olympus rd

infinitydreams

infinitydreams

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My first post so please go easy!

Im just getting into photography and am really interested in getting involved with RF cameras.

Would an Olympus RD be a good vintage camera to start with? Im also looking at a voigtlander m2 but need advice on what 35mm lens to go for?

Last question is are there any good online guides you can recommend to help be get going.

Thaks

James
 
Never owned an RD, and it seems like an excellent RF - very well-spec'd. By all accounts you can't go wrong with one. However, they have known issues with stuck shutters... this from a webpage devoted to the RD:


"The Olympus 35 RD will eventually develop a shutter problem. The problem occurs when the original lubrication for the lens focusing helicoid migrates onto the shutter blades. Both the aperture and shutter then stick open at slow speeds, ruining your photo. The only cure is to have the shutter properly serviced by a competent Olympus service technician. It's worth having this repair done properly. Add in a proper CLA will include cleaning the rangefinder apparatus, which will brighten the range finder patch considerably."

http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/35RD.html

These are "classic cameras" and they are quite old. However, like cars they have been on this earth for 50 years or more they need servicing (though far less often than cars, and it costs less...). Anyone who "gets lucky" with a working sample probably only did-so because their camera was serviced at some point by its original owner - even if it was 20 years ago. If you get one that wasn't serviced in its lifetime, you're on very borrowed time.

Get a good sample, expect it to have it serviced and build that in to the price you pay and you'll have an excellent camera for a long, long time. Never owned the RD but owned enough fixed lens rangefinders to know it's a thing of beauty. So get one, but expect to have it serviced. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Here's a place that supposed to do good work:

http://www.essexcamera.com/
 
I'd get a full-size, LTM/M mount, RF body and maybe a 35mm focal length lens to start with, then add other lens in different focal lengths to fit your needs. This is a much more flexible and practical option than a fixed lens compact that was made primarily for convenient to carry around, family snapshots.

That said, the RD is a fine camera, but often suffers from oil on the blades, so you gotta get it overhauled and you have to get the foam seals replaced and a replacement for the OEM mercury battery.
 
I disagree with Bill58. Never, never, never start with Leica. They're extremely expensive,
and truly slippery slope. Your serviced Olympus RD will cost far, far less in the long run and may very well be the only camera you ever need. Don't get into that rut of chasing focal length and lens specs. You'll end up being more of a collector than a photographer. A fixed lens rangefinder like the RD - or any decent fixed lens rangefinder from that era, will teach you more about photography by mastering the focal length of the lens on that camera. You won't be tempted to overwhelm yourself with focal lengths because you can't.

Never, never, never start your photographic journey with anything that has a red dot. Period. Or mark my words, you will fall in the the expensive GAS/Collector trap. Friends don't let friends shoot with Leicas.
 
I've had a RD and I can recommend it. It's a great camera and the lens is fabulous. It's true that many RD's have had a jammed shutter but not all (and many have been serviced). If the camera works don't spend your hard earned cash on service.
 
NickTrop said:
Never, never, never start your photographic journey with anything that has a red dot. Period. Or mark my words, you will fall in the the expensive GAS/Collector trap. Friends don't let friends shoot with Leicas.
Click to expand...

Wise, but what about case when people start with inexpensive FL RF's and end up with a pile of them? Probably, start I with red dot camera, I'd not have any more free money to spend on several rangefinders w/ similar specs?

I really don't know which route is better.
 
NickTrop said:
I disagree with Bill58. Never, never, never start with Leica. They're extremely expensive,
and truly slippery slope. Your serviced Olympus RD will cost far, far less in the long run and may very well be the only camera you ever need. Don't get into that rut of chasing focal length and lens specs. You'll end up being more of a collector than a photographer. A fixed lens rangefinder like the RD - or any decent fixed lens rangefinder from that era, will teach you more about photography by mastering the focal length of the lens on that camera. You won't be tempted to overwhelm yourself with focal lengths because you can't.

Never, never, never start your photographic journey with anything that has a red dot. Period. Or mark my words, you will fall in the the expensive GAS/Collector trap. Friends don't let friends shoot with Leicas.
Click to expand...

Did I say Leica? BTW--I don't own one.
 
Bill - Then what you're suggesting is either FSU M39 mount camera - can't say I'd recommend them either. Too fussy, imo. Or some other camera? M-mount and M-mount lenses are always pricey - same applies. Do that later, maybe. What specific camera(s) would you recommending to the OP? The RD is a very fine choice. They don't get much better - alls I'm saying is expect to have it serviced.
 
Rather than an Olympus RD, try to find an SP model. A Canonet Glll 1.7 QL is also a good choice. Or Minolta 7s ll. I'd say that these 3 are my top choices for fixed lens RF cameras with meters.
 
Last edited:
The rangefinder specific part is largely how to focus. Beyond that you are dealing with photography basics - metering, composition, aperture/shutter speed/film speed relationships, etc. Any older intro to photography book or series should cover most of that. 35RD specific stuff should be found in th manual which you can probably dig up online with a google search.
 
FrankS said:
Rather than an RD, try to find an SP. A Canonet Glll 1.7 QL is also a good choice. Or Minolta 7s ll.
Click to expand...

Any of these on good working order will be a great camera. There isn't too much difference - big picture - between many of these cameras. Different ergonomic, when the meter is turned on... Close enough that any one is a perfectly fine user.
 
NickTrop said:
Bill - Then what you're suggesting is either FSU M39 mount camera - can't say I'd recommend them either. Too fussy, imo. Or some other camera? M-mount and M-mount lenses are always pricey - same applies. Do that later, maybe. What specific camera(s) would you recommending to the OP? The RD is a very fine choice. They don't get much better - alls I'm saying is expect to have it serviced.
Click to expand...

or a Voitlander Bessa. it fits bills description and is neither a fussy russian or an expensive german.
 
I started my rangefinder experience with an RD...this one, in fact. It led to the "Leica experiment."

It shoots great, and the lens is very sharp. Mine is under-utilized, and re-skinned. My daughter uses it on occasion...

3742608263_bc216016a7_z.jpg


6098873026_0a2408ece3_z.jpg


5994321535_a3ba08a50a_z.jpg
 
The RD and SP are different - I wouldn't call one better than the other. The SP is larger and has spot metering. It's meter is also always on, unlike most there fixed lens rangefinders. The RD is smaller and quieter. Meters only in automatic mode. No spot metering.

Some say the 35SP has a better lens between the two. Both are excellent from what I've seen. If anythng, the RD looks a bit more modern while the SP has a look that has been called 'soft but sharp' here before.

If your RD is in good shape and you are happy with the results, well, no need to chase other fixed lens rangefinders unless you have a specific issue that you're trying to improve (ie you want more speed, a different focal length, aperture priority instead of shutter priority, etc).
 
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