josh_rodriguez1 Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I would like to have one after hearing the wonders of how sharp they are due to no mirror. How are the Cannonets? I dont want to spend too much money I just want something with a nice sharp lens more at the wide end would be nice. Give me some ideas....I need something to go along with my Elan 7ne and AE-1 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapegeek Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Get a Canon Canonet QL-17 GIII or a Yashica Electro G, GS or GSN... Hell you could even get an Argus C3 and have fun with that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 sharpest lens to cheapest price ratio= Yashica-imo- GSN seems to be best of the lot- drawbacks are electronic exposure only- requires battery and working meter- but that's true of many of the 70's rangefinders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_schall Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Sharp lens and cheap camera, I recommend the Minolta HiMatic 7s or 9. They are both full size, metal cameras. You can get them for $20. I have a 7s that I paid $12. It's in mint condition and takes excellent photos. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_accetta Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Try the Minolta Hi-Matic 7, 7s or 9. Fast Rokkor glass and fully operational w/out batteries. Offers autoexposure with battery. Simple, fun cameras. Can be had for under $40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aizan_sasayama Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 olympus 35rc, 35rd, or xa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 my favotite rangefinder (this week) FED 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titrisol Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 canonets, olympus (full frames), zeiss ikons, etc. are very good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_lai Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Take a look at <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/rangefinders.html" target="_blank">Matt Denton's Rangefinders page.</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank granovski Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Many of the fixed-lens Voigtlanders are good, just make sure you get one with a built-in light meter. All the Voigtlanders I owned were very sharp. I also have 3 Yashica Electro GSNs. These are my favourite. I own an Olympus 35 RC but I haven't tried it yet. I'm waiting for a battery adaptor for it. It's a very well built little rangefinder. My main camera right now that I use most of the time is the Electro GSN. It's very sharp and has very nice bokeh. I use the Yashica-Guy's battery adaptor for it. Hopefully this weekend I'll have some pics scanned and uploaded from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_capodiferro Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Look into the Konica Auto S2. Great camera. $20-30 range, solid build with super sharp lens (and built-in lens hood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie_strickland Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 For fun, I like the Yashica GS/GSN/GT/GTN (all basically the same) because you can use a readily available long-lasting battery -- see Matt Denton's page. These have great lenses as well. If you like taking long exposures (at night, etc.) the stepless electronic shutter can't be beat. I also like the Konica S2, which you can use with a hearing aid battery. Sharp lens also. The Yashica Lynx 14E IC has a great seven element f/1.4 lens, and used with Yashica Guy's battery adapter is one of my favorite shooters. I haven't used a Canonet, although they come highly recommended also. Keep in mind that all of these are old cameras and whatever you may buy might need some work. Don't let this scare you off! If it's minor you might be able to fix it yourself but if you have to send it off it's not usually too much. Mark Hama CLA'd a Yashica Electro GT of mine for $78. Then you have a like-new camera when you get it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I have the Yashica GSN, Minolta Hi-Matic 9, Canon QL-17, Oly XA and FED 2. Any one of them would be great for your purpose and it would be hard to pick which one has the sharpest lens. Yashica and Minolta are full size, both quiet. Oly is tiny, you can always take it with you. You could probably even hide it if you were naked. Canon and FED tie in my book, as my favorites. Canon is small but easy to hold, auto or manual. FED is just plain fun, no meter though, but really good lens (the normal 50). It's a take your pick thing. All good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roman_sonnleitner1 Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Konica Auto S2 - very sharp, fast lens, offers fully manual option (important if you don't want to mess around with the problem of finding a replacement for mercury batteries), rather big though, and not exactly wide (45mm). Yashica Electro 35 - also a very good, sharp, fast, though not very wide lens (except for the hard to find CC version); no manual option, though. Minolta Himatic 7S - pretty similar to the Konica S2, features-wise. Himatic 7SII - much more compact, and a bit wider (40mm) lens. Olympus 35RC, not the fastes, but a bit wider lens (38/2.8), does have afully manual option, very compact - nice! Oly XA - even more compact, aperture-priority (but