Wanted: a good 35mm rangefinder for street photography

[hoot]

As near-perfect as the Mamiya 6 is, sometimes there are situations in which it can be overkill. When I'm not specifically going out to photograph - i.e., on my way to work and back, going for a walk or hike with friends, going out to the movies or to a party - it feels a bit silly to carry such a fancy, professional camera along.

So I'm looking for a 35mm rangefinder to complement it. It would be great to get some recommendations. Here are some general specifications:

* It shouldn't weigh anywhere near as much as a Kiev 4
* It should have a coupled rangefinder
* It should have an excellent, bright viewfinder
* It should have framelines in the viewfinder (ideally, these would be parallax corrected, but I'm not picky)
* If it has a fixed lens, it should be 40mm or wider; ideally 35mm
* If it has a fixed lens, it should have an outstanding resolution and decent flare reduction
* The cheaper, the better! I'm aware of the Leitz-Minolta CLE, but it would be nice if a cheaper camera matched all of the above specifications.

Looking forward to some interesting recommendations and discussion... thanks!

 

[wlewisiii]

Really sounds to me like a Bessa R would be perfect for you. Have you looked into it at all? The price with the 35/2.5 is as near a steal as exists for a new camera.

William

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I agree with the above advice. If you don't want to pay for a Leica, your next best bet is a Voigt.

 

[back alley]

does it need a meter?
i have a oly 35 rc, in greqt shape but the meter is kaput for some reason.

great lens 42/2.8

small light quiet bright vf

joe

 

[DougK]

I'll go ahead and put in my usual plug for the Olympus XA... ideal for the situations you describe.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Can I add my 2 cents? I have truly enjoyed my Bessa R. I will be saving up for a Voigtlander or canon lens. But in the meantime I have a few Russian lenses that have proved to be wortwhile and appear to work well with my Bessa.

The Bessa's are compact, The R seems to be durable enough even if it is a plastic.

 

[hoot]

William - thanks. I've actually held a Bessa R in my hands during my SLR period. Had I met one a few months later, it might not have escaped my attention as this one did. Thanks for your recommendation; I will seriously look into it again now.

Joe - great, how much do you want for it? Feel free to PM me.

Doug - I own an XA. The rangefinder patch has disappeared (I dislike zone focusing) and 800 ASA is too slow for most of my stuff. Other than that, it's great for some stuff and I will probably never sell it.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Fixed lens: Oympus 35 SP-42mm 1.7 lens-spot meter-works without batt.
Yashica 35CC-35mm 1.8 lens-metered
Canon GIII QL17-40mm lens-metered

Leica CL/Minolta CLE are also great but probably cost 600+, the above cameras will go for 40-120 bucks on average.

Good luck,
Todd

 

[Flinor]

Contax T. It meets all of your requirements.

Weighs a lot less than a Kiev
Coupled Rangefinder
Good bright viewfinder, but I can't rate it excellent because it's a little small. The camera is the size of a pack of cigarettes after all.
Parallax corrected framelines.
Outstanding, sharp 38mm f2.8 T* lens.
I don't know what they are going for at the moment but I'm pretty sur that they are cheaper than a CL with 40. I've owned four oif them over the years and have two now. I never leave home without one in a pocket, and I mean literally in a pocket.

 

[tedwhite]

Yashica Electro 35 GSN. Fast f:1.7 lens.

In the new Freestyle catalog there is a description of the Leica M7 ..."fast, precise....the Leica M7 now raises convenience and quickness to new heights by means of a stepless automatic shutter speed control..."

Which is a good description of the GSN and how it works, a camera that you can buy for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20-50. Mine cost $17.50 last August, works perfectly and the lens, as they used to say on Saturday Night Live's Coffee Talk, "is to die for."

Plus you can do the research on how much it would cost for a Leica lens as fast as the Yashica's. Lens is fixed, by the way.

Ted

 

[Dirk]

Minolta Hi-Matic E. Superb 40mm/1.7 lens. Compact, yet has a nice heft. Compensating rangefinder; very, very quiet. About $20.

 

[john neal]

A couple more suggestions:

If you want small and light with a really sharp lens-
Voigtlander VF101 - f2.8 Skopar (aka Tessar) 40mm aperture priority auto, and one of the smallest, neatest RF's ever made (by Rollie), or
Konica Auto S3 - f1.8 38mm lens shutter priority auto and only slightly bigger than the vf101
Unfortunately, neither have parallax correction - if that is a must and you can go a little bigger-
Konica Auto S2 - the only RF with frames that change size as well as with focus, f1.8 45mm lens, auto and manual - outstanding quality from a similar size to the Electro 35

Plus any of the above suggestions would be fine

For a great P&S what about the Rollie 35XF / Voigtlander VF135? Full auto only, but a f2.3 40mm Sonnar, so great results from a small package

 

[sniki]

In my opinion Konika Hexar AF (black original model, if found, is the most discrete one)!

Sniki

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Canonet ? fast lens, 40mm, light, sharp, relatively cheap $20 to $120 depending on condition.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Another vote for the Minolta Hi-Matic E.

Bob

 

[cbass]

I'll also vote for the Hi-Matic E (or F, or 7sII).

And even though you put the kibosh on zone focusing I'll also put in a plug for the under-appreciated Minolta Hi-Matic G. It's light, fast and quiet with a very, very decent 38/2.8 lens (similar to the Hi-Matic F) Auto exposure only, but great for quick grab shots. Bright VF with corrected framelines. Small enough to fit into a larger pocket. Will work with a silver 76 cell, so no battery compliance issues. The G meets all of your stated critera except for the RF.

I've used my G in all conditions, from blizzards to beaches, and it's still going strong. It's proven itself to be a very tough and endearing little camera. Load her up with 400 speed film and she's ready for fun. If I could only take one camera on a trip around the world, this would probably be the one.

Whatever you wind up purchasing, have fun with it!

 

[stevence]

Konica Hexar AF indeed, has probably the best lens I'll ever own. And instead of what sniki states, any Hexar can be reprogrammed in five minutes to have silent mode. Photo.net has a page about all that...

 

[peter_n]

Canonet ? fast lens, 40mm, light, sharp, relatively cheap $20 to $120 depending on condition.

And very quiet too! 🙂

 

[Sonnar2]

Bessa-R with Canon 2/35.. or go digital ;-)

 

[Richard Black]

I have the Bessa R and use a Jupiter 8 or 3 and the Color Skopar 28mm. I find it fits your description. I also have a Yashica GSN and love it. Easy to carry and great photos!