Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
I, as a Nikon noob, find very interesting what Erik wrote in another thread:
The early black Nikkormat FTn reminds me somehow of the rangefinder Nikons. That is why I like it so much, just like the black Nikon F with standard prism.
The design of the FM and FE is so terribly middle of the road.
Erik.
mdarnton
Well-known
Another vote for Nikon FG for those who need to pair an RF with an SLR system. When I was a real photographer, I had Leica and Oly OM1 gear, but the OM1 always was ergonomically irritating. The FG solves the Oly's worst problem of having no place for the right hand to hold on to for one-hand shooting by providing a really good hand grip bump, plus it does everything I need it to do, is compatible with most Nikon lenses up to and including the AF-D series, and they're DIRT CHEAP!
mconnealy
Well-known
Quite a few Soviet post-war slr cameras were based on rangefinder models with the addition of slr viewing systems. The Retina Reflex shares much of its design with the 2C and 3C rangefinders of the same period. I enjoy shooting the Retina Reflex. It is heavy, but well balanced. The shutter is ultra-quiet. The Xenon lens is excellent.
I also enjoy shooting my Contaflex I which is very compact. The Contaflex is very similar in design to the Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 35 viewfinder camera and has the same excellent Tessar lens.
(Sorry, I missed that interesting second page of comments.)
I also enjoy shooting my Contaflex I which is very compact. The Contaflex is very similar in design to the Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 35 viewfinder camera and has the same excellent Tessar lens.
(Sorry, I missed that interesting second page of comments.)
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Looks like a Minolta SRT-101 to me.
No SLR is ever much like an RF camera to me. I used them both, side by side, for most of my life. They let me see differently.
I recently acquired a Leica R6.2. It was sitting on my desk next to the M-D, the M4-2, and the (digital) CL the other day. With the lenses I had on them, they are all very close in size and weight ...
Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
leicapixie
Well-known
It matters little but no SLR/DSLR is even similar to a RF.
First lenses have to further away from film, due to mirror box..
2nd more important the RF is about RF and frames.
Most frames are Guess what is in and what is out esp. on newer Leicas..
I own early M2 and M3, plus a M6TTL mmm!
The Leica frames are great in seeing a scene, framing the important area..
The SLR is about seeing what makes a photo, enjoying depth of field controls (on older SLR), playing with Bokeh and stunning use of many lenses.
NOT fractional differences between 25mm and 28mm or 50, 75, and 90mm!
Long lenses as 200mm, 300mm wide to tele zooms..
I love going simple one camera,one lens M3,50mm!
Age and heart cause me to really miss carrying a big rig!:bang:
First lenses have to further away from film, due to mirror box..
2nd more important the RF is about RF and frames.
Most frames are Guess what is in and what is out esp. on newer Leicas..
I own early M2 and M3, plus a M6TTL mmm!
The Leica frames are great in seeing a scene, framing the important area..
The SLR is about seeing what makes a photo, enjoying depth of field controls (on older SLR), playing with Bokeh and stunning use of many lenses.
NOT fractional differences between 25mm and 28mm or 50, 75, and 90mm!
Long lenses as 200mm, 300mm wide to tele zooms..
I love going simple one camera,one lens M3,50mm!
Age and heart cause me to really miss carrying a big rig!:bang:
Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
Generally, yes, but there are quite notable exceptions:
See also here: https://www.cameraquest.com/ret3s.htm
capitalK
Warrior Poet :P
Minolta Vectis S-series comes to mind, in that it is technically an SLR but the viewfinder is on the far left, allowing you to keep both eyes open.
But it's a junky plastic APS camera that has mostly been lost to history.
But it's a junky plastic APS camera that has mostly been lost to history.
Sega
Established
Sorry to be late to the party.
While my preference has and still is using a RF, I've tended to get on with my OM10 better than most other SLR's to the point I occasionally switch to it when shooting film, it's focusing centre as a slight RF asthetic to it as well with the split image you join together, my only regret with it is not having more lenses.
Pretty much all Soviet SLR's use RF guts, only really the outside has gone way from the original stuck a prism on a Zorki Zenit 3m, you can tell in a way its a shoehorned job as you got less speeds as less room for guts and the Mirror slap on even my later ones sounds like gunfire.
My advice to you is to find somewhere with a few models to try and see what fits you best.
While my preference has and still is using a RF, I've tended to get on with my OM10 better than most other SLR's to the point I occasionally switch to it when shooting film, it's focusing centre as a slight RF asthetic to it as well with the split image you join together, my only regret with it is not having more lenses.
Pretty much all Soviet SLR's use RF guts, only really the outside has gone way from the original stuck a prism on a Zorki Zenit 3m, you can tell in a way its a shoehorned job as you got less speeds as less room for guts and the Mirror slap on even my later ones sounds like gunfire.
My advice to you is to find somewhere with a few models to try and see what fits you best.