Sockdaddy, I think the issue with the framelines considerably missing what was captured in the scooter shot was due to typical RF camera parallax error. As you get quite close to your subject, the distance between the lens center and the viewfinder center becomes a significant factor, as each has a different point of view on the scene.
Some RF cameras have parallax "corrected" framelines, but that can never change the fact of the different points of view, and probably a better word would be "compensated", as it can be correct only for the distance the lens is focused to. Things farther and closer will still not have the same spacial relationship on film as seen in the viewfinder.
You can try to keep in mind that there are two parallel views of the world, one from the lens, the other from the viewfinder, then after composing in the VF, carefully move the camera (e.g., slide it up and to the left for a horizontal photo) so that the lens is where the VF was, still pointing the same direction. The VF view is now incorrect, but the lens should be seeing what you saw earlier, and capture what you want.
Clearly, this isn't ideal, and yet framing is typically a rather more casual matter for RFs than for SLRs. Especially for closeups, and obviously macro shots just aren't in the cards for RF cams. Even at "normal" distances, there's always going to be more captured on film than you see within the framelines, and this is typical of consumer-level SLRs as well. But the SLR will give you a parallax-free view, where you can easily line up a nearby object with a more distant object... hard to do with an RF.
I agree about the Olympus RC's rangefinder... not really high contrast in the RF spot, making it hard to judge the right focus, and the spot is fuzzy around the outside making it even more difficult. Cameras with illuminated projected framelines such as the Bessa-R series and Leica M have sharpely defined contrasty RF spots that make them easier to focus in difficult conditions.
