no bessa for me

[Clint]

For those who care ...

As much as I wanted the look and feel of a RF and could afford the R2 w/ a 35. I decided to buy a Canon 7N w/ a 28/1.8. I already have EOS gear and b/c my vision isn't the greatest at times I just couldn't justify buying a manual focus camera.

Who knows, maybe my father-in-law will pass on his Minolta CL w/ 40 to me someday.

Clint

 

[rover]

I originally bought my EOS 10s because my eyes were shifting to the bad after I graduated from college and I was shopping for a camera. The old girl is starting to show her age and that 7n looks like it will be a nice replacement for her, but I have been playing with these rangefinders, so she will have to hang in there a little longer. Enjoy your new camera.

 

[back alley]

of course we care...it's not really the equipment in the long run, it's enjoying photography.
i hope you enjoy your new camera and get some great shots.

joe

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Actually, Clint, when it comes to accuracy in focusing, you can't beat the rangefinder system. That's why I almost abandoned my SLR stuff and sold my manual focus SLR; the split-image focusing makes your life a bit lot easier... Let's hope you find it out yourself with that CL! 🙂

 

[pshinkaw]

Well....in my experience there are tolerance limits to rangefinder accuracy based on rangefinder base-length and magnification, just as there are tolerance limits to SLR focusing based on screen brightness and focusing screen type (split image, micropirsim etc.)

An extreme example might be an Olympus XA rangefinder compared to a Kiev-4. If you like to use lenses from 135mm and longer, your depth of field might be narrower in most situations than the margin of error in you rangefinder. In other words, you may have a higher than desireable rate of out-of focus pictures.

If you like to shoot with a 35mm lens or wider, particularly 2.8 or 3.5 lenses, the rangefinder may be easier to use to focus on the central part of depth of field.

I think it's just finding the right tool for what you want to do. At my age, I've suffered enough deterioration in my vision that some photo situations call for either a 6X6 SLR or an autofocus. The important thing is to enjoy what you do, feel challenged, be happy with your progress.

This is supposed to be a fun activity.

-Paul

 

[former member]

You should use whatever camera that yields the best results for you. I have an N70 and an N8008S. I find the RF's better suited for existing light photography, but use SLR's for most wildlife shots and Documentation work at the Lab.

The lack of a mirror black-out is addictive when trying to catch expressions on people's faces. You can hear the shutter click and see the image that is being imprinted onto film. Yes, RF's are best suited for "Smooshie Baby Pictures" as the term was used on another column. And existing light shots. My 9-year old nephew gave a piano recital along with the other students of his teacher, about 25 in all. All were photographed by their parents; I was the only person NOT using a flash or a camera with an electric zoom and power wind.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Brian, the crowd at the piano recital must have thought your camera malfunctioned and they were probably sorry about you... 😛

 

[Doug]

LOL, I bet you're right, Francisco! I was clicking away at a family celebration for a highschool grad, and someone did inform me that my flash wasn't working! 🙂

We are also standing out from the crowd as we mash the camera against an eye instead of holding it decently out at arms-length.

 

[former member]

"Electronic Flash and F5.6 Zooms are no match for Fast Film and a Good 85 by your side, Kid".

 

[That Guy]

"Electronic Flash and F5.6 Zooms are no match for Fast Film and a Good 85 by your side, Kid".

LOL!! Please tell me I'm not the only one who got that...