What was your first RF?

[Honu-Hugger]

A Minolta HiMatic 7 purchased in 1965. Here's a photo I took with it in the same year, on Tri-X film.

Gene

Gene,
Your talent has obviously been with you a long time; that is a beautiful and timeless shot. Thank you for posting it.

"Ownership" has always been a little murky in my family. My Dad has always been very generous in sharing his cameras, even when I was quite young. The first RF I used (probably nine or ten years old at the time) was his Retina IIIC; I remember it seemed large and complex, I was much more comfortable using a SLR. The first RF purchased with my own funds was a Leica M4 which I later gave to my Dad (he had an M3 and lenses so it made sense). Then it was all SLR's for a while (along with a Rollei R35SE that I still have) and thanks in a large part to eBay the world got smaller and my collection of Contaxes got larger 😀.

 

[peter_n]

Mine was a Leica M6TTL that I got 2 and 1/2 years ago. Still have it, and use it. 🙂

Welcome to the forum GrAfFiT!

 

[Talisker]

I forgot - I had a Kiev 4 for a month before the meter went wrong. After six weeks it still hadn't been fixed (the glories of TOE), so I ended up with the Zorki.

 

[xayraa33]

mine was a Leica M3 that I bought while on a european tour, and I was still in my teens. it has been that long? Still got that M3 and I still use it. One of the best 35mm rf 's ever made IMHO.

 

[ErnestoJL]

Mine was a Voigtländer Vitomatic IIb bught in 1966, (my dad´s camera) that was given to me when he passed away in 1969. Later I gave it to my sister when she was married and now belongs to some burglar. My first RF, (it is of my own choice) was the Kiev 4 bought in 1982.
I still have it and shoot with on an almost regular basis. She carries the guilt of getting me back again into RF photgraphy.

 

[Imagestreet]

A Yamato Pax rangefinder from the 1950's (OK Leica IIIg copy but about 3/4 of the size). Poor optics, lots of scratches on the film, and difficult to use the rangefinder as there was so much dust in it. Tried to shoot a wedding with it when I was 14 (mid -80's) and didn't get a single properly exposed or focused shot....my brother in law took pity on me and gave me his Ricoh KR-5 SLR to kick me off in photography. Dusted off the Pax and used it intermittently for B&W over the years but has been supplanted now by a Grey R2A. The size and feel of the Pax was great though. Never here any talk of it on this forum - those of you with a hankering for a Leica III might try having a play with a much cheaper Pax! Found shots of it on the website below...

http://www.geocities.com/jagpage/pax.html

 

[agoglanian]

oddly enough my first RF i OWNED was the R-D1. i then bought an Oly 35 RD. shortly thereafter both were sold in efforts to obtain a Hasselblad H1.

now i just acquired 2 Olympus 35 SP cameras. Life is good again. ( i found a box containing over 70 rolls of film that had yet to be shot in my storage unit 🙂 )


but the first RF i ever USED was a Leica M7

 

[Memnon]

First Rangefinder was my fathers M3 with 35mm. I hated the thing, couldn't focus, lightmetering was a hassle, filmloading was not good.... this was some 30 years ago.
After having gone through a range of SLR's form manual to fully automated, with every kind of zoom lens available as well as a number of digital cameras I ended up, and loving a Leica M6ttl with a number of 50mm lenses.
I also have a Hassleblad which I use 50% of the time... but I like my M6 (chrome)

 

[FPjohn]

Midland

Midland

Hello:

My first RF was a black Midland M4. My first real camera was a Kalimar 35. Retina Reflex III and a Nikon F in between.

yours
Frank

 

[pdx138]

Zorki 4 with J-8. Arrived in the traditional brown paper tied up with yak string. A J-12 soon followed and that is the lens that made me love rangefinders.

