What's the Best UNDER $50 Ebay Rangefinder?

[ludoo]

Five pages and nobody mentioned the Vitomatic IIa (or IIb/IIcs)?

Small, cute, built like a tank, with a Gossen-made meter (selenium on the a/b and with a Cds cell on the later one), with no seals to go bad, and more importantly with a huge 1:1 viewfinder and exceptional lenses (Color Skopar or f2.0 Ultron).

Or, for a smaller fully automated camera, the Rolley XF35. A bit plasticky but with an very precise meter and a marvellous f2.3 Sonnar.

 

[januaryman]

The non-GIII QL17 is slightly larger, just as good, some say better. The QL19 I understand is nearly as good. I wouldn't recommend getting a lens slower than the 1.9 though, unless you plan on doing outdoor shooting only. The 28 is much less, not as popular. But as a starter, it'd be okay. IMHO.

 

[FallisPhoto]

It is clearly the Yashica GSN. I'm tired of everyone saying it's this one or that one - next thing you know they're mentioning cameras that are almost impossible to find or seem to forget that we're talking about $50. Or it isn't really a true rangefinder... They'll start saying the Canon QLIII or the Konica S2 - Never seen either one of them go for less than $50 unless it was a fluke. Then someone will mention some camera that seems to exist in only an alternate universe or they'll say, "...well, it's scale focus" blah, blah, blah. No.

Well, if you get a GSN, you have to factor in the cost of a CLA and a new pad of death, unless you can do it yourself -- something a beginner will find scarey. Now they are very nice cameras and I have most of the G-series, but if you're going to have to work on it, there are simpler cameras that are more beginner-friendly. A Canonet isn't too difficult to CLA, but requires a lens wrench with VERY fine tips, not something a beginner is likely to have. A Konica Auto S (not an S2), is easy to work on, even for a beginner, as is the Olympus 35 I mentioned. Both are plentiful, have great lenses, and you should not have any difficulty finding one for under $50. They are easy to get into for cleaning and don't require special tools. Basically, you just unscrew the lenses and remove the shutter speed cam plate. Then you just work some naptha into the gears with an artist's brush, flush the dirty naptha out, and clean both sides of the shutter blades. Replace the light seals, and that's really all you have to do.

 

[Kakateristico]

Well, today I finally bought the camera. It is a Canonet QL17, not the G-III, but the other model. I found it on ebay for $52.

What can you tell me about this camera? Is different from the GIII? The guy who sold it to me says that has the battery compartment lightly corroded. I hope that my local camera repair man can fix it, to make the meter work. If I can make the matter works, then I will look for a light meter.

Otherwise, the camera seems to be in excelente condition.
Ah! It comes with a canonet flash too.

Thanks for your advide.

 

[bgb]

congratulations on your purchase we look forward to hearing all about it and seeing photos if your are able to upload them

I just got a GSN for $25 on an auction site, it's supposed to be close to mint and i hope it is

Maybe i get a Canon too just in case 🙂

 

[Kakateristico]

Thanks! I think that the camera is going to take a loooooong time to arrive, but i'll be patience. When it get's here, i'll show you some photos.

 

[januaryman]

Well, today I finally bought the camera. It is a Canonet QL17, not the G-III, but the other model. I found it on ebay for $52.

What can you tell me about this camera? Is different from the GIII? The guy who sold it to me says that has the battery compartment lightly corroded. I hope that my local camera repair man can fix it, to make the meter work. If I can make the matter works, then I will look for a light meter.

Otherwise, the camera seems to be in excelente condition.
Ah! It comes with a canonet flash too.

Thanks for your advide.

If it's just lightly corroded, you can try dipping a Q tip in vinegar, making sure it's not dripping, and just get in there and dissolve the corrosion away. If it leaked under, hitting the wires attached to the circuit board, this won't do much good. I'm just saying.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

My start on the slippery slope of rangefinders started with a Canon QL-17 GIII from a thrift store for $17.50. I do not buy on E-bay. I buy from thrift stores, garage sales, country auctions, and camera shop "Junk" bins, etc.

The average price I have paid for Yahisca G series cameras is $9.16. with a high of $17 and a low of $2. This is for a 10 camera sample. The average price I paid for Canon QL-17 GIII is $24.34 with a high of $54 for a Black QL-17 GIII and a low of $15. This is for a 6 camera sample.

