best sleeper rangefinder camera

[christine_colby]

I'm interested in 'sleeper' rangefinder cameras, the kind with great optics, but

somewhat less known. For instance, the Canonet QL, the Konica Auto S2, the

Olympus and Minolta cameras fit the description, but are better known (at least

to rangefinder folk). I think the Konica Auto S2 has a wonderful lens. Are

there other less known cameras out there that have amazing optics, bokeh, etc.

Thanks

[r.c._booth]

Olympus RC

[Troll]

Konica S3 is even better.

[yann1]

Yashica 35 gsn. the lens is f 1.7, price is dirt cheap.

[glenn_mabbutt]

<b>Bill Mitchell</b> - <i>Konica S3 is even better.</i>

<p>

But, as I understand, no manual settings at all, other than ISO setting. I have an S2, and do occasionally use it manually with the meter setting as a reference, which I find useful.

<p>

I'd actually like to try an S3 out one day - it turns out my local repair shop has one on consignment for sale - but I've got too many cameras on the go right now as it stands :)

[Andy Collins]

The Olympus 35RC is a great choice and usually goes for a pretty reasonable price. The 35DC is also another great performer and has the fantastic f/1.7 lens, although it's a little harder to find. Having said that, I think one of the best 'sleeper' cameras is the Retina IIc. It doesn't get the praise and adulation that the IIa or IIIc/IIIC get, and sometimes is overlooked, but it has a beautifully sharp lens and the same Retina quality and feel that you find in the rest of the line. Check out Mark's thread from the 17th regarding "Retina Xenon Available Light Photos", and take a look at Gene's pictures of and from the IIc. Pretty impressive.

[mark_hahn]

I think the Oly ECR is a wonderful sleeper rangefinder... usually go for like $15 for mint copies... yes, auto only, but a great user (and work with standard batteries).

[christine_colby]

I've heard that Walz Envoy 35's are amazing. Does anyone have more information on these cameras and where they might be found (nothing on auction site)? I have an older rf that has a kind of blue cast to the prints -I think it is a Taron. Also, cameras/lenses that have good bokeh?

[minhnguyen9113]

The Petri 1.8 is a good candidate.

[summitar]

Voigtlander Vito B, Vitessa's and the Vito III.

[pensacolaphoto]

The Konica Auto S3 cannot be used in manual exposure mode whereas the S and the S2 allow manual override, as Glenn said. The S2 is hard to beat for overall quality at such a low cost. The S3 is far more expensive these days.

[SCL]

I'll vote for the Ricoh 500 or 519 (if you can find one)<div></div>

[Andy Collins]

Another person recommended the 35ECR to me recently...as it is auto only, how is it different from the 35DC (also auto only) aside from the lens (1.7 for the DC vs. 2.8 for the ECR) and smaller size, or are those the major differences?

[dmhorne]

I have a Walz Envoy 35 too. Great camera I picked up for $25 at a camera swap. But the real find was a Konica S, (not auto, not S2). Great viewfinder ans excellent 48mm f1.8 Hexanon lens. I like the focus tab & longer focus throw as well.

[classcamera]

Right now I would opt for a Minolta 35, or a Cannon P. Both are way undervalued for an interchangeable lens camera. However, the Leica III, and IIIa are still a good value.

[mark_medin]

You've gotten a lot of good recommendations, but I'd like to ask something before I recommend anything - what are you looking for in a rangefinder? Do you want an all-automatic camera without manual control? Do you want interchangeable or fixed lens? BTW, some cameras, like the Konica Auto S3 and Minolta 7sII aren't exactly sleepers as they fetch high prices at auction.

[steve salmons]

The Yashica Minister cameras offer incredibly good value on the second hand market. The Yashinon lenses are well regarded; 4 element I believe.Also the Copal shutters are very very quiet.

They are not particularly compact however which may be a drawback for some users but for the money they are a real bargain.<br>

Rather at the other end of the scale in terms of cost but still not really over the top is the Canon 7 which in my opinion has a great spec for the money.

[bueh]

Old and classic: The Braun Paxette camera models with a coupled rangefinder (and interchangeable lenses). Not "the best", but good and cheap.

<p>

Zeiss Ikon Voigtl䮤er Vitessa 1000 SR -- rare but not expensive, high-quality built and wonderful Tessar lens.

<p>

Voigtländer VF101: Excellent aperture-priority <abbr title="auto exposure">AE</abbr> camera, tiny, great Skopar lens, inexpensive.<div></div>

[bueh]

Oops, that should read "Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer Vitessa 1000 SR".