not a problem - uses modern batteries); rangefinder not very good in low light, though. Konica C35: very compact, very cheap, good lens, but only works in fully automatic mode. Any of the Russian M39-mount rangefinders (or maybe even a Kiev...): not really compact, but very useable, if you get a good one (buy from a reliable seller, or have it CLAd); exchangeable lenses (135, 50, 35, 28, 20mm lenses - the last two are rare and expensive...), but you'll have to use an external viewfinder with those. My favorites are the Zorki 6, 3M and the FED 2, as well as the meterless Kiev 4 versions (these are not M39, but Contax-bayonet mount). Roman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_mckeith Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 my favotite rangefinder(last week) Kodak Signet 35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connealy Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 Frank, I have an Olympus 35 RC in which I use the 1.35V Wein Cell which is the replacement for the PX625. It is the same one I use in my Spotmatic. No adapter needed, and it seems to get the job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_leonard Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 I've had a Canonet QL-17 GIII for many years. It's been very reliable and takes nice pictures. I can't tell from looking at old 4 x 6 prints if they were made with my Canonet or my old Nikkormat FTn with 50mm f=2 lens. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enrico_barsetti Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Ricoh 500 gx, Yashica Lynx,Konica C35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacsa Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 "Oly is tiny, you can always take it with you. You could probably even hide it if you were naked." OUCH! :)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygzr Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Not quite a classic, but the XA gets my vote. I keep one in the car all the time (naked or otherwise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank granovski Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 Mike, I had no idea about the 1.35V Wein Cell. I already ordered the adaptors, though. Thanks for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_scott Posted February 5, 2005 Share Posted February 5, 2005 How about a Zorki-4K ? Interchangeable lens, large-magnification viewfinder, coupled rangefinder. But be prepared to have it CLA'd unless you strike lucky and get a good 'un! Standard lens is a 50mm f/2, said to be a clone of the Zeiss Sonnar (but coated). Or there's the pocketable Olympus XA: c.r.f., excellent lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclat Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Don't know if I can lend anything new to this discussion except to say that you may be surprised, first of all, just how big/heavy the full-sized RF's are, like the Yashica GSN. The compact 35 RF's are another story: Olympus RC/RD, Canon G-III 17, Konica Auto S3, Yashica Electro 35 CC/GX, Minolta 7sII, and Rollei 35S. (The Olympus XA and XA4 are also small, but I'm not into their Auto-exposure only systems.) Having said that, the GSN is, at this point, my favorite. The light control the old Yashinon lenses have is truly stunning, and the camera is ergonomically perfect. Just the right heft. After exhaustive research--you don't even want to know--I can tell you that the five cameras that seem to have the most consistently rave reviews from owners/pros are, in no particular order: Olympus RD, Canon G-III 17, Konica Auto S3, the Yashica GSN, and Minolta 7sII. Some will say that the Yashica GX should be in this bunch. Only trouble with them is that they are near impossible to find, and when they do become available, 30 other people who have been salivating for years to have one are willing to put up crazy money to get one. And when all is said and done, Mr. Yashica Guy prefers the GSN--or so I've heard. And while we're on expense: the Auto S3 is also, in my opinion, over-priced. But if you do a lot of flash photography, then the Auto S3 out-classes all other cameras mentioned here. It's simply not a choice. Just Google Konica Auto S3 for the specs and you'll see what I mean. I'm about to try a 7sII (which I found in its Revue 400SE incarnation--same camera, cheaper price), so I'll post a review when I've tried it. Can't wait. Oh yeah, and one more thing. All cameras mentioned above--fully functional without a battery. Try that with a $350 P&S. Happy hunting.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Michael, are you sure the Yashica GSN is fully functional without battery? I ask because mine thinks its shutter is electronically timed. Cheers, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd_lim Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Dan, When there is no battery, the GSN will operate at 1/500s. Load up fast film (ASA800) and use the sunny f/16 rule - then you can shoot without using batteries. For me, I currently have 4 GSNs and they are all very good. Only had to replace the light seals, clean the rangefinder and lens, and use the spring-4LR44 trick to get them all working :). Total cost: 30 mins of my time for each camera. All of them are very sharp. I'll be hardpressed to tell the difference between my Canon Elan 50/1.8 shots and the GSN shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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