good classic cameras for low light conditions

[dreamspy1]

Hi

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I'm looking for some old camera that's suitable for low light conditions. So

something with a low ("big") aperture.

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I'we been thinking about getting an old leica for some time, but don't know how

well these perform in low light conditions?

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Any other recommendations?

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regards<br>

Frímann <br>

gallery: www.skynvilla.is/dreamspy

[elmarfudd]

The Leica M series cameras perform outstandingly in low light. Because you are not viewing through the lens, the focusing image stays the same regardless of aperture. I don't know how much money you're looking to spend but the Leica M3 is an excellent choice for low light work, it has a very big, bright viewfinder as well as extremely accurate focusing. Before I got into Leicas I used a Nikon F2 with a very fast Nikon 55mm F/1.2 lens that enabled fast focusing in low light. That combination is cheaper than the Leica, but heavier and not as ideal to IMO.

[Mike Gammill]

If a fixed lens camera is okay, then there is the Yashica Lynx 14 series with its 45mm f1.4 lens. Also consider the Konica Auto S 1.6 with its 45mm f 1.6 lens. With a little less speed, but easier to find are the Konica S2/Auto S, Minolta Himatic series, Canonette, etc. These all have very quiet leaf shutters.

[jan_bremnes]

I've got the Yashica Electro 35G and can't complain about it's low light capabilities. Fixed 40mm/1,7 and shutter speeds from 1/500 - 15s. But a big drawback is that it's automatic exposure only, you set the ISO, wind the film and focus, the camera does everything else and doesn't let you know what it intends to do.

 

<a href="http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?YashicaElectro35GSN.html~mainFrame">Yashica Electro</a>

[dreamspy1]

I might add that I want to be able to control everything myself, so that leaves out the Yashica ;)

 

There is something about the feel of the Leica that I really like.

 

Recarding Leica, do they come with a fixed lens, or is it changeable? And aren't they 100% manual? (the old ones that is)

 

Money isn't that much of a issue, so a Leica M3 might be the one.

 

So de people generally agree on M3 beeing a really good Leica model? I'we heard some other good things about it on the net.

[ndnbrunei]

If you don't mind a camera from the less prestigious end of town, get yourself a Yashica Electro 35 GSN. They are available on eB*y for $15 - $25 and are remarkable value. Check them out on the internet ...

 

http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/chrono.html

 

(try a Google search for more).

 

They really shine in low light conditions. The lens is f1.7 45mm (6 elements in 4 groups) and is very sharp. The light meter is surprisingly accurate and regulates the exposure time which can go as low as 8 seconds!

 

This is a great 'first rangefinder', and, at the price, one of the best bargains in the 2nd hand market.

[donnie_strickland]

Yashica Lynx 14 IC. Fully manual, f/1.4.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

"Because you are not viewing through the lens, the focusing image stays the same regardless of aperture."

 

Any modern SLR allows you to view through the lens wide open. Stop down occurs when you press the shutter release. So this is not really a reason to buy a Leica (but there are plenty of other reasons).

 

Get a Leica. You want a Leica. You'll enjoy using a Leica. And the damn thing should last forever.

[randmcnatt]

A bit pricey, but if you want the ultimate, find a Canon 7 with a 50mm f0.95 Canon lens (or get one converted to Leica mount). There's actually <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-7-0-95-50mm-Canon-Lens_W0QQitemZ280099079747QQcategoryZ297QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem">one up for grabs on eBay</a>.

[elmarfudd]

What I meant is, the focusing brightness is the same whether you're using a Noctilux (F/1) or an older lens with a maximum aperture of 3.5 or 4.5. The same can not be said for an SLR.

[gib]

Yashica Lynx can be used in full manual mode, the GT electro models cant do that.

 

non-classic except in design: Bessa R with a CV Nokton 50mm f1.5 lens.

 

there are several other CV lenses you might want to look at some 1.4 or 1.7 -- I like the Bessa R viewfinder (bright and clear)

[sam_thompson2]

The Canonet GIIIs are pretty nice. 1.7, quiet leaf shutter, flash sync at all speeds, manual controls.

 

Couple of drawbacks is the meter uses a discontinued mercury battery, ISO goes only to 800 and these cameras are less likely to have been taken care of than Leicas.

[alex macphee]

Another vote for the Yashica Lynx 14. Fast, sharp, fully manual, with metering. And sturdy enough to stun a Rottweiler in a tricky situation.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

A lot of really good info here:

 

http://cameraquest.com/classics.htm

[dan_fromm2]

If you're set on getting a Leica, get one and be done with it. Their big advantage over SLRs is that the RF, if in good order, works better with short lenses and in poor light than any SLR's viewing system.

