearly the former permits more expansion. My own fixed-lens cams include Retina IIa, Rollei 35, Hexar AF, Ricoh grdiii and fujica 690-- only 2 of those are rf. I have a few leicas & old/new lenses. All of them do things differently and have their own special pleasures. But if I were down to any 2 of these I'd get the most from them. Gearheading is fun, but image making is the point--and you'll get lots of both here. Enjoy.

I'm definitely open to trying any camera. It's about creating the image, not the equipment used. Yes, I have my preferences for my digital gear, which is why I've chosen Canon's system, I even shot Nikon for about 7 months after shooting Canon for a couple of years. So, I'm figuring out what I like, want, and need.

 

[derekfulmer]

Welcome to RFF from Northern Virginia.

A little more information about what you like in photography, why you want an RF, and a price range would help in recommendations.

Sure! I shoot portraits and occasionally live music.

Why I would want a rangefinder is simply to try another tool to make images.

 

[ornate_wrasse]

Another welcome from Oregon.

Knowing your budget is key as you could pick up an M9 (Leica's full frame digital rangefinder) costing thousands to rangefinders costing considerably less. If you go with an older Leica (M2, M3 M6) or a newer Voightlander you will have an excellent choice of lenses, some of them from the 50's, 60's or even earlier to more modern glass. As for myself, I started with an M6 and a 35mm Summicron Leica lens. I later acquired an M3, and various other lenses, some of which are suitable for portraits. I also bought a Mamiya 6, a medium format rangefinder and an Epson RD-1, a digital rangefinder that is very affordable compared to the Leica offerings.

So, if you can give us a dollar figure it will help us here at RFF to recommend something within your budget that will also meet your needs.

Ellen

 

[John Lawrence]

Hello and welcome from the UK.

John

 

[Damaso]

Welcome from Barcelona. A Bessa is a great way to start if you aren't sure you like rangefinders. They are light and cheap and will last a few years. I started with one and it was a great choice...

 

[paulfish4570]

howdy from alabama ...

 

[Michael Markey]

Hello from the UK.

 

[mwooten]

Welcome to the land of the misfit toys!

 

[gb hill]

Welcome to the forum from a fellow Canon FD shooter.🙂 Fixed lens RF's are iffy. Many have considerable age on them & develop problems. Deciding on your budget I'd go for a Bessa. Perhaps find a R2a in the classified. If money is no problem for you then go whole hog & try the Leica experience. Only you can decide what is right for you. Take your time & do your research. If you live close to some members then ask to do a meetup & check out some of their gear to get a feel. I thought I always wanted a Leica til I went to Atlanta & got to fondle a few of them. Now i'm content with my Bessa R.

 

[ray*j*gun]

Another welcome........ from Philadelphia. I am a big fan of Barnacks and these days a nice one can be had for a low price. If you get one thats been serviced recently it will last a LONG time and they are small and beautiful.

 

[derekfulmer]

Another welcome from Oregon.

Knowing your budget is key as you could pick up an M9 (Leica's full frame digital rangefinder) costing thousands to rangefinders costing considerably less. If you go with an older Leica (M2, M3 M6) or a newer Voightlander you will have an excellent choice of lenses, some of them from the 50's, 60's or even earlier to more modern glass. As for myself, I started with an M6 and a 35mm Summicron Leica lens. I later acquired an M3, and various other lenses, some of which are suitable for portraits. I also bought a Mamiya 6, a medium format rangefinder and an Epson RD-1, a digital rangefinder that is very affordable compared to the Leica offerings.

So, if you can give us a dollar figure it will help us here at RFF to recommend something within your budget that will also meet your needs.

Ellen

As I would love a Leica, an M9 especially, my budget doesn't allow. I could save and get an M6 but right now I'm looking at M4s or a voightlander. I've played with a FED5 but it was considerably damaged. I'm just after the experience before jumping into Leica gear.

 

[Godfrey]

Sure! I shoot portraits and occasionally live music.

Why I would want a rangefinder is simply to try another tool to make images.

