Rangefinder setup

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SimonUK

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After trying Peds RD1 a few months ago ive been lusting after a rangefinder for quite a while. I dont need anything fancy and the digital stuff is way expensive, what the way to go and get into 35mm range finders, ive got 400ish to spend :)

Need a body and one lens, pref a 35 :) would love lecia but the price is crazy afaik...

Simon
 
Second hand Leica CL + Vogtlander 40/1.4 should be around that much I think. Maybe a used Bessa R3A (or M) should fit too. Other than that, there are always fixed lens RFs like the Yashica Electro GSN, Canon Canonet QL17 GIII and Olympus 35SP.
 
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I'm not very knowledgable about rangefinders but I'd think Bessa R2 or 3 plus a Voigtlander lens would be the way to go.

Especially if you like the RD1 (it's a Bessa with digital guts.)
 
Ffordes generally have a good selection of Voigtlanders in, cameras and lenses.

http://www.ffordes.co.uk/search/voigtlander bessa

I have an R3A and the Nokton 40mm f1.4 and its a classic combo, although it would probably be double your budget. The Bessa T is a good alternative and a reasonable price.

Cheers

Andy
 
Since you have a decent budget, I recommend the Bessa R3 + lens as well. If you really want you could maybe pick up a Leica m2 or 3 from eBay with a Jupiter 8 lens (they go really cheap & are decent lenses).
 
Whats everyones thoughts on the lecia IIIs and stuff? Cheap and still a lecia :)
 
Old but good. you can still get them repaired and serviced but remember they are not as user friendly as some of the newer ones. For example film loading is not as easy as you may like. Also the lenses to tend to be slower and suffer from the expected problems of being 60 years old and still cost a pretty penny! I think the advice of a voigtlander camera given here is good considering your budget.
 
On the flipside you can get hold of some older less common rangefinder camers for pocket money, such as the Braun Paxette stuff. Worth considering especially if you can go and try the camera to see that the shutter speeds are OK, light meter works and rangefinder is accurate etc.

My entire collection of Paxette stuff is probably worth less than £600 and I enjoy using it so much I sold my Leica without a second thought. You can then spend the spare cash on developing kit or eating out :)
 
I like the Leica III's but if I were you I'd buy a Leica M2 body and then use a converter to use Jupiter or older Leica screw mount lenses. When you can afford it you can then start buying the more expensive M mount lenses.

The M2 body won't depreciate under your ownership and you can buy modern Voigtlander lightmeters to affix to the top to get the settings correct.

I sold my Bessa R2a, damm thing kept cheesing me off by flattening the batteries as I kept forgetting to turn it off or knocked the on/off switch as I was putting it way and went back to the M2. Although I still have a Bessa R (my favourite camera) which turns itself off and I've never changed the batteries in it under stress but change them once a year to keep them topped up.
 
SimonUK said:
Whats everyones thoughts on the lecia IIIs and stuff? Cheap and still a lecia :)
Click to expand...

They are miraculous, but while they were technologically ahead of the time and will still shoot a pin sharp shot, there are other limitations beyond what Jim's outlined.

* The viewfinder and rangefinder are tiny and do not adjust for different lenses.
* You will have to learn sunny 16 or carry a meter.
* Loading film is tricky and typically needs to be done seated at a table. The film is also supposed to be trimmed to specific dimensions, so unless you prepare your film before you head out, you'll have to carry some scissors and a way of cutting to the correct shape (template, ruler).
* Most of them are knob wind and rewind rather than lever, which is a bit slower.

*BUT* some of them are 70 years old and still able to shoot as sharp as anything available today so a marvel to use.
 
Cheers guys! How much are we talking for a working M2 body? Cosmetics dont bother me much, but obviously some so beat to hell isnt what im looking for either :) I may try find a fixed rangfinder first and shoot that for a bit, but finding one that has anything other than a 50 might be a painn
 
I'd go Leica M2 body £400 ish, then a cheap Screw to M adaptor and a Jupiter 8 50mm

Adaptor a tenner or so

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Detachabl...s=63&clkid=5474455436482218937#ht_2708wt_1270

Jupiter 8 about £30

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lens-Jupi...ers_Lenses&hash=item231314a953#ht_2719wt_1341

Once you can find the funds then upgrading to better lenses or different Jupiters is on the cards, but you won't go wrong with the M2 body!

This week as part of my 366 I'm using digikal cos I'm lazy, but am using my 35mm Summicron on my EP-3 ;)

390057_10150688575158761_694868760_12150381_1819987295_n.jpg
 
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SimonUK said:
Cheers guys! How much are we talking for a working M2 body? Cosmetics dont bother me much, but obviously some so beat to hell isnt what im looking for either :) I may try find a fixed rangfinder first and shoot that for a bit, but finding one that has anything other than a 50 might be a painn
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I think most fixed lens rangefinders have less than 50mm lenses. The Olympus XA is the only one that comes to mind that is as wide as 35mm (as per your first post), but no doubt there are others. The XA doesn't let you manually set shutter speeds though, so may be a deal breaker. Somewhere round 40-42mm seems most common though on Minoltas, Yashicas and Olympuses.

At the risk of sending you away from TP and stopping the chat, Matt Denton has concise write ups of his rangefinders here: http://www.mattdentonphoto.com/cameras/rangefinders.html
He doesn't have them all though!
 
ped said:
I would be tempted with the Minolta CLE in the classifieds here.
Click to expand...

I saw that, if I didn't already have a Bessa I'd seriously consider it.
 
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