david_manning1 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Picked up a 1971 Oly 35DC while I was in Hartford, Conn. I have NO experience with rangefinders, but this one is pretty much goof-proof. Just point and (focus and) shoot. It works great, and the images look nice. The Zuiko 40mm f1.7 lens is very sharp, and it is going to make a nice, light travel camera. Attached are a couple of scans made at the lab from the first roll. ----Dave.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Another shot...<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Final shot. No award-winners here...I burned a roll of film just to make sure the camera was in working order. I really like the glass.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs3 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I have a non-working one with clean glass. Hope to get it operating some day. Thanks for the inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_park2 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 David, Your photos prove that, essentially, there's nothing new under the sun and that a 37 year-old film camera can produce as vivid a photo as any modern state-of-the-art machine. That Zuiko is clearly very sharp indeed. Congratulations on your acquisition. Cheers, Ken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_wayne4 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 These pictures are wonderful. The shots could have come out of a Leica M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohir_ali Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Just shows that making normal and longer lenses isn't rocket science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User_503771 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 "Just shows that making normal and longer lenses isn't rocket science.' Oh, that's just rude! And the fallacy of that notion is shown very adequately by the sheer profusion of UN-sharp normal and longer lenses out there! Have you designed a better one? I prefer not to criticize from my armchair... ...but would like to add my congratulations and compliments to those above. It's clearly a great camera with a great lens! And those are some of the best-looking "test" shots I've seen in awhile. Yeah, it's a keeper! Keep shootin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzdavid Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Nice shots Dave; that first one looks like it's from the WWII memorial in Washington, DC -- but perhaps not. Oly 35RC was my first serious 35mm camera, and it produced some very nice results. I think Leica glass has the edge, but Zuiko lenses are certainly very good indeed, and knock the socks off the point-and-shoot multi-X zooms. Your camera also proves the rangefinder design is essentially timeless and can;t really be improved on. The Leica M3 already had it right in 1954. Film matters, too -- your choice seems to have got the best from the Olympus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohir_ali Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I prefer not to criticize from my armchair... Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgerraty Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Well done David from all points of view. The XA gets a great rap on this forum too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Thanks everyone. I'm leaving tonight for another four days and I'll be bringing along the 35DC. It's loaded with TMax 100 right now, but I might switch to a C41 b&w for ease of handling. Aside from photography as an avocation, I'm also an airline pilot, so I see lots of street scenes from various cities. This could be the camera I was looking for...although, to be quite honest, I'd like to select my working aperture. Maybe I'll train with this one and then trade to an Oly 35RD for aperture priority work. I like shallow DoF candids, which is why I wanted something with a small, fast prime lens on a full-frame. I couldn't find it digitally. This is a case of "best tool for the job." In order to force a shallower depth of field, I chose 100ISO film instead of 400, both with those test shots there, and with the black and white now. Anyone interested in a possible trade sometime in the future? My 35DC for a 35RD? Again, thanks for the kudos. As with most of you, I'm sure, my wife doesn't understand why I needed a tenth camera. ----Dave.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 << ... <i>As with most of you, I'm sure, my wife doesn't understand why I needed a tenth camera.</i> ... >><p> Ha ! Whimmen ! :-)<p> If you do go for the chromogenic b & w, I like Ilford XP2 Super, and have done decently rating it at 320. It scans well -- even well enough to mask my own poor scanning skills and technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icuneko Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 "These pictures are wonderful. The shots could have come out of a Leica M." Scandalous! Heresy!! But true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricBoehm Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 The only remaining rangefinder in my collection is a Yashica Electro 35 GS with another great f/1.7 (45mm Yashinon) lens. Dave, that one has your aperture priority... Of course, I have no idea what the shutter speed is, only if it's too slow or can't go fast enough. I really miss my M, but I do still enjoy the ease of rangefinder photography with that GS, and that even-quiter-than-the-M leaf shutter is *very* discreet. Too bad it's a non-interchangeable lens and battery-dependent, but I still enjoy using it. Very nice test shots, BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzdavid Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 <The shots could have come out of a Leica M> Certainly they are very sharp, but I think that last one especially is more contrasty than with Leica glass. Blacks are very black. Of course it depends which lens and which film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_manning1 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 David, I think that last shot's high contrast might also be a function of the lab's scan, which as we know (because of the digitization) has less dynamic range than film. I'd have to glance at the neg to see if there is any info in the black areas. As you said though, it could be a function of the glass itself. At this point there are enough variables to call it a wash. Lacking good wet printing, the difference is academic, another great example of the limitations of digital (and also, the reality of digital). One thing is for sure though...the sharpness is unmistakable and I'm satisfied with it. Having a great time with my new toy, as all the shiny Nikons (digital AND film) sit on the shelf for the time being. ---Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick_wilson2 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Congrats on getting a good camera. And one that works well too. The top of the range Olly rangefinders of the 1970s (35SP, 35RC, 35DC) are well known to have very good lenses. I have a 35SP waiting for new light seals...it might be even better as it has another lens element (7 in total) over 6 in the 35DC. People often say so... No problem for you...just get a 35SP as well! Mohir, If you mean in general that standard lenses are easy to design (as opposed to more extreme focal lengths) then fair enough. If you meant a slur on Olympus, then that is unfair. They have made many, many great lenses (21 f2, 50 f2 macro, 90 f2 macro, 250 f2 for a bit of cream of the crop from the OM series) and continue to do so. And the fast 40mm or 42 mm lenses for these rangefinders are good, with lots of elements and groups. But I'm not suggesting they are quite as fine as the best Leica M lens, if you were being defensive. Or the rangefinder is as good etc. But they do cost a LARGE TRUCK LOAD less money ;-). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohir_ali Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Yes, in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_cole1 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Hi David could you answer a couple of questions?.. Firstly i just got a DC off of ebay and the iso doesn't turn,i could barely move it,do you turn it by the two grooves on the black part or just the silver section.. Also mine as a little dip in the top plate around the flash does urs,it looks like a little dent but theres no obvious marks to imply it took a bang or drop.. What battery did you go with the wein cell? cheers andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_cole1 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Not to worry it went back was damaged..cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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