Value Range Finder Cameras

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liverpool_f_

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Hi all,

I have been becoming more interested in range finders, especially the typical run of the mill late 60's to early 80's pre auto focus type fare. It seems to me that these are massively underpriced second hand since everyone seems to want plush SLR's or premium compacts along with the Leica's and Mamiyas that are far beyond my budget.

An example of the type of thing I am talking about is the Minolta Hi-Matics, many of which had lenses as fast as f/1.7, full manual, aperature priority, shutter priority, iso range of 25-800 and decent mostly metal construction. Thats a serious amount of camera that can be had for £30 odd quid on ebay if you have a look around. The Canonets would be a similar example.

Does anyone else have any insight into range finder cameras of this type feature set that can also be had sub £50. Pros/cons of different models would be greatly appreciated along with reliability issues and things to look out for. I am sure the quality of the fixed lenses have a wide variety, but I imagine even the worst of them were still decent enough.

Looking forward to hear what anyone has to say about this
 
I have a weakness for old rangefinders and even scale focus cameras. The problem is finding good examples. They are out there, but so are many cameras in poor/damaged condition. Any with selenium cell based light meters can't really be relied upon to work accurately now, and those with battery powered light metering so often have rotten battery compartments.
I seem to have dropped in on German cameras from the 50s and 60s, mainly all manual, but some with metering. Those with lens mounted shutters (Compur/pronto etc?) are an unknown too, many that don't work.. My wish list is topped by the Konica S2 Auto, but after a couple with issues, I don't buy any more.
As ever, buy wisely, ask specific questions and be prepared to pay a bit more for something that's been checked over by a competent seller. Good luck.
 
The market leads to some being hyped up as collectable, but they can also be good cameras. Generally they're getting long in the tooth, so if an example fully functions that's a bonus, but it could break at any time. I'd avoid the fully auto types - even for match-needle models their selenium meters might have faded, whilst cds meters might need outdated battery types (there are some workarounds for this). As long as the shutterspeed & aperture can be set manually you can use a separate hand-held meter.

Build quality is generally good. Look out for mouldy lenses!
 
You can get a Canonet for well under £50. The one I had had a 45mm f1.7 lens.
 
Well, I have a Yashica Lynx 5000 on the way, so I'll let you know. I don't hold out any great hopes for it, as it's a bit dog eared. But it didn't cost me a lot, and I enjoy tinkering. Not sure how I came to start looking at rangefinders really. I suppose they were an oddity that piqued my interest.
 
Plain Nev said:
I suppose they were an oddity that piqued my interest.
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By the middle of the 1960s, the small Japanese 35mm rangefinder design dominated the amateur market.

The specification was pretty much the same for the offerings from all the manufacturers:
  • oblong box body shell
  • hinged back door
  • lever wind and cranked rewind
  • bright line viewfinder
  • fixed 45mm lens with a maximum aperture of f2.8 or f1.7 set in a tubular mount
  • Selenium cell metering or (later) CdS battery operated metering
Some Japanese offerings varied a little from this pattern but they were all very much cut from the same cloth.

The German cameras were mostly quite different from the Japanese cameras with much more "organically" shaped body shells and less prominent lens housings. Also, rangefinders were marketed as an upmarket version of the basic camera, often with a distinctive model name.

Lots more here: http://www.mrmartinweb.com/35mmother.html
 
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At the time I had it, the one I recall was the Yashica MG-1 and though it was a fixed lens (50mm???) it was very good IMHO.

Long since sold/traded in :(
 
I have a mint Hi-Matic F as well as a couple of Olympus 35RCs. They both have their place, the Minolta being fully automatic which means all you have to worry about is focus & composition. Both are tiny and compact, and both require jiggery pokery to get the battery working and thus the meter. The Minolta is dead without the battery, so if you go down that road, it's worth paying extra for something that's clean and working.

