hoot
green behind the ears
So I need a camera for this year's summer camp. We camp in the woods. Compactness, sturdy build, low cost, and battery-independence are on the menu. My Zorki-1 would be perfect for the job, BUT this year I want to be able to shoot a 35mm lens too. The problem is that even that small MiniFinder will probably ruin the camera's compact, sleek lines that make for such good pocketability. And it's expensive, to boot. I can afford having a Zorki stolen, but losing that finder would be upsetting, to say the least.
So what to do? Over the past years, I've tried the various fixed-lens rangefinders and have been less than pleased with their build quality. The Olympus XA was hell for rewinding (and a bummer in low light); I destroyed the film advance and frame counter on a friend's Yashica-something-or-other through mere (though admittedly heavy) use, and the aperture ring on my Minolta Hi-Matic came loose, and was too flimsy to use, anyway.
I suspect that the build quality on the Bessa R is somewhat better than on the fixed-lens RFs, but $200 a pop for a second-hand plastic body that is known to be error-prone, when I can get a perfect Zorki-1 with CLA for $50; a camera even I am incapable of destroying through heavy use... well. I shot over a thousand frames with a single Zorki-1 body in the past 2 weeks (on commission for a travel guide), and the camera is still as smooth as butter.
So, is there a solution? It's been bugging me for months now. Find a camera *for 35mm FOV* that I am happy with (and can afford!), and I'll treat you to a fine reward. Really.
So what to do? Over the past years, I've tried the various fixed-lens rangefinders and have been less than pleased with their build quality. The Olympus XA was hell for rewinding (and a bummer in low light); I destroyed the film advance and frame counter on a friend's Yashica-something-or-other through mere (though admittedly heavy) use, and the aperture ring on my Minolta Hi-Matic came loose, and was too flimsy to use, anyway.
I suspect that the build quality on the Bessa R is somewhat better than on the fixed-lens RFs, but $200 a pop for a second-hand plastic body that is known to be error-prone, when I can get a perfect Zorki-1 with CLA for $50; a camera even I am incapable of destroying through heavy use... well. I shot over a thousand frames with a single Zorki-1 body in the past 2 weeks (on commission for a travel guide), and the camera is still as smooth as butter.
So, is there a solution? It's been bugging me for months now. Find a camera *for 35mm FOV* that I am happy with (and can afford!), and I'll treat you to a fine reward. Really.
