Folding rangefinder for under £200

[laurence_rochfort]

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p> I'm looking to buy a folding rangefinder for less than £200, ideally less than £150!</p>

<p> Looking on ebay it seems that the following are contenders, but I'm unclear on medium format specific model numbers, so any advice is greatly appreciated.</p>

 

<ul>

<li>Voigtlander Perkeo</li>

<li>Voigtlander Bessa</li>

<li>Zeiss Ikonta</li>

<li>Zeiss Super Ikonta</li>

</ul>

<p> I'm guessing these won't have meters, so any suggestions for affordable hot-shoe mountable meters would be appreciated too.</p>

<p>Many thanks,<br>

Laurence Rochfort</p>

[marco_ristuccia]

<p>If you like the 6x6 square format I suggest you to also consider the russian "Iskra", one of the best cameras produced by KMZ. Two main versions : the "1" (without meter) and the "2" (with meter).<br />Both have a very bright ragefinder (coupled with the lens focusing ring) and a very good lens : the Industar 58, a copy of the famous Tessar scheme, very sharp and single coated.<br /> They "1" sells on eBay for around 100-150$. The "2" for around $200. Pick one with a working frame counter.</p>

[bueh]

<p>I like the Soviet Iskra rangefinders best -- inexpensive, bright viewfinder that allows accurate focusing in low light and an excellent Tessar-type lens. It is a relatively "recent" (1960s) reverse-engineered reproduction of the Agfa Super Isolette.</p>

<p>The Zeiss and Voigtländer cameras are collectibles and overpriced as user cameras. And many very vintage rangefinder cameras are difficult to use and more likely to have typical aging issues.</p>

<p>Accurate light metering on the cheap is always a challenge. For best, reproducable results a modern incident light meter works best, but these (from Sekonic etc.) are quite expensive. Still worth it in my humble opinion if you love to shoot classic and medium format cameras. A cheap alternative might be an older meter like the Minolta Autometer III.<br>

Vintage meters with selenium are worthless nowadays, especially indoors and in low light. Get a real meter or use a digital camera, but don't spend your money on shoe-mounted meters -- inaccurate exposures are a waste of money, too.</p>

[yefei_he1]

<p>I think you can get a working Mamiya Six 6x6 folding camera for under $150 US dollars, which has either a Olympus Zuiko or Mamiya Sekor 75mm lens. Indeed it does not have a built-in meter. A 6x6 Super Ikonta IV with a meter can be had for around US$250, but the meter probably is bad already.</p>

[yefei_he1]

<p>Agfa, Balda, Braun, Adox, Welta made some MF folders as well, some rangefinder coupled. There should be a few more German brands that I can't recall at this moment.</p>

[Tony Evans]

<p>Agfa Isolette III? (Uncoupled).</p>

[BernardMiller]

<p>I am very pleased with the Balda Baldax I found for £20 in a second-hand shop in Crystal Palace. It has an uncoupled rangefinder, and the viewfinder is a bit dark & manky--but luckily, they also had a Watameter II available for an extra fiver! That was a bonus cosmetically as well, because the auxiliary rangefinder makes the already cool old camera look even more baroque, and leads people to want to chat with you about it, and be more relaxed about letting you to take their photo.</p>

<p>The Balda may not be the absolute best folder out there, but it delivers superb bang for the buck. It's got some nice features (like a working frame counter, and double-exposure prevention) while still being so mechanically simple that you don't have to worry about much going wrong there.</p>

<p>If you can find a good one, that would be a dirt-cheap introduction to medium format folders.</p>

<p>If you're looking for a shoe-mounted meter, the <a href="http://cameraquest.com/voivcmet2.htm">VC Meter II</a> would fit the bill nicely, but it's priced at right around £200 in the UK. Another possibility, at a much more reasonable price, is the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gossen-4225-Digisix-Digital-Meter/dp/B000KI1BHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1285802731&sr=8-1">Gossen Digisix</a>. It's not shoe-mounted, but it is small and easy to carry around in a pocket, and costs just over a hundred quid.</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>You might try the Voigtlander Bessa 6x9 (a great image size) with a f3.5 105mm lens. No rangefinder, but you might find an add on one somewhere (Kalt, Leitz, etc.) unless you wish to use distance tables. This one ($200) looks in close to mint condition and is in Czechoslovakia.</p>

<p>http://cgi.ebay.ca/Voigtlander-Bessa-RO-Skopar-3-5-105mm-/160487188072?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item255dc82668#ht_3394wt_1020</p>

<p>Otherwise, the Zeiss Super Ikonta have a rangefinder and sometimes a (often no longer working) meter. Best lens is the Opton Tessar, but if you find a recent S.I. IV, it also will have a decent Tessar lens. But Zeiss stuff is often very pricey on the used market.</p>

<p>You may not want a TLR, but some very good ones are obtainable used at your price point.</p>

<p> </p>

[laurence_rochfort]

<p>Thanks for the responses all.<br>

<br /> I think I'm going to try and find an Iskra or a Super Baldax.<br>

<br /> I'd love a Super Ikonta or a Super Isolette, but as you say, they're nowhere near as good value for money.<br>

I've started the thread below asking for a UK equivalent to Jurgen's services at certo6.com. If you have any suggestions, could you please post on that thread?</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00XRYA</p>

<p>Cheers,<br /> Laurence</p>

[laurence_rochfort]

<p>Just a thought about the Iskras.... <br>

Are the markings on the camera is Roman script? Are they easy for an English speaker to use?</p>