Why do you have a RF?

[cp_ste.croix]

I own an RF because I have an incredibly expensive (for me) and very large camera with an equally large lens that I realized that I wasn't taking anywhere. It essentially became a $2500 paperweight. A compact RF re-invigorated my love for actual photography, which my gear sometimes got in the way of.

 

[varjag]

A compulsive purchase at flea market.

The handsome Kiev was laying there, whispering "buy me!".

 

[Evgeny]

Low weight & size, excelent lens - dream of traveller

 

[jaapv]

That is a hard one.... I started using a RF so long ago that I can't even remember the reason. All I can say is that excursions into SLR and nowadays DSLR (which I do use for wildlife and macro photography) cannot convince me to give up the RF for everyday shooting.
Even the reason given by vsolanoy and lellou cannot be, I was standing beside a pro with Canon's all over him at wedding with my M6/tri-elmar and the envious gnashing of teeth was clearly heard 😀 (In reality he told me:" I wish I still could use real equipement like that, digital SLR for me is only for the workflow...")

 

[r c]

it's fast🙂

 

[Tim]

Hmmmmmmm........

For me, using RF's was the culmination of a long road........SLR's were too bulky and I found myself not carrying them hiking and on trips because of their bulk. Even good quality pocketable cameras (Minox 35, Rollei 35) annoyed me because of compromises due to size, and non interchangeable lenses.

Viewfinder cameras in general made me stuff some shots where I wanted to use narrow depth of field and couldn't estimate focus distances accurately enough.

What resulted was Rangefinder addiction. Fully manual, high quality (for great feel), interchangeable lens, accurate focusing, relatively compact and light.

Sure, they're not perfect. But for my requirements they're the closest thing I can currently find.....

 

[berci]

I rarely use a tripod and with an RF it's so much better to take pictures handheld using slow speed. The other reason is that I'm a snob. #:-]

 

[vsolanoy]

" I wish I still could use real equipement like that, digital SLR for me is only for the workflow...")

I smiled at this. I went to a digital workflow workshop and the guy during the presentation said that for the professional, you can make more money by dedicating less time to fixing and printing photos using a digital workflow. Digital is just plain fast, if not immediate. Whether it's superior depend on purpose.

 

[GermanB]

3. Looking like a pro. I was tired of looking like a professional photographer (I'm not even close to being one). What turned me off of SLRs was taking snapshots for my wife at an event she had organized and having guests say, "... he must be the photographer".

I don't like this either, just because Im not a pro by any means, instead I like to play the low profile role... once at a flower exhibition they were requesting an authorization to all the guys with "pro" gear ... when they saw may bessa R they said "umm that 'normal' camera is allowed , you can get in ..."

For me, general purpose shooter (no macro, action,...), RFs are self sufficient:
- instead of flash offer better performance in available light (low dim)
- instead of tripod canbe set to longer exposures, handhold
- instead of big heavy bag full of gear a small light one

This help me pass unaware to others but most important let me focus on what is worth photography (not that Im great photographer)

Barret