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.

 

[Beemermark]

Leica RF with a 0.58x VF are rare as hen's teeth and priced accordingly. I have an MP with 0.58x VF and absolutely love it (never shoot with anything longer that 50mm). Unfortunately, the meter died about a month ago. Sent it off to DAG and the response Friday was he cannot find anything wrong with the camera so he's forwarding the camera to Leitz NJ.

Anyone interested in a very nice early MP with no meter and a 0.58x VF? Once I get done choking over the repair estimate I may not be able to afford it.

 

[Godfrey]

Hello to the team, i use the last 6 months a canon p with a 50mm 1.8. i really love this camera and the fact i can shoot with the both eyes open and focus so easy and see the 50 framelines wearing my glasses. The problem is i am starting to like the 35mm idea a lot and on the canon p i can not see the framelines of the 35mm without moving my eye and my camera around which is very contra productive for street photography and also makes the rangefinder idea not so nice if i cant se outside of my frame. Which camera would you suggest where i can see the 35mm framelines, with both eyes open wearing my glasses ? If i could save the leica money for a car that i am starting to need and not just want it would be a nice plus.

I also wear glasses, and often like focusing/viewing with both eyes open. I use my right eye for the viewfinder... I have no difficulty seeing the 35mm framelines with any Leica M that has a 0.72x viewfinder, but there's not much 'extra' room; for camera's so equipped with 28mm framelines, I have to move my eye around to see them. The 0.58x viewfinder versions let you have more extra room with the 35mm and pull the 28mm framelines down to a nice level, but they also suffer some focusing accuracy loss in the process due to the lower magnification. And the 0.58x viewfinder models are much harder to find.

My solution has been to find an accessory finder for the focal length I want to use, for any lens with a shorter than 50mm focal length, that suits my eyes best. I use the built-in viewfinder for focusing and the accessory finder for framing/composing. This works with any interchangeable lens rangefinder camera.

Of course, with MOST digital M cameras since the M typ 240, you can always fit a Visoflex EVF accessory finder and see exactly the view that any lens produces. It is more akin to using a 100% viewfinder equipped SLR then, not an RF camera, but ... such it is. 😉

G

(My brain must be weird, but I have no difficulty using both eyes open and the optical viewfinder with any focal length lens. My vision adjusts almost instantly to the disparity in FoV. Perhaps I have some chameleon in my genetic make-up... LOL!)