 

If you can put up with a fairly heavy SLR for which a superb range of lenses was made, consider getting a Konica AutoReflex. The 58/1.2 Hexanon is a bit long as "normal" lenses for 35 mm go but is a very fine lens. Or consider getting, say, a Nikon F. The 50/1.4 Nikkor I bought early in 1970 wasn't as good as the 58/1.2 Hexanon one of my friends bought later that year, but it was quite usable.

[bueh]

I have several Yashica Lynx 14/14E's, and the rangefinder image is next to impossible to see in low light conditions. Critical focusing is therefore extremely difficult and comes down to guesswork mostly. Unfortunately, this is the case with most rangefinders I own, and the cameras with the only truly useful viewfinders are modern Leicas (and possibly other modern Contax/Leica copies). <abbr title="single-lens reflex cameras">SLRs</abbr> with very fast lenses are better in this regard, but if the shutter speeds are slow, mirror slap might be a problem. Whatever you choose, check out the cameras and compare focusing with them in available light conditions.

[stephen_w.]

Leica M2 or M4 for the 35 framelines.

[lauren_macintosh]

Ah> but everybody has forgoten the Canon Lens with an F-stop of F1. which there happens to be one on ebay at the moment: can't get any lower than that \\\\Lauren

[charles_stobbs3]

The Yashicas mentioned above are aperture priority and are a good low price intro to low light photography. If you buy one on EBay you can generally resell it for the same price and only be out postage if you decid to move up.

[vivek iyer]

Mine would be a Leica CL plus an old 50/0.95 Canon lens mounted for Leica M.

 

I can use this lens for digital captures as well.

[Troll]

How low? With ISO400 film and a f:1.4 lens you can shoot candlelight at 1/20 sec.

[charles_sallee]

I use two 35mm cameras: a Leica M7 and a Contax RTS II. I absolutely love both of them. Low light photography for me means shooting family and friends indoors, day or night, with a B&W 3200 ISO film and I use both cameras for that purpose. A lot of the old SLRs had big, bright, magnificent viewfinders. You can have your focusing screen coated (mine was done by Maxwell Precision Optics) for better light transmission. Add a 50/1.4 lens and I honestly don't see my rangefinder being significantly better to frame and focus with than my SLR.

 

If you want a Leica, you'll probably never regret buying one. The Cosina Voigtlander lenses are affordable and excellent.

 

Before buying a Leica, I tried an old Olympus 35SP and others have mentioned the Canonet with 1.7 lens. Although their metering only goes to 800 ISO, if you use an incident meter you aren't limited by that. They are cheap and fun and you can see whether or not a rangefinder is truly your cup of tea.

 

Bottom line: Lots of good choices. Hard to go wrong.

[dan_fromm2]

Lauren, the minimum relative aperture possible in air is f/0.5. f/0.7 lenses from X-ray machines are frequently offered on eBay. None is particularly useful for photography.

 

The fastest lens I know of that was used for serious photography was an f/0.7 Zeiss that Stanley Kubrick used to shoot candle-lit scenes in Barry Lyndon. There are many f/0.95 lenses for cine and TV cameras. There are, though, very few really fast lenses for formats larger than 24x36.

 

Canon even mass-produced an 8.5-26.5/1.0 zoom lens for Super 8 cine cameras, including the 310XL. Pedestrian little camera, of which I have three. They produce phenomenally good footage. The lens is amazingly good and an astounding value.

 

Original poster, what are you trying to accomplish?

[rustys pics]

I'm going to recommend something other than a Yashica or Canonet. Those are OK cameras, but I really like using my Kiev 4m 35mm rangefinder with

Helios F1.8 lens. Very bright finder, and all manual. I also like the Olympus Pen FT 35mm half frame SLR with either the 1.8 or rarer 1.4 Zuiko lens. The pen's shutter fires vertically, so you can handhold slow shutter speed.

[jeff bishop]

I don't want to sound like a jerk (which doesn't mean that I won't).

 

For me, I find a good tripod to be of far greater importance than the brand of camera for low light situations. Also, while fast lenses are nice to have, if you want any level of DOF you will have to stop it down to the point where just about all other lenses can match it (f/5.6 is the same for all lenses, for instance).

 

While it's perfectly possible to get a good shot hand held in very low light, using a good tripod and a long exposure makes that goal a lot more likely.

 

In this respect, I would pay more attention to exposure and reciprocity failure for low light situations. This you can manage with just about any camera out there.

 

It's the photographer, not the camera.