Rangefinders

Ben johns

Ben johns

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I suffer from gas...so getting into 35mm cameras was probably a bad mistake. But now I have my canon at-1 I've been drooling over Leica film cameras...maybe one day. But for now are there any decent yet cheap rangefinders that I should keep my eyes open for if they pop up? I like fully manual controls but other than that I don't care about brand or anything
 
How about the Canon GIII 17QL. Shutter priority or manual.

Actually just looked... maybe doesn't count as "cheap"
 
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Lol to be honest I can't get anything else at the moment anyway, my girlfriend wouldn't be happy, should be spending money on baby stuff! Why are Leicas so expensive!!
 
Ben, I'll report this to the mod team and ask them to move it to the film and conventional section where you'll get more people seeing it who know more about the options.
 
Hi Ben,
How about an nice little Olympus 35RC or an SP if money was stretched a little further. My wife has one and it is a really lovely little camera, very sharp 42mm f2.8 lens, small, neat and not very expensive. Or a Konica C35 Automatic, another small rangefinder with an excellent Hexanon 38mm f2.8 lens. Both of these have full manual controls and will fit in a coat pocket. Forget Leica, they're living on past glories and charge the earth for very little (ooops) :D
I would also suggest looking at Voigtlander rangefinders if you want interchangeable lenses, 95% as good as Leica for about a third the price.

Andy
 
Or, if you don't mind a bit more weight, a Voigtlander Vitomatic 11 or 11a. Chunky, great lens (50mm Color Skopar f2.8)and a built in lightmeter, classy.

Vitomatic-IIa-top by Andy, on Flickr
 
Yashica 35GTN electro is a cheap way to get into 35mm rangefinders too!
 
That aforementioned Canon 1.7 QL and the really excellent Yashica Electro GSN...or something.
Brilliant cameras but their age means certain well known stuff just gives up the ghost : mostly related to batteries.

Or buy a potentially bad Russki like the FED or Zorki and hope you get a good 'un, or repair the seals yourself.
 
Jao said:
Yashica 35GTN electro is a cheap way to get into 35mm rangefinders too!
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What I was going to suggest too (y)

There's also a more expensive option of a Yashica Electro 35 GX or CC (£100-150), smaller cameras with lovely lenses and aperture priority shooting. I have a GX and it's a corker. Or there's cameras such as the Minolta Hi-Matic 7s and 7sii. I'm suggesting these because the lenses are f/1.7 or f/1.8, gives that little extra versatility.

Zorki 4 is a classic Russian beast and some of the lenses have gone up in price dramatically in the last few years thanks to mirrorless digital cameras and cheap adaptors. But for a cheap and cheerful brick with fully manual controls, they're still hard to beat for value.
 
Konica Auto S2? Another in a similar vein to the Yashica Elextro.
 
Buy the Leica. It's the only one your children will be able to use when they're your age.

...or they could sell to pay for college :D

I'm not helping, am I?
 
The hi matics are fully automatic though. Well my E is anyway.

There's a lot to be said for an Olympus trip too.
 
FujiLove said:
Buy the Leica. It's the only one your children will be able to use when they're your age.

...or they could sell to pay for college :D

I'm not helping, am I?
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Oh I dont know about that. That Voigtlander Vitomatic is already over 60 years old and still looks like and works like, a new one. Plus you can use it to knock in nails if you lose your hammer. :D
 
FujiLove said:
Buy the Leica. It's the only one your children will be able to use when they're your age.

...or they could sell to pay for college :D

I'm not helping, am I?
Click to expand...

Truth
 
Some of the old Russian Leica copies are actually quite nice. I don't know enough about them to make a recommendation, but there's a ton of info over on rangefinderforum if you want to investigate further.
 
srichards said:
The hi matics are fully automatic though. Well my E is anyway.

There's a lot to be said for an Olympus trip too.
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My Hi-Matic 7s is automatic or manual with an EV light meter reading in the viewfinder that allows you to set the combination of aperture and shutter speed. I need to dig it out, next stage of the great tidy-up and clearance sale is almost upon us! :D

Agree about the Trip, fun little camera that's no-fuss as long as you remember to pick the right focus!
 
Strappy said:
My Hi-Matic 7s is automatic or manual with an EV light meter reading in the viewfinder that allows you to set the combination of aperture and shutter speed. I need to dig it out, next stage of the great tidy-up and clearance sale is almost upon us! :D

Agree about the Trip, fun little camera that's no-fuss as long as you remember to pick the right focus!
Click to expand...

Interest piqued. ;)
 
How about a por mans Leica ?
Zorki 4 or4K with a 50mm f2.0
Or maybe a poor mans Contax ?
A Kiev 4 or 4 A plus 50mm f2.0
They also made a number of Fed / Lieca copies
Cheap as chips at camera fairs
 
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Andysnap said:
Interest piqued.
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I should cut to the chase and just set up a market stall. :D

"Cam on now, ladies and jellyworms, cam an' 'av a butchers at these luverly cameras, one careful owner (followed by several ham-fisted clods), low mileage, luvs a bit o' the old Kate 'n' Willum (fillum, for those of you not from rand these parts), roll up, roll up!"

Should be sometime this week, Andy. ;)
 
Phiggys said:
How about a por mans Leica ?
Zorki 4 or4K with a 50mm f2.0
Or maybe a poor mans Contax ?
A Kiev 4 or 4 A plus 50mm f2.0
They also made a number of Fed / Lieca copies
Cheap as chips at camera fairs
Click to expand...

Not tried the Kiev models but Zorki 4K or 6 cameras can be really nice and fun to use... the trick is to find a properly CLA'd one or they can feel a bit 'industrial'. I was lucky enough to find a 6 that's silky smooth. The other plus is you can try different lenses ...don't forget to price these in.

There are lots of nice fixed lens rangefinders so, as suggested earlier, have a nose at the rangefinder forum.
 
Loads on the bay last night because I was looking.

The Yashica look good and seem to be inexpensive.

I have, and occasionally still use a Vivitar 35ES (there is also a slightly lesser specced 35E) which I bought new, oh about 40 years ago and cost an absolute fortune at the time. It still looks new. It is a lovely camera and from what I have seen on t'web these two are gaining a bit of a following.

With a bit of effort entry to the Rangefinder world should be achievable from a starting price of around £25 or so if that helps.

Good luck.
 
I have the vivitar 35 EF. Main issue is that when the battery is in the meter is live so you need a lens cap on it or it will just flatten the battery. It also takes the mercury ones so the meter will be off a bit as well with 1.5 v It does at least fit a normal LR44 or a 675 hearing aid battery depending on your preference.
 
The Yashica Electros are pretty good and it just so happens I've put mine up for sale in the classified *shameless plug*
 
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