The downside to both cameras is the rangefinder patch. I'll admit I've been spoiled by Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander rangefinders, all of which have bright, clear, easy to focus patches, so when it comes to using the Oly or Minolta, I find it a bit of a struggle. If you're content with distance focussing you'll be fine. I'm contemplating moving them both on simply because I've found my rangefinder heaven and they get hardly any use.

Not sure whether your Liverpool username is geographic, or football (or both!) related, but I'm near Northwich if you ever wanted to come and handle either to see what they look & feel like.
 
Harlequin565 said:
I have a mint Hi-Matic F as well as a couple of Olympus 35RCs. They both have their place, the Minolta being fully automatic which means all you have to worry about is focus & composition. Both are tiny and compact, and both require jiggery pokery to get the battery working and thus the meter. The Minolta is dead without the battery, so if you go down that road, it's worth paying extra for something that's clean and working.

The downside to both cameras is the rangefinder patch. I'll admit I've been spoiled by Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander rangefinders, all of which have bright, clear, easy to focus patches, so when it comes to using the Oly or Minolta, I find it a bit of a struggle. If you're content with distance focussing you'll be fine. I'm contemplating moving them both on simply because I've found my rangefinder heaven and they get hardly any use.

Not sure whether your Liverpool username is geographic, or football (or both!) related, but I'm near Northwich if you ever wanted to come and handle either to see what they look & feel like.
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Thanks for that. I am based in London, so not close, but not too far either. I am used to using the range finder on my Olympus XA, so anything brighter than that, is good enough for me! What type of price would you ask for any of those?
 
liverpool_f_ said:
Thats another one I am not aware of. Will have to have a look
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I had to look it up again myself to reminisce and realised there were 2 versions ....mine was the all black one.
 
Be careful - these little cameras can act as gateway drugs to interchangeable lens rangefinders! You buy one and, before you know it, you wonder about getting a Canon P or something, which isn't that much more expensive, and then you realise that screwmount Leicas start at about the same price as the Canon, and then...
 
Dare I mention that there is one affordable, generally dependable and nearly always available rangefinder design that takes interchangeable lenses (and, depending on your imagination, makes you feel ready to storm the Normandy beaches with the front line troops) :naughty: .....

Kiev camera in ERC GH2 P1320261.JPG
 
I have three Olympus 35RCs which are rangefinder cameras, but I have given up on the search for one with a working RF and a working meter. I’ve taken the batteries out and now use them with scale focussing and manual, unmetered exposure. I tend to shoot subjects which don’t move quickly so this method of working isn’t much of a disadvantage to me. I’ve replaced the light seals in all three cameras and there’s not much can go wrong when used fully manually.
 
I had a 35RC too. Excellent little camera but I threw it in the bin together with a lot of other 'stuff' I thought I'd never need/want again when we moved house years ago. A mistake ...
 
Kevin Allan said:
I have three Olympus 35RCs which are rangefinder cameras, but I have given up on the search for one with a working RF and a working meter. I’ve taken the batteries out and now use them with scale focussing and manual, unmetered exposure. I tend to shoot subjects which don’t move quickly so this method of working isn’t much of a disadvantage to me. I’ve replaced the light seals in all three cameras and there’s not much can go wrong when used fully manually.
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Are people suggesting that the 35RC is unreliable? I really need a working range finder and meter for the way I like to shoot. Using an external meter is fine for certain things but I like the convienence of only needing 1 device (the camera) to take correctly focused and exposed images.
 
liverpool_f_ said:
Are people suggesting that the 35RC is unreliable?
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No, it's just that cameras of this ilk are of a certain age, so you can get lucky or unlucky. No guarantee of a free lunch - think about it. The mindset required shouldn't be the same as when you're buying a modern product and expecting it to work out of the box. There's uncertainty involved. You need to be an optimist. It's about having fun, no?

A lot of sellers dunno in detail what they're selling - they're just after a few quid, but a camera is not a candlestick. So if you want, well not a guarantee but just confirmation of something being sold as fully working, then look for a seller that gives a full, exhaustive product description.