Did all of them work perfectly? NOPE. But the $2 GSN did and the first Canon at $17.50 did. Several of the others did with minor tweaking and some were circling the drain. I was able to recoup most of my money by selling ones that worked while keeping some for myself.

My vote goes to the Leica IIIC with 50mm Summitar from a country auction, but it is not a fixed lens. So I am going to vote for the Canon QL-17 GIII. I have tried to love the GSN but I just don't care for its bulkiness. I think the best lens I have on a FLRF is on the Konica Auto S2 it is second only to my Rollei 35S Sonnar, but the Rollei is not really a rangefinder and it is not under $50.

Wayne

 

[jongcelebes]

Yashica Electro 35 GSN. I bought it for 6 dollar two years ago. Still working now, at least once in a month if I want to hit the road without too much thinking (it's auto run very well).

 

[katcons]

Yashica GSN and Zorki 6. 🙂

 

[Eric T]

How about the old Russian medium format folders - the Moskva V?
It is very inexpensive on eBay.

 

[shootodog]

FED2 and/ or Retina II.

i like my electro35 gs/gt also.

 

[odin626]

I went with the Yashica, The electro GS is what got me into rangefinders, but I would go with the gsn because it has a hotshoe.

If this was a best range finder for under $10 I would have gone with argus, but for this, it is too unweildy (I have the Autronic I, and it doesn't use standard labeling for apature (3= f2.8, all the way to 9= f22) or shutter (which is a couple of dashes, with each end of the dash being a setting). I got mine for $7, and it works pretty well (the needle on the light meter broken, and the virticle alignment on the range finder is off, but easy to work around).

 

[jsrockit]

I'm going to go with the Olympus XA due to size. If I want a larger rangefinder, I will just pay more than $50.

 

[wilonstott]

Yashica electro-35. GSN for the win.

 

[NickTrop]

The Yash's are great, and that's what I voted for. BUT the Fujica Compact Deluxe is smaller, METERED manual with shutter priority, WITH a second meter on the top plate (for pre-metering), and (imo) has a better by a hair 45mm/f1.8 lens that always surprises me. It's like an "unknown" Oly RD (larger though) but without the shutter problems I've read the RD has. Never owned the RD but just based on what I've read, I think I like the Fujica better. The Fuji also has a cool "dot" system for under/over exposure that doesn't annoyingly lockup to prevent you from taking an under/over exposed pic (HATE that), a focus wheel on the back of the camera (which works better than the rings on the barrel, imo. More logical, faster to focus, less futzing...), film advance on the bottom to make room for a distance wheel on the top plate (and 2nd meter). This is the only RF I currently own. It is the ultimate fixed lens rangefinder of all that I've owned, the only RF I currently own, and the only RF I need. Some say it's "quirky". I disagree - it's very well thought-out ergonomically but broke the mold a bit and takes a little getting used to. The only reason this goes for $10, $20, $30 bucks is few folks know about it. There's very little info on the web about it... otherwise it would commad a premium price like the RD. Also, it didn't appear to be a huge seller so there's not as many out there. So, Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... it's our little secret, okay?

 

[retnull]

The generosity of EEbbay brought to me a Konica Auto S2 for $10...the images in the auction listing were terrible, but the camera arrived in perfect shape. And it's a joy to use. The Hexanon 45/1.8 lens is killer -- going through photos, I often can't tell apart which were done with the Konica and which were done with a recent Summicron 50 / 2.

 

[Keith]

So no love for the Voigtlander Vito CLR ... I have one of these I paid $25.00 for and it works perfectly.

It's a homely little beast though!

 

[Jim Simmons]

The Petri 7s was my first rangefinder camera, borrowed from a friend, and the photos I took with it got me into art school in the '70s. I'm still working with those images. The Canonets are nice too.

 

[Brian Legge]

For a solid, all around camera in that range on eBay, the Canonet 17 giii is a great camera. I easily use it more than any of my other.

The Olympus 35RC is a close second for the size but the ergonomcs don't work as well for me. Craigslist occationally has better deals - I just snagged a 7sII for $45 which I'm excited to try. I also have a 35RD I picked up for $3 but needs repair. That may become my favorite but finding on in working shape for $50 would be quite difficult.