Small, fast 35mm fixed-lens rangefinder

Plus one on the Oly XA. A seriously good camera for travel.

I think the Oly 35RC is a good camera as well. But the XA slips easily into a picket, the lens is sharp, the meter is surprisingly good, and the shutter is nearly silent.

The other camera that meets your specs is the Rollei 35. A 35S has a 2.8 Sonnar that is really good. The Rollei 35 has a Tessar 3.5 that renders beautifully. You would need to learn to deal with scale focus, but with practice it’s not hard. After all, Stephen Shore did a travel book using just a Rollei 35.
 
Olympus 35 SP. great little camera with a spotmeter built in. Lens is fantastic for the price. I have one but usually have the Leica with me. I should probably sell the oly so someone can enjoy it
 
EarlJam said:
The Olympus 35 RC is one of my favorite travel cameras. Meets the small and light criteria; good lens; rangefinder; auto exposure with battery, plus full range of shutter speeds and aperture control should the battery die. Stephen Gandy has a nice writeup on the camera, for reference: https://cameraquest.com/olyrc.htm
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+1
My go-to camera. Plus the 42mm focal length, 40-ish being IMO ideal for fixed-lens, but that is personal.
 
I'm a fan of the Electro 35 GX. Good lens, aperture priority, compact size. Too bad mine has a problem with the light meter and overexposes all the time, which makes any low light shooting a no-go. Electro 35 CC is also nice, but somehow felt a bit more fragile compared to the GX.

You mentioned the Retina IIa. I have one and it is indeed beautiful, but I am selling mine, as it most definitely isn't a fast shooter. And the finder isn't as comfortable as most modern rangefinders.
 
In the past I had an Olympus 35SP- a reliable camera using common batteries and having a superb 42mm/f1.7 lens. Currently (in this category) I have, and alternately use as pocket cameras in my travels, an XA, a Mju II, and a Rollei 35SE (all with 35 or 40mm f2.8 lenses). With the right film, all are capable of giving excellent 16X12 color prints (and better transparencies if you can find film and a processor).
I cannot recommend one above the others, because they are all designed to be easily carried and actually do give top quality results.
The XA and the SP use easily obtainable batteries, the 35SE battery can be made up from individual button cells, but the Mju II uses a lithium battery which may be hard to come by in 3rd world countries or isolated areas.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
David
 
I have to second the Oly 35 SP. I don't have the money to afford a Leica and the 35 SP has definitely satisfied my want for one for now. Only fixed lens rangefinder with spot metering and once you get the hang of it its a super fast shooter. Huge finder and overall looks great. The whole 35 line is great, make sure the shutter works if you pick up an RD. Best of luck!
 
If all you care about is small and fast then the Olympus Stylus Infinity fits the bill. But it is completely automatic (AF, AE, A flash, which can be turned off and A film advance). It also has the best fill flash for any of the small cameras that I've used.

If you want adjustable, then the Olympus 35RC is a good choice. It isn't a very robust camera and I've had plenty of trouble with mine, so weigh repairs into your choice. Like Roger Hicks says, 'they were only built to run 100 rolls.'
 
If you're a fan of Electros, I give another vote for the Electro GX. Smaller, lighter, but similar features to the big ones. The CC shutter tops out at 1/250th whereas the GX does 500th. Parallax corrected viewfinder.

I don't actually own one but I'm stalking eBay...
 
ACullen said:
Although it has a 40mm lens you might consider a Minoltina S or AL-S . The same camera given different names across the globe. Fast f1.8 40mm lens , RF and reasonably bright VF. I'm astonished how sharp the lens is , excellent contrast
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Above is exactly what I was going to say, no battery needed, fast to meter, always ready and sharp lens. Loved mine.
 
Yashica Electro CC (owned)
Yashica Electro GX (not owned)
(Above are a little hard to find... but they're out there esp. the CC)
Konica Auto S3 (owned)
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There are other choices but of the two above I've owned, I'd go with the Konica Auto S3 (and I'm a fan of the Electros). Brilliant little camera. Probably the best of the fixed lens RFs. CC has better build quality but only meters to 400 and doesn't have a hot shoe. Still a great camera with a cracking lens. Either is excellent but that Konica -- man was that a great little fixed lens RF. A little jewel. The GX is supposedly the best of the Electros and is small like the CC. But I never owned one.
 
Then there's the Olympus XA. It too is a RF and easy to find. It's a bit of a different beast. Also a fine small RF. Lens slower at 2.8 than the others above.

If I had to pick, it would be the Konica Auto S3 though.
 
I'd take a Fuji X100F so I didn't have to worry about film and processing while traveling. If you are stuck on film, I would cast another vote for the Olympus XA or Mju II.
 
Carey M said:
I'm a fan of the Electro 35 GX. Good lens, aperture priority, compact size. Too bad mine has a problem with the light meter and overexposes all the time, which makes any low light shooting a no-go. Electro 35 CC is also nice, but somehow felt a bit more fragile compared to the GX.
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I feel the other way around. GX feels "hollower" to me. Also the cubic shape of GX is not very comfortable to hold, CC's slightly curved back makes it easier to hold. It's easier to focus the GX though, since it is a bigger camera.
 
Personally I'd forget the fixed-lens part of the equation and take a Leica CL (in my case, with a VC 40mm f/1.4 Nokton) instead. The body is tiny and you'll have much greater freedom with choice of focal length.
 
My vote is for the Petri Color 35 - very small, tough, great lens, decent meter!


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When I want to travel small and light with only one camera, it will usually be the XA.

I am always surprised that apparently so few people are familiar with the Welta Welti (non RF) or the Weltini (RF and different lenses possible, but not interchangeable). They are good cameras, but not light, especially the Weltini with the RF. The last time I browsed ebay, both models were mostly running at decent prices. Only problem is they are old; can't be sure you are going to get one in excellent working condition. The Welti is a surprisingly compact camera, both are folders.

Both are German, so I think you are more likely to get a working one, but no guarantee. I have four Weltinis. One works very well. The other three need work or use as parts.
 
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