The product, of course, might break down the following week (or month, or year, or decade). Which is how it goes. We all have a lifespan.
 
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Ffordes have a hi-matic F for £50 which looks really clean. That's less than I'd let mine go for.

With it being an eBay sale, I'm not sure what warranty is in place. On their main website, they give a 6 month warranty. As someone who had his M7 break after 5 months and get a full, no quibble refund, I'd heartily recommend them. Might be worth a nose around the Ffordes site to see if it's for sale there, or a message to the seller (or both)

www.ebay.co.uk

Minolta Hi-Matic F 35mm Rangefinder Camera | eBay

Fully automatic exposure with red low light lamp next to the shutter release button, takes a standard hot shoe flash gun.
www.ebay.co.uk

Edit to add, both my Minolta and 35RC under-expose vs the meter. I tend to put 400 film in there, set the ISO dial to 400, then develop for 800. THat gets me good results.
 
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Got my Yashica Lynx 5000 today. It's a lovely little thing and in better shape than I expected, to be honest. Mostly works too. The shutter seems to fire as you would expect. Even the rangefinder works. The only fly in the ointment is the light meter, but then you sort of expect that.
 
I love my Conatx IIas. I suppose that being a gadget fanatic presupposes me to a rangefindder camera.
All the extra viewfinders rangefinders, refex-housings, close-up devices are good for me.
 
liverpool_f_ said:
Hi all,

I have been becoming more interested in range finders, especially the typical run of the mill late 60's to early 80's pre auto focus type fare. It seems to me that these are massively underpriced second hand since everyone seems to want plush SLR's or premium compacts along with the Leica's and Mamiyas that are far beyond my budget.

An example of the type of thing I am talking about is the Minolta Hi-Matics, many of which had lenses as fast as f/1.7, full manual, aperature priority, shutter priority, iso range of 25-800 and decent mostly metal construction. Thats a serious amount of camera that can be had for £30 odd quid on ebay if you have a look around. The Canonets would be a similar example.

Does anyone else have any insight into range finder cameras of this type feature set that can also be had sub £50. Pros/cons of different models would be greatly appreciated along with reliability issues and things to look out for. I am sure the quality of the fixed lenses have a wide variety, but I imagine even the worst of them were still decent enough.

Looking forward to hear what anyone has to say about this
Click to expand...
Good luck finding a "value" rangefinder for £50!
 
Winslowe said:
Good luck finding a "value" rangefinder for £50!
Click to expand...
They do come up at that price, even from dealers. The Kiev pictured above was £49 delivered a couple of years ago. Yashica 35s often go for less than £50 in working condition as do Minolta Hi-Matics. There is a lot of stuff out there, you just need to look.
 
woof woof said:
There are some. I enjoyed my time with the Canonet and 45mm f1.7.
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No doubt "value" is highly subjective. I liked my Olympus RC for point and shoot stuff - 50 years ago. I wouldn't put much value on one today, though.
 
Winslowe said:
No doubt "value" is highly subjective. I liked my Olympus RC for point and shoot stuff - 50 years ago. I wouldn't put much value on one today, though.
Click to expand...

The op says sub £50, you wont get a pristine Leica for that. A working Canonet is worth £50 IMO as it's a useable RF and looks quite nice too. The person I gave mine too over 10 years ago is still using it.
 
woof woof said:
The op says sub £50, you wont get a pristine Leica for that. A working Canonet is worth £50 IMO as it's a useable RF and looks quite nice too. The person I gave mine too over 10 years ago is still using it.
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You could probably get a pristine Leica lens cap for that.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
They do come up at that price, even from dealers. The Kiev pictured above was £49 delivered a couple of years ago. Yashica 35s often go for less than £50 in working condition as do Minolta Hi-Matics. There is a lot of stuff out there, you just need to look.
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I was about to add: Soviet rangefinders a-plenty on EBay and assuming you get confirmation that they operate correctly and that there are no light leaks through the curtain are a good entry to rangefinding.
 
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