What's the Best UNDER $50 Ebay Rangefinder?

CameraQuest

CameraQuest

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What's the Best UNDER $50 Rangefinder?
I get a lot of emails from people wanting to buy their first rangefinder on the cheap to find out if Rangefinder Photography is for them.

I'm curious what the RFF consensus is for the best under $50 rangefinder -- based upon average Ebay selling prices.

Let the voting begin ..

and speak up if other candidates should be added to the poll.

Your vote will be PUBLIC.

Besides voting, you are welcomed to explain why you made your choice, and your favorites of that make within the price range.

Stephen
 
Without a doubt for me it would be the Yashica GSN. I paid 13 dollars for mine on the bay and it was so great I bought another, the only time I have ever bought two of the same camera. In my mind it is the best combination of fast sharp glass with a great ability to meter light correctly even if you are a bit of a metering slacker. A great and very easy to find gem of the sub $50 cameras.
 
The Retinas are going cheap.

Many fine models can be had for under $25..:eek:
 
I'm going to say the Yashica GSN as well. They are quite easy and usually quite cheap. It has an excellent sharp lens and aperture priority with a limited manual exposure speed.
 
I don't particularly like the camera as I believe it's over rated but the GSN seems to be the one. I have a couple that cost me around $50.00 each and they perform flawlessly!

I just can't get along with them though so they spend all their time in the cupboard ... the size and the ergonomics spoil them.
 
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.
 
Colyn is right. The Retina II series cameras are dropping in price and they are wonderful cameras. Avotius is also right in that the Yashica GSN/GTN cameras are great. One of those was my first rangefinder and it got me hooked. However, I think the Konica Auto S series slightly edges them out. For $50 and under, it is just awfully difficult to beat a Hexanon lens.
 
I voted 'Other make japanese' because I think it is as close as makes no difference to a tie between the Yashicas and the Canonets, the biggest deciding factor being whether you prefer shutter priority (for freezing or blurring motion) or aperture priority (for depth of field control). Both methods are highly useful for rangefinder photography, and both are fantastically well built cameras. Really though, with the exception of the Minolta FLRFs that I have seen, it is hard to go wrong with any of the Japanese FLRFs. The Olympus, in particular, has a number of really nice features, but I have never gotten my hands on one.
 
I have both the Canonet ql17gIII & Yashica GSN. The Canonet was my first rangefinder camera & is still used quite a bit. The GSN is heavy & feels cheap made. The handling is bulky compared to the QL17. The lens is quite good but the rest of the camera lacks IMO. I also have a few FSU cameras. The VF is pretty crappy even compared to the Yashica or Canonet. So I have to say that I would recommend the Canonet. This camera probably inspired me to purchase a Bessa R more than any other.
 
Minolta 7s for me. Stellar lens, good metering, great viewfinder and bright RF patch, parallax correcting framelines, optional AE if you want it, etc, etc. Big & homely, but a great performer.

I recently got a Fujica V2 which is similar in size and features and may have an even better lens.
 
Yashica Electro35 GSN - although I have enjoyed using Minolta Hi-matics. I bought a new GTN for $60 when I was in the Air Force in the early 70s.
 
Konica C35. Great lens, and much smaller than the Yashicas. IF, and it's a big if, you can get a good Fed 2 w/ the collapsible Elmar 50 copy, that's a better picture taker, but that can sometimes take several tries. And you'll need a light meter. The Konica has a meter and unlike the Yashica, it's viewfinder gives you shutter and aperture info. The camera has an AE lock too.
 
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I voted minolta because I quite like the hi0matic 7s and 9. But the yashicas are good - even the slower ministers.
 
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