I would buy an inexpensive, fixed lens rangefinder camera for two reasons:

- to find out if the camera type suits your use
- to have a modest, compact camera that will complement your
other equipment even if you then decide to save up and acquire
a higher end RF camera. It's always nice to have a high quality
compact camera no matter how much or how good your "serious"
gear is.

Three good examples of this kind of camera are:

- Rollei 35S - scale/zone focus, CdS meter, excellent lens, extremely compact
- Olympus Trip 35 - scale/zone focus, selenium meter, compact
- Olympus 35RC - rangefinder focus, CdS meter, compact

All three have excellent lenses and produce very nice photographs. The Trip 35 is the most limited of them as it is program AE or a fixed shutter speed with variable aperture for manual settings, the other two allow full control of shutter and aperture. I have used all of them — they are remarkably competent at producing excellent results and all give you that "rangefinder" working aesthetic in use. One minor advantage of the Rollei 35 is that there are no foam seals to have to renew. One minor advantage of the Trip 35 is that no batteries are needed (but you might need a new selenium cell at this age). The 35RC is the most feature-complete of the three.

You can pick up any number of good examples of any of the above, and many others, for anywhere from $50 to $200. Buy one, work with it for a while, then decide whether to start saving for a higher end camera with interchangeable lenses. Once there, the sky's the limit. ;-)

If you want to jump directly to a Leica and say have a $1000 budget, you cannot go wrong with a good, clean Leica CL fitted with a Summicron-C 40mm f/2 lens, or equivalent. The CL I acquired recently (from another forum member) and an M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 II lens together cost me just about $900 and is a superb camera that I'll be using for a long time to come.

 

[lam]

From reading what your interests in dabbing with Rangefinder cameras, I think something of vintage, and Canon would be kind of interesting to experience.

dreilly has a Canon 7 with 50mm f1.8 LTM lens for $245 in our classifieds, and is significantly cheaper than buying into a Bessa camera body and then purchasing a lens.

Otherwise my other recommendations would be a used Leica CL and a Russian ~50mm (Industar or Jupiter-8) lens, or any number of fixed rangefinders aforementioned.

If it's just the image that matters, then any camera with a rangefinder focusing mechanism should be close to offering a decent representation.

 

[t.s.k.]

Welcome from one Chicagoan to another.

Nothing beats having the opportunity to handle a Leica body to whet your appetite!
Hopefully you can attend our next Chicago RFF gathering.
PM sent.

cheers

 

[lynnb]

Welcome from Sydney. I have 2 RFs, an Olympus XA (pocketable, aperture priority RF) and a Fed-3 with Industar 61, along with a bunch of non-RF compacts including the Trip 35 and Mju-II.
What distinguishes RFs in my opinion is handling (including the viewfinder experience), and lens choice/quality/signature.
I place emphasis on lenses, although handling is also important. What focal lengths do you feel most comfortable working with? If it's 35, 40 or 50mm then a fixed lens RF or scale focus is an easy way to test the water. Some lenses have deserved reputations for both quality and signature - e.g. the Hexanon on the Konica AF, the Sonnars/Tessars on the Rollei 35s. These are just two examples. Browse the forums and the Gallery, and you will see many more.
Also do a little research on whether the cameras on your shortlist require regular CLAs and if they rely on obsolete batteries (if batteries are used).
Good luck, and enjoy!

 

[Haigh]

Hello and welcome Derek, from Australia.

 

[ist fragen leica]

Is my leica m3 plus elmar 50mm a good deal

Is my leica m3 plus elmar 50mm a good deal

Hi all,

I have just joined this community and I am happy to be part of this community. I like to introduce my gear. I have a leica m3 which is in the high 1 million serial number with L seal intact in excellent + condition with only some marks on the top and also 50mm elmar f2.8 which has serial number low 2 million which is in excellent condition wihout fungus or scratch. Plus i got a leica ever ready case.

I paid $1650 Australian dollars which equates to about $1670 US. I was just wondering did I get a good deal or did I pay abit too much and if so how much would you have paid?

cheers. I hope to get to know some of you guys.