Matus
Well-known
*** UPDATE ****
So - I just realized that I have agonized about the RF stuff a bit too far and finally too some action. To learn something I have just pulled a trigger on a nice (looking - I keep my fingers crossed) copy of Jupiter-3 in M39 mount. The reason - all other possibilities (=camera systems) - apart from M mount cameras - would give me the possibility of nice, modern sharp optics, but not some lenses like Sonnar or Heliar. So I decided to try one of these and the cheapest option was the Jupiter 3. If I like it (and the system) I will stay - if not - I will resell without too much loss.
So - now I am looking for a body - most probably a nice used R3A as the Zeiss is too much for me right now. I do not consider older Leica M body as I want to have metering in the camera and also AE mode, so the R3A looks like a logical choice.
Now I just need to get an adapter for the lens - and, well - a camera too 🙂
*** End ***
So - I have come to a point where I would really like to get a RF camera, but it is harder than I originally anticipated.
There are features I know I would like to have (some contradict each other) like: AE mode, reasonable size/weigh, large selection of lenses, larger negative (MF RF), reasonable close focusing (portraits)
- There are the "classical" rangefinders like R3A which offers for reasonable money a great body and access to unlimited selection of M and LTM lenses.
- Then there is the Contax G2 which for very reasonable money offers lenses of top quality, although it only shows the distance of focus and one can not judge in the viewfinder (no true rangefinder). Lens line is limited (16mm to expensive), but one does not need more (well, maybe something like Jupiter 3)
- And then the fixed lens cameras like Hexar AF or Nikon 35Ti which in a smaller (how much ?) package offer a very good performance, although the single lens can be limiting at times.
Category for itself is the GA645. (Do not even let me to mention Mamiya 6 or the RF645 - they live in a different world).
You may ask - what I want to do with the camera? - It should travel with me - sometimes with one lens only, sometimes with more - I would like to try the wide lenses one day. It would be a bit of everything. I would like to expand my photography beyond what I have done up to now. As much as I like using my Rolleiflex and 4x5 I do miss the spontaneity of just composing and shooting.
I do like printing bigger than A4 (landscapes) and this is the territory of MF, but would like to try also more portrait stuff where smaller print size works for me and also lenses focus closer than those in MF. I actually seem to be "spoiled" by my Rolleiflex T and my Tachi 4x5, but I also often realize that some shots just can not be taken with them. Feels like I am trying to persuade myself than 35mm is "good enough". I was wondering whether borrowing some 35mm RF would help me to answer this question, but there just does not seem to be a place to land one around here ... (anybody around Muenster?)
So - how did you end up with the RF you are using right now? My choice is not your choice, but sometimes interesting details can be learned ...
so, beat me, but I needed to share this ...
So - I just realized that I have agonized about the RF stuff a bit too far and finally too some action. To learn something I have just pulled a trigger on a nice (looking - I keep my fingers crossed) copy of Jupiter-3 in M39 mount. The reason - all other possibilities (=camera systems) - apart from M mount cameras - would give me the possibility of nice, modern sharp optics, but not some lenses like Sonnar or Heliar. So I decided to try one of these and the cheapest option was the Jupiter 3. If I like it (and the system) I will stay - if not - I will resell without too much loss.
So - now I am looking for a body - most probably a nice used R3A as the Zeiss is too much for me right now. I do not consider older Leica M body as I want to have metering in the camera and also AE mode, so the R3A looks like a logical choice.
Now I just need to get an adapter for the lens - and, well - a camera too 🙂
*** End ***
So - I have come to a point where I would really like to get a RF camera, but it is harder than I originally anticipated.
There are features I know I would like to have (some contradict each other) like: AE mode, reasonable size/weigh, large selection of lenses, larger negative (MF RF), reasonable close focusing (portraits)
- There are the "classical" rangefinders like R3A which offers for reasonable money a great body and access to unlimited selection of M and LTM lenses.
- Then there is the Contax G2 which for very reasonable money offers lenses of top quality, although it only shows the distance of focus and one can not judge in the viewfinder (no true rangefinder). Lens line is limited (16mm to expensive), but one does not need more (well, maybe something like Jupiter 3)
- And then the fixed lens cameras like Hexar AF or Nikon 35Ti which in a smaller (how much ?) package offer a very good performance, although the single lens can be limiting at times.
Category for itself is the GA645. (Do not even let me to mention Mamiya 6 or the RF645 - they live in a different world).
You may ask - what I want to do with the camera? - It should travel with me - sometimes with one lens only, sometimes with more - I would like to try the wide lenses one day. It would be a bit of everything. I would like to expand my photography beyond what I have done up to now. As much as I like using my Rolleiflex and 4x5 I do miss the spontaneity of just composing and shooting.
I do like printing bigger than A4 (landscapes) and this is the territory of MF, but would like to try also more portrait stuff where smaller print size works for me and also lenses focus closer than those in MF. I actually seem to be "spoiled" by my Rolleiflex T and my Tachi 4x5, but I also often realize that some shots just can not be taken with them. Feels like I am trying to persuade myself than 35mm is "good enough". I was wondering whether borrowing some 35mm RF would help me to answer this question, but there just does not seem to be a place to land one around here ... (anybody around Muenster?)
So - how did you end up with the RF you are using right now? My choice is not your choice, but sometimes interesting details can be learned ...
so, beat me, but I needed to share this ...
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