 

[Oldprof]

My first rangefinder was an Argus C-3 which I bought used from a high school classmate for five dollars. That was around 1958 or 1959. The C-3 has an important place in history as the camera that brought affordable 35mm photography to the American masses. But while it was capable of taking good pictures, it was one of the least ergonomic 35mm cameras I have ever handled. Not for nothing, it was widely known as "The Brick."

 

[Doug]

My first rangefinder was an Argus C-3 which I bought used from a high school classmate for five dollars. That was around 1958 or 1959. The C-3 has an important place in history as the camera that brought affordable 35mm photography to the American masses.

Agreed, it's important historically, and a good place to start! I recall a story from a USAF Staff Sgt (in about 1964) that when he'd earlier been stationed at Hickam Field in Honolulu he cruised the beaches in his off-duty time and sold Kodachrome slides for use in making postcards and calendars. Satisfying, and a nice bit of change. I finally bought one myself in 1983, paying $10... 🙂

 

[ZorkiKat]

What was your first RF?

A Leica IIIc. Tattered and missing the RF port bezel. But worked. Came with a badly scratched Summar. That was 20 years ago, and camera is gone now.


I got it after reading a few 1950s magazines. Was shooting with SLRs all the time, and I had the growing desire to shoot with a simple camera- one which was small and passive, but offered the necessary minimum amount of sophistication to take care of many situations.

Jay

 

[Frank Granovski]

Mine was a Voigtländer Vitomatic IIb bought in 1966, (my dad´s camera)....

Hey, that's what I have right now. I found it at Leo's---nice shape but in need of repair----and then got it a CLA from Camtex, down the street here in Vancouver. The only thing I don't like about it is the large white cheesy plastic bubble on top---I still don't know if it has a function. 😎

 

[jan normandale]

I'm impressed that so many members remember their first RF! I'm not too proud to say I don't remember.

 

[tfelton]

I still have my first rangefinder. It's a Contax IIa which I got back in the mid-fifties. It works great (I've had it serviced over the years) and I do use it occasionally.

Ted

 

[ErnestoJL]

Frank:
The large cheese white round plastic bubble in the top right (seen from the back) allows light to pass in to make the meter needle and the follower (actuated by both diaphragm and shutter speed rings) visible in the lower part of the VF in black over orange-red background.
In all RF Voigtländers of that time the meter was located behind the cell, which is in the front left of the camera (seen from lens side).
Weird thing: this camera´s meter goes to ISO 800 maximum, being the top of the line for 1965, and the Vitoret DR (with a reduced speed set) goes to 3200!!
Unfortunately this camera´s meter is as any selenium based meter unable to be used in dim light, so a handheld CdS is mandatory.
Best regards.
Ernesto

 

[je2a3]

Leica M3 w/ a 50 'cron traded by a friend for audio gear. He told me the Leica was much better than the Pentax K1000 and ME with Vivitar zoom lenses I was using and I have to agree after the first roll. Before that I thought RF cameras were "low end" P&S thingies....but that was 10 years ago.

Joseph

 

[Frank Granovski]

Frank: the large cheese white round plastic bubble in the top right (seen from the back) allows light to pass in to make the meter needle and the follower (actuated by both diaphragm and shutter speed rings) visible in the lower part of the VF in black over orange-red background....

Thanks for this info, I didn't know this being so used to the Vitomatic 11 and silmilar Voigtlanders. 🙂

 

[rbiemer]

My first rangefinder was an Argus C-3 which I bought used from a high school classmate for five dollars. That was around 1958 or 1959. The C-3 has an important place in history as the camera that brought affordable 35mm photography to the American masses. But while it was capable of taking good pictures, it was one of the least ergonomic 35mm cameras I have ever handled. Not for nothing, it was widely known as "The Brick."

I was beginning to wonder if any one else would mention the C-3.
I don't have any actual scars on my right fingers but I sure had some bruises at first! 😀 Never dropped the camera, though. When I first used it my Grand dad was teaching it to me and a few years ago when he passed it came to me. This is one camera that will not part from me except to go to the next relative who will use it.
Rob