Toughest, sharpest manual fixed lens RF?

Depending on what do you want:
Mamiya Super Deluxe 1.5: heavy and built like a tank with very contrasty RF patch
Voigtlander Vitomatic IIb or IIIB (or Cs, better): 1:1 VF, small, heavy and built for last long, very long...
Konica Auto S2: excellent lens and tough, but not too heavy.
Minolta Hi Matic 7s or Minolta Hi Matic 9: a good compromise between lens performance, weight and size.
Canonet QL17: all of above, but with a perfect quick loading system.
Yashica Electro 35 Gxy: almost the perfect match between lens performance, VF and RF optics, weight, size and quietness (electronic controlled leaf shutter).
Cheers
Ernesto
 
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Only other FLRF's I have are the Electro & the Canonet QL-17 GIII. The canonet wins hands down. & the battery only powers the meter! I don't think you would have any problems handling this camera Paul. It has a nice feel to it!
 
can someone compare hi-matic 7s with lynx 14e? I hated 7s because of the weird thickness and huge size. I can cope with size if the body is not really thick.
 
Cheap trick for dull focus patch.. no disassembly req

Cheap trick for dull focus patch.. no disassembly req

A trick for improving the focus patch is to take a small square of black tape (plastic electrician tape and put it on the outside front of the viewfinder over where the focus patch appears. I don't fully understand the optics of this move, but it brightens the focus overlay in the viewfinder.

The square needs to be small. The idea is to JUST cover the approximate size of the focus patch itself. Generall 3/16 inch square right in the middle of the viewfinder window, not the rangefinder window.

Have seen this done with a paint square in black in the same location.

Easy test.... buck for a whole roll of electrician tape would do a couple of thousand cameras.
 
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Another vote for the Konica Auto S2 and QL17-GIII. I also happen to love the Minolta 7sII and the little Konica C35 is a real gem with an outstanding lens. The Oly 35RC is another superb choice...I could go on!

Andy
 
Well, a few decades ago in a universe far away, my Konica S II (sold only in Japan) got in the middle of a Viet Nam war protest scuffle and came out just fine. I'm still using it, but not for self-defense.
 
I ended up with a Yashica Lynx 14E IC with Yashinon-DX 45/1.4. It is big, heavy and way, way fun to use. Thanks again, Brian, for the deal ...
 
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