Which SLR is most like an RF?

[scottgee1]

Which 35mm SLR is most like an RF?

By this I mean the essential characteristics of Our Beloved RFs ('OBRFs'):

1. Compact size (for easy carrying and stealth)

2. Compact form factor for lenses to keep the kit, uh, compact

3. Bright viewfinder

4. Relatively quiet

5. Minimal mirror slap (in the case of OBRFs, none!)

6. Good selection of 'interesting' (and good!) lenses

7. Reliable and still serviceable

I'm sure I've forgotten something and will add it when I remember . . . 😕

Of course different SLRs will meet certain criteria better than others so a compromise is to be expected.

Asking this because my recent re-entry into RFland prompts me to re-evaluate SLR-dom.

TIA!/ScottGee1

 

[Socke]

Contax Aria or it's forerunner M167mt.

 

[rover]

The Contax Aria has my interest because of the quality of the optics and small size.

But the Nikon FM2 has to be a contender over all. I would add the FM3a to the fray, but I really think that it has a couple features over and above some RFs (If not for RFs this is the cam that would be in my bag I think).

 

[GeneW]

I'm biased, but I like my Olympus OM-1's. They're compact, relatively quiet, and have good lenses available.

I was just thinking today it might be interesting to pop my 25mm CV viewfinder on top of my OM-1, use my 24mm lens, use zone focusing, and lock up the mirror so there's no mirror slap. Sort of turning an OM-1 into a Bessa-L 😀

Gene

 

[Huck Finn]

Nikon FM3A with the Tessar 45/2.8 pancake. Sounds like a Bessa R2. Same body as the FM & FM2, which were built as the compact alternative in the hay day of the F2 & F3.

 

[zuikologist]

My favourites - Pentax (ME or MX) or Olympus (OM1, OM2 or even Natalia's OM4!). All of these are tiny cameras compared the the current EOS or DSLR ranges and were available with pancake lenses (usually around the 40mm, similar to many fixed lens RF's). Certainly not as quiet or free of vibration as OBRF's.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Canon Pellix: No Viewfinder Blackout During the exposure. No mirror slap.

About the same size and weight as a Canon 7.
A compact for some, a nightmare to others.

 

[scottgee1]

I should have mentioned that I consider a 'kit' to be a body and 3 lenses . . . wide-angle, 'normal' and short tele (~85mm).

One that pops to mind is Pentax screwmount, but they may run afoul of #7. Don't know if parts are still available, but as I recall, the small size of the lens mount keeps the lenses themselves small.

 

[kbg32]

Olympus Pen F or FT. Body is the same size as a Leica M. An Aria or OM is great too!

 

[scottgee1]

The Canon Pellix: No Viewfinder Blackout During the exposure. No mirror slap.

About the same size and weight as a Canon 7.
A compact for some, a nightmare to others.

Yeah, that one and the RT both occurred to me but the VF of the Pellix is, as I recall, really dim. The RT can be improved with a Maxwell screen. But it's also got the drive noise and the large lens mount for EOS . . .

I wish there was a smilie for 'chasing my tail'!/ScottGee1

 

[kjoebek]

Nikon F3 with 24mm, 35mm and 85mm.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I am surprised at how bright the viewfinder of the Pellix is. I have the 50mm F1.4 FL lens on it; did not even put the 58mm F1.2 lens on it. It is brighter than the Nikkormats and many other SLR's that I use with F1.4 lenses. The 30% split for the viewfinder makes the F1.4 lens the equivalent of an F1.8. It is brighter than any of the "modern zoom normals" on the N70 and N8008s .

 

[Socke]

Quick and dirty shots to compare sizes.

Contax G2 with 45 Planar and 167MT with 50/1.7 Planar

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Hands down winner in this category: Alpa 4 through 8 series (the 7 and 8 even include coupled rangefinders). Check the size of the 6b next to a Contax II. Alpa shutters are incredibly quiet, their selection of lenses is good and the quality of lenses are second to none (Kern and Kinoptik apochromats, Angenieux, Schneider, Schact, Kilfitt, Delft, Luminar). Olympus received a lot of glory for "innovating" the compact SLR, but the 4 through 8 series from Alpa preceded their design by more than twenty-five years. When you look into the history of 35mm photography you will find the Japanese were not innovators as much as they were excellent promoters and mass-marketers, with the early innovations often coming from Germany or in the case of Alpa from Switzerland. The second photo is the Model 7 with coupled rangefinder (vertical base).

 

[pshinkaw]

The Praktina FX. It has a viewfinder and is more affordable than an Alpa.

-Paul

 

[Honu-Hugger]

The Praktina FX. It has a viewfinder and is more affordable than an Alpa.

-Paul

Affordable is subjective: when I consider the rock solid quality of the Apa bodies, dependability, and the unmatched selection of lenses available (many available only to Alpa), they're in effect the cheapest cameras I own. In SLR's alone I spent 20+ years with Nikon, had Contax RTSII and others, and Leica R -- I'll never go back to any of them. It may be hard to understand unless you've spent time with them, but nothing else approaches the build quality of the Alpa cameras.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

P. S. If I was still in the market to buy more I'd keep quiet about how much I like them, in hopes of keeping the price down. But now that I don't plan to buy any more I feel good about extolling the virtues to others😀
Well, maybe if the right 11si came along 😉
Seriously, I think very highly of Nikon and the F2 in particular. Believe it or not, the F2 feels flimsy compared to the solidity of an Alpa -- they just did a tremendous job with their design, build quality/quality control, and their engineering.

 

[denishr]

I must say that most of the proposed solutions seem rather "arcane" to me - i.e. not readily available (at least where I live).

The camera that first came to my mind was Nikon EM - a lot lighter and more compact than any otther SLR I've handled. Its only drawback is lack of manual controls (it has only aperture priority, the speeds are set automatically). Otherwise, it's very compact and useful. Not much of a mirror slap, either. It's also very cheap - unlike some of the suggestions above 😉

Olympus OM cameras might be another solution. Not expensive, good lenses, compact.

Denis

 

[scottgee1]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Nikon FG20 have both aperture priority AND manual exposure capability?

 

[Honu-Hugger]

I used FG's a lot -- considered them almost disposable if one had ever been stolen (fortunately never happened) and extremely compact. Friends could not understand why with F cameras available that I would shoot with FG's -- but they are just really handy little cameras. I don't remember the difference between FG and FG20, but some feature led me to FG's instead of FG20's. They would be a good choice if you don't expect more from them than they were designed to deliver.