bitfeng
Well-known
I have QL17-GIII, 7SII, 35RC, and Retina Ia, II, and IIa, and many other cameras.
Under $50, realistically:
1. Oly 35RC.
2. Retina IIa or II. If you are lucky, you may snatch a Heligon. I got my Retina IIa with Heligon with ~$17 ...
But if one can spend ~$100, 7SII with a working meter is unbeatable.
Under $50, realistically:
1. Oly 35RC.
2. Retina IIa or II. If you are lucky, you may snatch a Heligon. I got my Retina IIa with Heligon with ~$17 ...
But if one can spend ~$100, 7SII with a working meter is unbeatable.
bmattock
Veteran
Still have Olympus RC and Sears 35 | RF (relabeled Ricoh 500G). Both still in reasonably good nick.
davidnewtonguitars
Family Snaps
Maybe a "lucky find" but I doubt there is much good for $50 on the regular market.
Steve M.
Veteran
I'm in the market for an inexpensive, small rangefinder camera, so this thread coming up this morning is timely. After looking at stuff on the web until my eyes about fell out I decided to go through my pics from other cameras, and the clear winners in terms of image quality are the Retinas. The Xenar 50 3.5 photos look very similar to Leica lenses. I'm going to buy a !a, which is not technically a rangefinder as it has no, well, rangefinder. Be that as it may, it's not a SLR and I have to figure out the distance, so we'll fudge it a little.
These are from my old Ia. Tri-X in Rodinal at 1:25 and scanned on a flatbed w/ zero post editing, so there's a lot more detail to be had in the negs. All that beautiful Rodinal grain disappeared when I made wet prints! Those were the days when I was printing w/ RC papers, so it would be worthwhile to print something larger on fiber w/ some filters to try and capture the grain again.
These are from my old Ia. Tri-X in Rodinal at 1:25 and scanned on a flatbed w/ zero post editing, so there's a lot more detail to be had in the negs. All that beautiful Rodinal grain disappeared when I made wet prints! Those were the days when I was printing w/ RC papers, so it would be worthwhile to print something larger on fiber w/ some filters to try and capture the grain again.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Forget Ebay. Go where all the Ebay buyers shop - charity stores, garage sales and deceased estate clearance sales.
You will find an amazing assortment of not so old and old digital and film cameras in the op shops. Unwanted film cameras often turn up in shop bins and sell for as little as $2, depending on year and make. These are given a spit and polish and a few turns with a screwdriver and then sold for whatever the seller believes they are worth - usually too much, but nobody is forced to buy on Ebay anyway.
Remember to take a soccer bat with you to fight off the Ebay hustlers. They can be a vicious lot...
You will find an amazing assortment of not so old and old digital and film cameras in the op shops. Unwanted film cameras often turn up in shop bins and sell for as little as $2, depending on year and make. These are given a spit and polish and a few turns with a screwdriver and then sold for whatever the seller believes they are worth - usually too much, but nobody is forced to buy on Ebay anyway.
Remember to take a soccer bat with you to fight off the Ebay hustlers. They can be a vicious lot...
CliveC
Well-known
In my area, you're five years too late for that. Old cameras have pretty much dried up in charity shops and they are quickly snapped up when they do come in.
grouchos_tash
Well-known
I wouldn't recommend anyone buy a camera under $50 to see if they like the rangefinder experience (I've made this mistake myself too many times). Imagine trying instant coffee as your chance to see if you like espresso?
Also, if you did find you liked it, you'd end up buying a better camera anyway probably.
As long as you don't over pay the going rate, you can buy any camera and sell it on for not much of a loss.
That being said, I still enjoy playing with cheap cameras!
N.B. I appreciate some people have limited budgets or don't want to spend hundreds on a camera but that's a different scenario to the one in this discussion
Also, if you did find you liked it, you'd end up buying a better camera anyway probably.
As long as you don't over pay the going rate, you can buy any camera and sell it on for not much of a loss.
That being said, I still enjoy playing with cheap cameras!
N.B. I appreciate some people have limited budgets or don't want to spend hundreds on a camera but that's a different scenario to the one in this discussion
D
Deleted member 65559
Guest
Now there's a sane response!
David Hughes
David Hughes
It all depends, doesn't it?
You can buy cameras for a few pennies and they work and you can buy them for a few pennies and happily send them off to be repaired because you know the technician and his charges for that model.
And then - just to wind you up - someone will show you the camera they got for ten UK pounds. The guy was walking out of the shop when he thought about it and went back in to ask if they had any cameras. They showed him one and he bought it for ten pounds. It was a Leica IIIc with an Elmar. I saw it and thought it needed a lot of work but...
So it happens but you have to be lucky and realise you are being lucky.
Regards, David
You can buy cameras for a few pennies and they work and you can buy them for a few pennies and happily send them off to be repaired because you know the technician and his charges for that model.
And then - just to wind you up - someone will show you the camera they got for ten UK pounds. The guy was walking out of the shop when he thought about it and went back in to ask if they had any cameras. They showed him one and he bought it for ten pounds. It was a Leica IIIc with an Elmar. I saw it and thought it needed a lot of work but...
So it happens but you have to be lucky and realise you are being lucky.