<p>

But if you are looking for bokeh, look no further than the Yashica Lynx 14/14E with its fantastic Yashinon-DX 45mm f/1.4. This lens is definitively one of my favorites in 35mm format! However, the camera is no sleeper, but it is still pretty affordable despite being well known.

<center>

<img src="http://www.photo.net/bboard-uploads//00IkwB-33447384.jpg" hspace="5" vspace="10">

<br><b>

Yashica Lynx 14, Yashinon-DX 45mm f/1.4, Fuji Neopan 400

</b></center>

[charles_stobbs3]

How about a Werra I with a Zeiss Tessar lens and a Compur shutter?

[john_shriver]

The Aires rangefinders are all sleepers in my opinion. They use a novel rangefinder/viewfinder design that provides excellent bright lines, with a good contrasty gold RF patch. (The trick is that they glue one lens in the middle of another lens.) These aren't ghostly "bright" lines like the Canonets, they are big, bright, and yellow. No parallax correction, and some models also have inner red frame lines for the auxiliary (screw-on) 80mm lens. (That's easy enough to mask out with black tape.)

 

They have a very fine 45mm f/1.9 H-Coral lens, which is your classic double-Gauss design. It's very sharp stopped down, and respectable wide open. The narrow throat of the shutter probably compromises the design a bit. All use Seikosha shutters, which are first-rate.

 

If you buy one as-is, the shutter will probably be ready for a cleaning. Also, the shutter cocking mechanism is a bit fragile. The focusing helical may need a clean and lube. But they are easy to work on, and common so one can have a parts camera. I bet Carol Flutot could get one working at a very reasonable price, they are very easy to work on.

 

The interesting models are the 35-III, 35-IIIC, 35-IIIL, and Viscount. Older models aren't EV-coupled, newer ones are. The Viscount's styling doesn't try and ape the Leica M like the earlier ones do, it's more 60's modern.

 

They are not "compact". Chunky. Large castings. Fit and finish under the covers is a bit crude.

 

The 80mm auxiliary lens is large, awkward to focus (read scale, change focus), and no great shakes sharpness wise.

[christine_colby]

The main thing I'm looking for is outstanding optics. The Konica Auto S2 is a fine example of incredible optics, yet it is an inexpensive camera. I used the S2 more than Nikon I had, and finally sold the Nikon! I have a Viscount, ugly, chunky and wonderful color rendition- - has a kind of impressionistic allure to it. For me the optics are the most important feature in a camera. Response have been helpful.

[patrick j dempsey]

I beleive the Olympus 35ECR has the same lens as the 35RC. I would hardly quantify the 35RC as a sleeper, it gets so much press on photo.net you would think it had Leica stamped on the front. If you want sharp optics... ALL of the Olympus rangefinders Ive seen have sharp optics, and that includes the Pen half-frame rangefinders. The 35RC is so popular simply because its a full-frame camera with virtually the same dimensions as the half-frame cameras! Also all of the Yashicas and Konicas Ive seen have sharp lenses as well. You've got to figure that all of these 1960s and 1970s nicer rangefinders have the benefit of at LEAST a Tessar-type lens. Olympus had not entered into the SLR market when they made most of their rangefinders, so it was their bread-and-butter, even today they make most of their money on PNS cameras. Yashica was firmly a rangefinder/TLR company so they got really good at it. The Minolta rangefinders are supposed to be very sharp, but the A-2 that I have is apparently typical in having a non-functional and tricky-to-fix shutter. One Ive always been interested in is the Minolta CLE, but its rare and the Leica-philes swoop these up. They take Leica M glass and Minolta made their own M Rokkor lenses for it, and it is one of the most advanced cameras ever made to accept Leica M lenses. Unfortunately limited production and Leica mount=expensive.

 

For an overview of tons of rangefinder cameras, check out cameraquest.com:

 

http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm

http://www.cameraquest.com/com35s.htm

[dan_fromm2]

Um, er, ah, BB, how on earth can one talk of the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus when nothing is in focus?

 

I bet you took that shot with a pinhole and are teasing the rest of us.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[vivek iyer]

Bueh, Thanks for mentioning the Yashica Lynx. I looked it up and it has a top shutter speed of 1/500s just like most other fixed lens cams.

 

Your example shot appears to be quite over exposed plus there may some motion blur as well. Interesting out of focus highlights (similar to many fast lenses, including a Biotar 75/1.5, Canon 50/0.95, Noctilux 50/1, etc).