what's a good old classica-crappy Leica-like camera for the cheap?

I need a list so I know what to look for when I go junk store hunting.

Some people here might be prepared to do some of your work for you, if

they only knew what the work was. What do you mean by "good old

classica-crappy"? Do you mean "Leica-like" in coolth, ease of loading

[hollow laugh], unobtrusiveness, or optical quality? Et cetera.

A group on one of the other forums has a Hong Kong made Halina that's traveling to more places around the world than most Leicas ever will.

The Canonet QL17 GIII gets all the good PR, but the older Canonets that are pre-GIII should give you a pseudo-Leica experience. Failing that, hunt up an early Minolta Hi-Matic. But don't come looking for battery alternatives!

The Halina 35X is the most Leica looking Halina but its not a rangefinder and does not have interchangeable lenses. The Pax cameras are somewhat Leica looking. There is also the Argus 21 Markfinder (not a rangefinder either). Some of thew old FED and Zorki cameras are very Leica-like and they do also have rangefinders and interchangeable lenses.

A Konica Auto S-2 is a good call. $30 or so from the auction; a little more from Herr Weber (but with a guarantee).

IMO, you need a camera with interchangeable lenses and a focal plane shutter to qualify as Leica-like. How about the Fed and Zorki cameras from the Soviet Union? They use Leica Thread Mount type lenses, for which cheap Soviet lenses abound.

You can always get the Fed/Zorki types for a leica screw type experience :)

 

The older models are much better built, but they don't have slow shutter speeds (less things to break too) - e.g. Fed 2 / Zorki 6 which also have among the longest rangefinder baselines for these cameras.

 

If you want slow shutter speeds then a Fed 3 or Zorki 4 would be ok.

Several web sites mention that the Zorki 6 has a longer baseline. It does. BUT it also has a lower power viewfinder than a Zorki 3 or 4; so it is a wash as far as total accuracy. I bought a zorki 6; a nice camera; and then found out it is not any more accurate than any of my zorki 3c or 4.

Do you want non-mirror slapping Leica like M camera that takes Leica M lenses? If it's a rangefinder you want with a sharp fixed lens, the list is long. I'm not qualified to give you such a list because I have been ELECTROfried. ;*)

Konica Hexar Silver AF - $500 complete in original package incl. flash (though not really crappy, just auto handling mostly and fixed lens.)<div></div>

Argus C3 - rangefinder, check. Two windows like the LTM, check. 35mm film, check. Distinctive body shape, check. Ditto for the Kodak 35 rangefinder and several Perfex cameras, which feature focal-plane cloth shutters.

"You can always get the Fed/Zorki types for a leica screw type experience"

 

 

 

Very screwed type experience indeed!

Hmmm...

 

Well, the cheapest you can go and be vaguely "Leica-like" is probably an Argus C-3 "brick". Coupled RF, early models had a retracting lens (like the retracting Elmar, right?), and they advance with a knob like an early Leica -- though they are considerably easier to load than early Leicas, since the back opens instead of requiring loading from the bottom and extending the film leader. If you keep an eye open, you might be able to pick up a "brick" for as little as $10 on eBay.

Don, The Argus A models have the collapsible lens, not the C-3. But I agree, for less than

$20, anyone can have a great classic experience with a C-3. In addition, there are 35mm

and 100mm lenses for the C-3. And if you want aless -angular camera, the C-4 and C-44

models look decidely Leica-like.

How about a Kiev or a Fed or any of those fun Soviet Cameras?

I think the answer is a Zorki. Zorki 4 is the commonest and hence cheapest. Uglier than a Leica but built on the same general principles. May give surprisingly Leica-like results.

Bob, i got two "crappy" russian cameras id be willing to part with. E-mail me if interested.

earliest simplest Zorki you can find. the later ones are not well made.

One that NOBODY is interested in (that can mean it will be cheap) is the Ricoh 519 of the late 1950s. It has a fast lens and a trigger film advance just like those WWII photographers had on their Leicas. As an added attraction, you gotta take it apart to load it just like the old Contaxes. So add it to your list and have fun. Let us know how you do.