What's the Best UNDER $50 Ebay Rangefinder?

[ludoo]

a little fed2 and a table for the "16 rule": simple, easy to use, affrodable and reliable, with a really precise rangefinder. Or a good old Kiev: even better RF, but more difficult to find in perfect working condition

I prefer Zorkies 3/4/4k to the Fed 2 as they have a larger brighter viewfinder and less annoying diopter adjustment. That's why I sold my FED-2, and you probably don't agree and that's why you bought it from me. 🙂

Someone mentioned the C35 in a post above, and I think for 50$ you could get both an EE-only camera like it (or my favourite the Mamiya 135EE, or one of the ultra-cheap Konica EE-Matic, etc.) *and* a manual rangefinder. I would probably wait for a decent Agfa Super Silette with Solinar lens to surface, or if you are really lucky a Super Solinette which is pocketable.

 

[colyn]

The Retina II is a scale focusing camera as I recall - not a rangefinder

The Retina II is a rangefinder camera. The earlier model I's were scale focus..

Below is a Retina II..

 

[zuikologist]

I like the Oly RC (manual control, full information viewfinder) or Vivitar 35ES (fast glass).

The Fed 3 with industar is also dirt cheap and fery capable. Compact, good viewfinder and excellent dioptre adjustment. Quite Leica-esque.

 

[Beemermark]

I voted for Canon but honestly almost any of the Japanese RF of the '70's is going to be a great camera.

 

[Abbazz]

Yashica, of course. My favorite is my big Lynx 14 (a $17 buy). The 45mm F/1.4 lens is great and it comes with a parallax compensated viewfinder. Best of all, the Lynx 14 has a really usable autoexposure feature: you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed according to the scene illumination. I don't like the Canonet and those rangefinders where the autoexposure goes the other way round, resulting in the aperture being chosen by the camera. I think the user should retain full control over the aperture!

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[raid]

I would say that a Konica Auto S2 or a Yashica GSN are difficult to improve upon for $50 on ebay. There seem to be more followers of the Yashica cameras than Konica cameras, but both camera types are "cheap Leicas" from the perspective of lens quality. As long as a camera works without batteries, and it has a first quality lens, go for it.

 

[btgc]

Best of all, the Lynx 14 has a really usable autoexposure feature: you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed according to the scene illumination.

What a symbiosis with camera! You even didn't notice yourselves setting speed - so natural Lynx is in use 🙂 I agree honestly.

 

[chris00nj]

The Canonet QL17L and GIII can be had for under $50. It is a mechanical camera, and most are working. Like any 35+year old camera, it will probably need some work. Same is true of the Yashica Electro's, Retina's, and others. The Canonets are easiest to work on, and plenty of help threads for it.

Canonets are great cameras, but they don't really average under $50, especially after you add the cost of new seals. Additionally, you don't want to send a newbie to get a fixer upper.

 

[FallisPhoto]

The Retina II is a scale focusing camera as I recall - not a rangefinder

The Retina I is a scale focusing camera:

The Retina II is a rangefinder:

 

[FallisPhoto]

Best of all, the Lynx 14 has a really usable autoexposure feature: you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed according to the scene illumination.

You're confusing the Lynx with the GSN. The Lynx has no automatic features. The GSN has auto exposure only, with no manual control.

 

[IK13]

Konica S2 hands down for me.

And I do have flawlessly working Yashica GSN and Oly 35Spm and have used hi-matics and some russian leica clone (FED).

 

[FallisPhoto]

Canonets are great cameras, but they don't really average under $50, especially after you add the cost of new seals. Additionally, you don't want to send a newbie to get a fixer upper.

If you count in the cost of a CLA and seals there are no cameras that sell for under $50. The Auto S, Auto S2, Olympus 35S, Olympus 35RC, and Yashica G-series all have two things in common: they are very easy to work on and there are illustrated tutorials on cleaning them all over the web. A $10 set of seals, a can of lighter fluid and a box of Q-tips after you get them, and they are as good as new, even for a newby (although the idea of repairing his first camera will probably give him a few anxious moments).

