Rangefinders and Nature?

[raid]

Hello:

I'm generally a one lens/body pair per outing person but a DR Summicron and a 90mm make a good nature / landscape combination. Enjoy your trip.

yours
Frank

Thanks Frank. I think I can do better with a smaller lens outfit. I may drop one or two of the lenses mentioned above by me, and go with only two lenses. The weather will be cold, with temperatures ranging between 28F-45F, so hauling lots of stuff won't be fun.

 

[sf]

I prefer an RF, now that I have one. I never really shot with 35mm SLRs, only MF, but here is why I did not like using the Pentax 645NII for anything except portraits :

1. Heavy
2. Bulky
3. Loud
4. Could not trust the AF to be really where I wanted it.
5. Too easy to shoot through frames without thinking.
6. Shake - the clarity of my RF stuff is obvious compared with that of the MF SLRs I've used.

What I liked about the SLRs:

1. For shooting portraits - an SLR (with AF) is the best for business
2. FAST lenses - like the F2 on the Contax, the 1.9 on the Mamiya 645, and the 2.8 on the Hassy. Of course, with 35mm RFs, you have even fast lenses.
3. Shooting 35mm SLRs - they are FAST. Fast AF, fast shutterspeeds, fast film advance, etc.
4. Lots and lots of accessories - of course Leicas have lots too. But the Nikon F series is impressive.
5. Durability of the camera in hard times. Go ahead and drop your Nikon F. Now drop the M7. Which will you shoot the priceless moment with?

What I like about my RF cameras :

1. Light weight
2. Small
3. Sharp optics (made more obvious by mirror-less operation)
4. quiet (makes a BIG difference in street photography as you know)
5. Forces me to really think more about my shots (versus AF SLRs)
6. I find the RF focusing to be sharper than SLR focusing.
7. Less expensive to use (fewer, better shots means less money spent on crud).
8. Better lenses . . . . maybe - like the Mamiya 7 series, and the Bronica RF645 - better than the MF SLRs.
9. You can bring a small tripod because the camera DOESN'T weigh a million pounds. This is a big one for hiking. I hate dragging my huge Manfrotto around - it looks too pro.
10. Less battery consumption - if you don't like buying batteries all the time.
11. If you bring the Leica or Zeiss RF, you have the best lenses on the planet. Period. No 35mm SLR will give you better results.
12. You can melt more into the nature you are photographing because everything about the rangefinder is low key unlike the shocking presence of something like the F5.

I have shot in ALL formats, used every brand except Contax, and will say that I would bring the RF645 on a trip to . . .anywhere . . . before any other camera I've used. Except if I were to shoot portraits, in which case the Pentax 645NII would be my friend.

 

[raid]

Shutterflower: What you wrote above makes sense and is logical. I have taken very good photos in one of my trips in which I only had with me a Minox 35GT and a Rolleilflex TLR. One lens was a 35mm and the other 50mm perspective. This was all that I needed 95% of the time. As for the upcoming trip, I will focus on other things than flowers and animals now. People photography will be a part of the tirp's goal, but nature will be there too.

 

[MinorTones]

I suppose a good portion of my work could be considered nature photography. Its not images of wildlife or anything though. I use my RF to concentrate on nature overpowering old industrial buildings/homes. I guess some times I would benefit from an SLR outfit but I do like the feeling I get photographing with my Bessa-R and my lenses. My SLR option is my work kit-I am a photojournalist at a newspaper- and its a big DSLR with a lot of heavy equipment. I like to explore and move off the beaten path while I photograph and I think the weight and bulkiness of my DSLR kit is just too much for that kind of thing.

As others have stated before me it's all about what feels right for you in the moment. Anyway my vote is for you to take your RF kit!

-Mitch