Regards, David
grouchos_tash
Well-known
Haha, I try to be the 'buy best, buy once' guy but not always haha
One day, one fine day
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
The ancient Kodak Signet 35: A great buy at under $50
The ancient Kodak Signet 35: A great buy at under $50
The original Kodak Signet 35 of the 50s isn't the last word in convenience--it has a manually cocked shutter and a manually set frame counter for example, and its mediocre Kodak Synchro 300 shutter has a limited range of shutter speeds (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, and 1/300 sec plus B). However, it's built like a tank, has high quality range/viewfinder (albeit squinty by modern standards) and it focuses down to 2 feet. However the main reason for acquiring one of these chunky post deco classics is the lens--a semi-wide-angle 44mm f/3.5 Ektar (a Tessar type) that delivers imaging performance that's simply spectacular! Make sure the lens is clear and free of fungus/haze, ditto for the range/viewfinder, and verify that the secondary rangefinder image is bright, clear and moves properly as you focus. Finally, before you pull the trigger, make sure the seller accepts returns, and will refund the full purchase price. Caveat emptor, and have fun!
The ancient Kodak Signet 35: A great buy at under $50
The original Kodak Signet 35 of the 50s isn't the last word in convenience--it has a manually cocked shutter and a manually set frame counter for example, and its mediocre Kodak Synchro 300 shutter has a limited range of shutter speeds (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, and 1/300 sec plus B). However, it's built like a tank, has high quality range/viewfinder (albeit squinty by modern standards) and it focuses down to 2 feet. However the main reason for acquiring one of these chunky post deco classics is the lens--a semi-wide-angle 44mm f/3.5 Ektar (a Tessar type) that delivers imaging performance that's simply spectacular! Make sure the lens is clear and free of fungus/haze, ditto for the range/viewfinder, and verify that the secondary rangefinder image is bright, clear and moves properly as you focus. Finally, before you pull the trigger, make sure the seller accepts returns, and will refund the full purchase price. Caveat emptor, and have fun!
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
Jason, thanks for this insight! I'm always looking for fun cameras in this range.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
Canonet GIII QL1.7 for under $50?
Canonet GIII QL1.7 for under $50?
Yes, The Canonet QL1.7 is a very nice camera with an excellent 40mm f/1.7 Canon lens, and it offers full manual control as well as non-TTL autoexposure, but it typically sells for about $150, not under $50 if current eBay listings are any guide. You can occasionally find it for $100 or slightly less, but I haven't seen any lately that have sold for under $50. As with all eBay cameras make sure the seller accepts returns with no restrictions.
Canonet GIII QL1.7 for under $50?
Yes, The Canonet QL1.7 is a very nice camera with an excellent 40mm f/1.7 Canon lens, and it offers full manual control as well as non-TTL autoexposure, but it typically sells for about $150, not under $50 if current eBay listings are any guide. You can occasionally find it for $100 or slightly less, but I haven't seen any lately that have sold for under $50. As with all eBay cameras make sure the seller accepts returns with no restrictions.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
I agree with all your choices, but not with your comment about the Zorki 4k. In general, the problem with Russian cameras is not poor optical quality--the lenses are mostly creditable copies of vintage Zeiss designs--but with their mechanical precision and quality control which are both mediocre. Having said that, I have shot with Leica-ish Zorkis, and Contax-like Kievs (really unabashed Contax II/III clones) and they have generally proven reliable even if they lack the finesse and beautiful finish of the German originals.
A lot depends upon how lucky you are.
My first Leica was a mint M3 over 1.1mil with 50/2 rigid Summicron, 35/3.5 googled Summaron, 135/4 Elmar, all for $75.
But it was 1976 and the M3 was jammed.
Added repair cost $75
Stephen
My first Leica was a mint M3 over 1.1mil with 50/2 rigid Summicron, 35/3.5 googled Summaron, 135/4 Elmar, all for $75.
But it was 1976 and the M3 was jammed.
Added repair cost $75
Stephen
oh yeah. there are still bargains. I still get giddy over my black paint MP with 50 lux for $600 that I got in a pawn shop a few years ago. Just hope that wasn't the last of my luck!
there are still bargains. I still get giddy over my black paint MP with 50 lux for $600 that I got in a pawn shop a few years ago. Just hope that wasn't the last of my luck!
BillBingham2
Registered User
Aaaahhhhh, but that's when $150 USD was $150 USD!!
Should have got a couple of SP systems rather than the M4-P back in 84:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:
I paid a lot more for my new Nikkormat FTn an 85/1.8 about the same time, should have looked used .....(not as frustrated on that one, still love my Nikkormat)
B2
B2 (;->
Huss
Veteran
Zorki 10...
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
Jason, again thanks for the recommendation. I just landed a working Signet 35 for <$40 with a clear rangefinder and lens according to the seller. Cosmetically looks great also. No case - so I'll try and snag one if reasonable. The seller said if he comes across one he'll send it along as long as I pay shipping.
I have an old Kodak Series V lens shade that used to belong to my Dad who used it on his Revere 16mm movie camera.
Lots of Signet 35 love here on RFF - Some RFF Kodak Signet 35 threads w/pics:
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154883&highlight=Kodak+Signet+35
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159766&highlight=Kodak+Signet+35
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56536&highlight=Kodak+Signet+35
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169059&highlight=Kodak+Signet+35
https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162807&highlight=Kodak+Signet+35
And... http://www.sample-image.com/kodak-signet-35/