To go Rangefinder or not?

[ezio gallino]

Question (as always) is complex: rangefinder is best when you're in scarce light situations, and flash and noise must be absolutely avoided, and is a real nice thing to take with you in any situation, where any more gram might give the temptation to leave camara at home. A rangerfinder M-type body with two lenses ( with film 35 and 75, with digital multiply them with crop factor...) , one on camera the other on a pocket... and you're ready to photograph all world.

But if you go macro, you need teles, you want to play with ultrawides (in digital!)or just want to place a pol filter for saturate colours, you're in trouble. period.
rangefinder is nice to be used in small clubs, to get ambient light feeling, and always where you don't want to be seen: just compare the sound of Leica MP, with that of a Canon or a Nikon reflex , another planet.

Where do you use to take your photos? colours or B&W ? the answer is there...

 

[sreidvt]

Nick,

I did a long term review of the R-D1 that may be of interest to you. There's also a review I did of the camera in late 2004 and many articles about various lenses on the R-D1.

http://www.reidreviews.com

Cheers,

Sean

 

[garethc]

Nick,

I would second Sean's suggestion of his R-D1 reviews. They gave me a great insight and made me finally go ahead...it should arrive next week and will begin what I hope will be the start of a great relationship!

I have never used a rangefinder before but had begun to get annoyed by my Digilux 2 and couldn't face the idea of going down the standard DSLR route. So I have a lot of hopes riding on Epson's wonder!

 

[nickmeertens]

Thank you everybody for your reactions!

@Ezio: My style of photographing I think is well suited for a rangefinder style camera. Your suggestions are wise.

@Sean: I joined your sight last weeks so I would be able to read your reviews. Very insightfull and well written. Worth every penny!!!

@FurCafe: I randomly looked in your blog history and found some pics taken on the streets of Washington and I found the colors on those to be special and beautifull.

@ RML: I spend some time in your blog and it was time well spend! Nice to see you like Eggleston as I do although I would have to disagree with you on the Cartier-Bresson Exhibition in FOAM. I found most of his work on display to be absolutely stunning and am glad to have been 🙂

 

[pfogle]

Nick...

wonderful gallery! I love the portrait of Laura - it's a scream.

 

[anglophone1]

If you haven't read this:
http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223&page=2
then it might help the decision making process.
Whilst I am in agreement about many of the previous posts, mentioning many excellent B/w rangefinder photographers as "style " pointers, pleanty of great RF colour style around too.
Check out David Alan Harvey and Alex Webb at Magnum, and William Albert Allard [National Geo] all shot on RF.
Both Harvey and Allard are currently shooting digital SLRS, but that's more to do with commercial considerations than personal preference.
If you see your "style" as being in this direction then IMHO RF is the way to go...................
Clive

 

[furcafe]

Thanks for looking @ my blog. I'm glad you like some of my pix. However, re: the R-D1's color rendition, if you looked @ any shots from before May 8th, I took them w/1 of my film cameras (no R-D1 @ that point).

@FurCafe: I randomly looked in your blog history and found some pics taken on the streets of Washington and I found the colors on those to be special and beautifull.

 

[nickmeertens]

Thanks for looking @ my blog. I'm glad you like some of my pix. However, re: the R-D1's color rendition, if you looked @ any shots from before May 8th, I took them w/1 of my film cameras (no R-D1 @ that point).

I checked and it was: 2006/06/04 - 2006/06/10; the HonFest pictures in particular. Are they made with the Epson? Do you remember which lens you used? Great pics!

 

[furcafe]

I shot the HonFest w/both the Epson & a film camera (Hexar RF). For shots taken since June 1 or so, if you click on the picture, you should be taken to that shot's flickr page, where you'll find all the equipment info in the tags. Otherwise, you can go to the URL I gave you earlier, which will show every picture I've uploaded that was taken w/the R-D1.

I checked and it was: 2006/06/04 - 2006/06/10; the HonFest pictures in particular. Are they made with the Epson? Do you remember which lens you used? Great pics!

 

[nickmeertens]

I shot the HonFest w/both the Epson & a film camera (Hexar RF). For shots taken since June 1 or so, if you click on the picture, you should be taken to that shot's flickr page, where you'll find all the equipment info in the tags. Otherwise, you can go to the URL I gave you earlier, which will show every picture I've uploaded that was taken w/the R-D1.

I'm happy to tell you Furcafe that the photo's that caught my eye where indeed made with the Epson (and the 35mm leica). That lens is gonna take some saving. I think i'll goo with the Voigtlander 35mm Ultron for the time being. Thanks again for posting!
Nick

 

[JeroenBulters]

Sure we can meet some day.

Does this offer stands for other dutchies interested in a RD-1? 😀

 

[nickmeertens]

Does this offer stands for other dutchies interested in a RD-1? 😀

Wooha, we can start a Dutch R-D1 division!

I for one ordered my R-D1s last week in Holland (time of delivery unpredictable, price 1995 euro's).
To go with the Epson I ordered a Voigtlander 35mm Color-Skopar f2.5 Pancake II. (following advice from Sean Reid, thanks again Sean).

Jeroen, if I get mine, you're more than welcome to have a look!

 

[Larry Kellogg]

Hello,

You can read my story here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4555

I have also owned the Digital Rebel and the 20D. I'm hooked on the R-D1 for travel and street photography. I don't regret selling all of that heavy SLR gear although there are some things that I had to give up (long zooms, macro, flash, etc). If I were a pro, I would keep both systems but I'm not so I had to choose.

It is surprising to me how many people I meet who think the R-D1 is complicated. These digital camera manufacturers have put in so many silly options that people can't think straight about aperture, shutter speed, and manual focusing!

Good luck with your decision...

Regards,

Larry