Which rangefinder to get for 35mm lens

[Rayt]

Thank you all for your beautiful answers. I went to a the leica store near me and tried the 0.72 viewfinder and it was definitely better than the 1.0 of the canon p but i think the 0.58 would be the best option for me. Sadly they didnt have any camera with that magnification to try. That made me think of the hexar af. Thats a total different camera of course but i read it has 0.58 magnification. Has anyone used it ? How is the experience of it ?

The Hexar RF is a fine camera and the AE is very convenient but not the right camera for me due to the shutter lag. I do street photography and need a responsive shutter. For general photography it’s a absolutely a good option. I tried using it in manual mode but there was still a delay between pressing the shutter and the shutter firing. I don’t know if I had a dud so just FYI.

 

[Freakscene]

Thank you all for your beautiful answers. I went to a the leica store near me and tried the 0.72 viewfinder and it was definitely better than the 1.0 of the canon p but i think the 0.58 would be the best option for me. Sadly they didnt have any camera with that magnification to try. That made me think of the hexar af. Thats a total different camera of course but i read it has 0.58 magnification. Has anyone used it ? How is the experience of it ?

The Hexar RF has a 0.6 finder that works well with 35mm lenses. You still can’t shoot with both eyes open. It is a beautiful camera and system. The rangefinder in mine went out of adjustment frequently. I learned how to fix that myself. But they have a reputation for unfixable electronic failures. Mine still works, but I would hesitate to spend the $US1-1.5k that they go for now. I got mine for a few hundred dollars in the mid-2000s when film gear was cheap.

The Hexar AF is a completely different camera with a nice parallax corrected 0.6 magnification viewfinder. They are also electronically somewhat unreliable although I got mine fixed from the common shutter button problem.

 

[Pioneer]

My favorite 35mm lens for a rangefinder is the Zeiss Biogon 35mm in Contax mount so that is the one I pick almost all the time. But the truth is that there are so many wonderful 35mm lenses for the Leica M-Mount it probably isn't worth bothering with anything else. If you try one and it doesn't make wonderful pictures for you just trade it in on another. Eventually you will find one that satisfies your needs. If my ZM didn't handle the 28mm so well I would probably use it.

 

[aoresteen]

Note that the Leica M3 does not show the 35mm frame lines. You can get a Leica 35mm lens that has clip on "googles" that widens the view to a 35mm lens. Back in the day I used one but it is a kludge. That is why I bought an M4-P.

The price of used Zeiss Ikon bodies is at $2k!!!!! I should have bought one when B&H had them for $1200 new.

 

[kxl]

The price of used Zeiss Ikon bodies is at $2k!!!!! I should have bought one when B&H had them for $1200 new.

I had bought two of them when they were roughly in the $1200-$1400 price range, and eventually sold one for $2300. As an aside, the Megaperls 1.15 magnifier on a Zeiss Ikon body is a joy to use.

 

[aoresteen]

Well, that a film camera that should be brought back!

 

[WJJ3]

Thank you all for your beautiful answers. I went to a the leica store near me and tried the 0.72 viewfinder and it was definitely better than the 1.0 of the canon p but i think the 0.58 would be the best option for me. Sadly they didnt have any camera with that magnification to try. That made me think of the hexar af. Thats a total different camera of course but i read it has 0.58 magnification. Has anyone used it ? How is the experience of it ?

After looking through a 0.58x Leica the first time I was sold. I suggest getting one in your hands before making a decision. I ended up with two 0.58x Ms. As mentioned by another forum member, a goggled 35mm Leica lens on a 0.72x is a great option as well.

I also think it would be worth your while to get a Nikon S3 in your hands and see if the life size finder with 35mm framelines works for you. Despite the cluttered finder, both eyes open viewing with a 35mm frameline is surprisingly comfortable with that camera.