best "stree" cameras (small 35 mm RF)

<p>How about a Minox GT or EL?</p>

<p>I would suggest a Rollei 35 SE. (or TE if you want, f3.5 isn't that slow for street photo IMO) The price is pretty high these days but it is a fine performer. Sonnar/Tessar Lenses are both sharp and the German mechanic design is unbeatable. Meter is handy but not required.<br>

If you are on a budget, you can always check those FSU rangefinders. Kiev, Zorki and FED are all great cameras if they are in working order. You might want to get them from a reputable dealer. Russian pieces are cheap and could be a good beginner rangefinder. Russian lenses are dirt cheap as well and usually yield good results.</p>

<p>If anyone is still reading this thread .......I think it is better to avoid the Rollei SE/ TE . I understand that with their LEDs the exp. meter is now impossible to fix if it fails, whereas the 35S or 35T with match needle metering can still be mended--another good thing about them is that the exposure is set whilst not having the camera to the eye---better for inconspicuous street shooting.<br>

Steve.</p>

<p>That is if you use a meter to start with.</p>

<p>Good suggestions. The Rollei B35 and 35B might also be worth considering as they are less expensive than the Rollei 35. The B35 does have the three element Triotar lens, though, won't be as crisp wide open as the Tessar or Xenar in the Rollei 35. At f8 and down, though, it is quite sharp. Also, it has a non-coupled selenium meter (which uses no batteries). Shutter is 1/30 to 1/500 plus B. It is lighter than the Rollei 35, but same size. Which do I prefer? I actually own both.<br>

For a lot less money there is the Konica C35V, Minolta Hi-Matic G, and Yashica ME. Each of these has a programmed autoexposure ranging from 1/30 at f2.8 to about 1/650 sec. at f14. Simple zone focus with sharp four element f2.8 lenses. Use hearing aid batteries (1.4 volt zinc air) to replace the 675 mercury cell they were made for. There is also a C35 available with a rangefinder that is not much more expensive. It is less pocketable than the Rollei though.</p>

<p>I like a FED 3b Zone focused and ready.</p>

<p>Well, my remark about the S or T being preferable to the SE or TE was predicated on the notion you are buying a fully functioning camera on which you may care to use the meter. If you do not need an on camera meter then it is immaterial which you choose. Should you not be bothered about having neither rangefinder nor exposure meter then what about a Vito B ? It's smallish (though it weighs the same as a small planet) ---but it is cheap,well-built, easy and smooth to use with a good viewfinder, and the f3.5 lens is one of the best Tessar types made.....</p>

<p>I'm looking for a small, fully manual, high-quality, bright finder, 35mm rangefinder. Anyone have any suggestions?<br>

Small, preferably bulletproof. Interchangeable lenses would be a plus, not mandatory though. Don't need any metering or flash or any gizmos, just looking for simple and basic.<br>

Was trying to find a Canon P (couldn't), and have since been considering a Contax IIa, but it seems like lenses can be pretty tough to find for it. It also doesn't seem particularly small, and I think it has a squinty viewfinder.<br>

I currently live in Seoul, so finding obscure cameras could be a bit of a challenge, and anything rare is going to be a) unreasonably expensive, or b) in lousy condition.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>Nothing like resurrecting an old thread! :)<br>

To answer Aaron's question, I suggest a Voigtlander Bessa-R. It's the older model, and while it has a simple TTL meter, it's fully manual (so you can ignore the meter readout if you want). Flash sync (not TTL) of 1/125s, shutter speeds from 1/2000 to 1 s plus bulb. It takes M39/LTM (Leica) lenses, unlike the newer Bessas that take the M-mount lenses. So you can go cheap and get a Russian Jupiter-8, or spend more and shoot Leica or Bessa lenses. It's got an amazingly bright viewfinder. And the camera just feels really nice to operate. Not going to be cheap like a FED, but it's much cheaper than the high end.</p>

 

<p>Holey crap Matt that Bessa-R is an expensive camera. I am also curious as to what would be a great street camera to use. However i would like it to be inexpensive.</p>

 

<p>There's a used one on KEH.com for $215. That's way cheaper than a Leica. You never specified what 'inexpensive' was.<br>

Cameras I've used for street photography:<br>

Yashica Electro 35 (Aperture priority only, no manual)<br>

Konica Auto S2 (manual or shutter priority)<br>

Kiev 4a (manual only)<br>

Fed 3 (manual only)<br>

Fed 5 (manual only)<br>

Argus C-Four (manual only)<br>

And the most interesting in my mind, is:<br>

Yashica-Mat (twin lens reflex camera). Slower to frame and focus, but no one knows you're taking a picture of them because you're staring down at your shoes when you take it.<br>

All are varying degrees of cheapness, and most or all are cheaper than the Bessa-R. But the Bessa-R has a really great feel to it.<br>

Like Larry mentioned above, street photography often doesn't allow time for focusing by eye. You have to guess the distance, and then dial it in quickly before you put camera to eye. So having an actual rangefinder isn't 100% necessary. I could just as easily shoot 'street' on my Kodak Retinette 1a, which is a simple zone-focus camera.</p>