ZI good choice for 'stealth camera'?

[Planar1.4]

I have a G1 that I have used for 5 years non-stop, as well as the RTSIII with a decent compliment of German Zeiss lenses for times when an SLR works best for me (portraits, makro, tele-wildlife).

What I like about the G1 is its size and ability to easily travel. What I don't like is the AF/shutter delay and associated noise of AF ranging in and winder when trying to shoot candids. Children and others turn to look and my opportunity is lost, esp when working close up.

What I want is to add a 3rd camera to my set to cover these candids and stealth type situations.

Is the new Zeiss Ikon with a 50/2 (or if I sold my home- an 85/2) a good choice for this, or would I do better with a used M with the same or similar lens. I am a huge fan of Zeiss optics- so the compatibility is great- I also considered a 50/1, but again I need a place to sleep at night....

Thanks for any help or advice!

 

[FrankS]

For a stealth camera, the advantage the ZI has over Leica M cameras (except the M7, M5, and CLE) is aperture priority. Aperture priority can sometimes be an advantage when stealth is the goal.

The shutter lag will be the same as with Leica cameras, and they are all better than the G1 and G2 cameras.

One drawback of the ZI compared to Leica cameras is the louder shutter noise. I'm not saying Leicas are silent, they are not, but they are quieter than the Bessa RF's and the ZI. Some people think this is an issue, others do not, saying that in street situations ambient noise masks the shutter sound. If you are looking for a stealth camera, then you have to take into account times where the ambient noise will not be sufficient to mask the shutter sound. I have direct experience with not shooting a picture with a Bessa R (the noisiest of all Bessa RF's) because I knew the shutter sound would give me away, and I did not want that in that situation.

The ultimate stealth camera is neither a Leica M or ZI in my opinion, it is the Konica Hexar AF with silent mode, its leaf shutter, and its innovative exposure automation.

 

[Azinko]

The "ultimate stealth camera" should be a camera which you don't need to raise across your face,......try the 'really discrete' camera,..the Rolleiflex 2.8F with Zeiss Planar lens.

Few people will bother to look at the Rollei or if they do they know it is not being used as it is not at eye level,...anyway it's easy to carry/use disretely,...shutter is more or less silent,...waist level picture angle gives excellent impact to shots,......image quality is far beyond any 35mm camera,...there are no bits of the camera to take your mind away from the hunt for the next great shot,.....the perfect hunters tool!

For comlete srtealth/discretion, carry/use the Rollei in a simple brown paper bag in the crook of your arm,...tear an opening for the lenses and cut a neat slit in the back to use winding crank.

 

[ZeissFan]

I wouldn't describe the Zeiss Ikon's shutter as loud. It's between a Leica M and a Bessa. You could always mate the Carl Zeiss glass to an older Leica body.

Or if you really want to go retro, seek out the original Contax rangefinder: model II or IIa with a f/1.5 Sonnar, f/2.8 35mm Biogon, the f/2.0 85mm Sonnar and f/4 135mm Sonnar. That should cover just about any situation.

 

[Palaeoboy]

For a stealth camera, the advantage the ZI has over Leica M cameras (except the M7, M5, and CLE) is aperture priority.

M5 doesnt have aperture priority though.

 

[FrankS]

Oops, you're correct. I confused it with built-in metering. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Sonnar2]

The chrome ZI is anything but stealth, IMHO.... cheers, Frank

 

[Huck Finn]

The chrome ZI is anything but stealth, IMHO.... cheers, Frank

Would you describe a chrome M6 as stealth? A chrome M3? Just curious.

 

[Avotius]

yeah, I dont get his comment about the chrome ZI not being stealth, weird. Seems to me there are a lot of Chrome cams out there that do well

 

[Andy K]

The best 'stealth' cameras I have found so far are my Voigtlander Vito CLR and QL17 GIII. Both have near silent shutters. An added advantage to stealth photography would be a waist level finder for the accessory shoe.
Personally these days I prefer to be obvious about shooting in public. I would not want to be confronted by angry parents who caught a photographer taking 'stealth' shots of their children. It is sad I know but these are the times we live in.

 

[gustav[] pEña]

I will add the ROLLEI 35 SE 40mm f2.8. Its no range finder but its compact and very silent. I found its very easy to shoot with just ona hand wich allows me to rise and lower my hand easily without bringing the camera to my eyes (if you dont mind blind photographing). I found thits camera very well desing and easy to use. Some peaple dont, I dont even understand why.

I also use M4-P, canonet g17III, digilux 2 and rollei se is the one I took when I want to be stealth.

I also find that being stealth is no just the camera is also the photographing method you use. Blind photographing helps a lot.

 

[Gene M]

I agree with Gustav.

 

[CameraQuest]

The chrome ZI is anything but stealth, IMHO.... cheers, Frank

There is no such thing as a chrome ZI, or chrome ZI lenses -- they don't exist. It is silver paint -- not chrome.

Personally I like the black paint ZI better than the M7 due to its simpler controls without the M7 finder confusion, easier to see 28 and 35 framelines, long effective rangefinder baselength, and almost as quiet shutter. The M7 is beats the ZI in terms of quietness, easier to see shutter speed display, and back up mechanical shutter speeds, yet I prefer the black paint ZI overall.

Stephen

 

[Sonnar2]

Would you describe a chrome M6 as stealth? A chrome M3? Just curious.

..NO 😉

I would agree to that person saying the Rolleiflex TLR is one of the best "stealth" *film* cameras.

cheers, Frank

 

[sf]

The avatar is. . . . pretty unique, perhaps not the subject matter, but easily the perspective/impact. What an expression of totally cosmic frustration.

TLR : quiet, fast glass, MF image quality

Leica M3/M6/m7 - quiet, fastest glass, easier to focus (in my opinion) than a TLR. I have imperfect eyesight. The M3 is the quietest of the Leica family listed above.

Bronica RF645 (yes, I love the camera) : silent shutter (leaf, like the TLR), but quieter yet, followed by a quiet as a mouse shutter recocking sound - like a gerbal actually. Premium MF image quality image. SLOW lenses @ F4, which may be a problem if you shoot alot of shots at F2.8 and larger. Remarkably easy to focus in very very dim light. I never had trouble when using Delta 3200 @ 1600 indoors in low light.

Now, you could buy a medium format SLR, like a Mamiya 645, and use mirror lockup and a fast leaf shutter lens. That would be really really quiet too - but bulkier than the other examples, and more of a pain to shoot. So, no reason to buy it really.

 

[back alley]

The avatar is disturbing . . . .

what avatar?

 

[sf]

what avatar?

Planar1.4's avatar. I shouldn't say "disturbing" exactly. I really mean it is just a very intense shot of a newborn. That look of almost - perhaps actual - fury at having been thrust into the cold, bright world - very apparent in the picture.

 

[RayPA]

My stealthiest camera is a CLE, small, dark and compact, especially with a small lens, such as the CV 28/3.5, or the even 40 Rokkor/'cron. I recently added a Luigi case and it is even quieter.

 

[Huck Finn]

Interesting point, Ray, about a case helping to muffle the shutter noise.

 

[dostacos]

Planar1.4's avatar. I shouldn't say "disturbing" exactly. I really mean it is just a very intense shot of a newborn. That look of almost - perhaps actual - fury at having been thrust into the cold, bright world - very apparent in the picture.

cannot tell if the "stats" are clipping off the umbilicus, OR the OB-GYN is moonlighting as a Mohel 😀