 

[Abbazz]

What a symbiosis with camera! You even didn't notice yourselves setting speed - so natural Lynx is in use 🙂 I agree honestly.

You're confusing the Lynx with the GSN. The Lynx has no automatic features. The GSN has auto exposure only, with no manual control.

Of course both of you are right. Sorry for the confusion. I definitely ought to use my Lynx 14 more (in fact, it's a Lynx 14e). Well, in fact, as stated by btgc, the exposure control is so intuitive that I never realized I had to turn a ring to set the speed. 😀

Cheers!

Abbazz

 

[ferider]

For 50 bucks I would just avoid RFs and get a classic SLR with a fast 50mm lens.

That being said my Oly XA (20 bucks in a garage sale) is still going strong. Very good lens.

 

[DrLeoB]

Canon/Canonet QL17

Canon/Canonet QL17

I was able to get one of these for $29 on ebay and found it was immaculate upon receipt... They frequently go between $10 and $45. You can make your own light seals for about $2.25.

With the quickload setup and the crisp f/1.7 lens this is one that is hard to beat.

 

[johannielscom]

I choose other Japanese brands, since I prefer several Japanese cameras which are highly alike.

They are:
Konica Auto S3
Vivitar 35ES
Revue 400SE
Yashica 35 MC or GX

Most of them have a 40mm f1.7 lens and manual control of aperture and shutter.

With the recession, prices are in the bin for these and I'm pretty sure you can get a hold of one under USD 50.

If you specifically want to check out the RF focussing and care less about manual control, get a Konica EE-matic Deluxe, it has a viewfinder brightness and RF-patch that matches up to a Leica. I sold mine for EUR 15 a while ago and it was hard work getting it sold for that much, too... Ridiculous!

 

[MartinP]

FED-2. Dozens available for $39,95 including CLA at the place I got mine. There are no foam seals to decay and the thing is so simple it won't need adjustment for a long while.

There are good tessar-type lenses as standard, and a 39mm mount to put an exotic CV lens (15mm maybe?) on the front if you want.

The loading is easy with a removable back. Plus a very contrasty RF with adjustable dioptre-correction. And the camera is within a millimetre or two of the dimensions of the M3, so is decently comfortable to hold and use.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Canonets are great cameras, but they don't really average under $50, especially after you add the cost of new seals. Additionally, you don't want to send a newbie to get a fixer upper.

Most of these 35+ year old Ebay cameras are going to require some work. Again, most being more than 50%. I've gotten lucky, but more times than not- some work was required. The "pad of Death" and electronics of the Yashica GS, GT, GSN, GTN are a problem: expect about 1/2 off of Ebay to require work beyond just seals. All of mine (four) did. Expect the RF patch of the Lynx 14 and exposure meter to need work. Two of my three did. The Konica S2: exposure meter problems, two of my three had problems. As for the Canonets and cost: look for the Ql17L model rather than the GIII. Made in Japan, better quality control, lower price. I've picked up three going between $10 and $40. My Hi-Matic 9 has not given problems since 1980.

Best advice for a Newbie: stay away from buying old cameras on Ebay unless you know how to repair them yourself. Buy cameras from a forum SUCH AS this one or nelsonfoto where the seller has actually used and tested the camera, or at least states it is in unknown working condition. My "unknown condition" GIII was $10 at nelsonfoto, a flood cleaning brought it back to life. It would have been an "Ebay mint, I see know reason why this camera will not work" auction. As for prices of Canonets on this forum, they range from $40 to $80+ after replacing seals, cleaning the viewfinder, and testing with film. At least that is what I sold 8 or so of them for.

 

[LChanyungco]

my choice is a Petri 7s. they can be had for $20, has a built in meter, and takes really beautiful looking photos.

 

[bob338]

for 50 bucks you can get a very nice Kodak Signet or a Voigtlander Vito B. the Vito is technically a viewfinder camera, but the lens in it is great. the Signet is all but bullet proof, it was developed for the military. it also has a great little lens in it.

bob