Rangefinder alternative

[patricks]

Guys, as always, big kudos for your input. I'm currently on travel in northern Europe WITHOUT a camera, which blows goat, to say the least.

 

I'll solve it when I get back.

 

Cheers,

[richie chishty]

Patrick:

 

Just buy a 35mm P&S camera (Olympus Infinity Stylus Epic for 100 EURO?)at your local camera store where ever you are in Europe.

[cameron_sawyer]

There are only two really good choices where economy and compactness are required without sacrificing quality (too much) or manual control:

 

1. Bessa-R with the wonderful 35/2.5 CV pancake lens. It will go in your pocket. Contrary to earlier posts, the viewfinder IS EQUAL TO THE M6 in brightness. Of all the world's rangefinder cameras, only the M6 has a viewfinder comparable to the Bessa. The lens is nearly equal in quality to pre-asph Leica glass (for 1/6 of the cost), and is beautifully made. Total manual control, excellent light meter, no frills. Cheap plastic body which you won't mind banging up, but which is grippable and works fine. Put it in your pocket and go anywhere. Don't buy the Bessa R2 -- slightly less plastic but at almost double the price -- defeats the purpose.

 

The Bessa-R is basically just a plastic Leica, just the thing to stick in your pocket and not worry about scratching, dropping, or losing it. As Stephen Gandy says -- THE BEST CAMERA IS THE ONE YOU HAVE WITH YOU LOADED WITH FILM.

 

Don't listen to Gandy about the 35/2.5 C versus the Pancake. Yeah, the Pancake is heavier and thicker, but it is flatter -- and flat is the name of the game if you plan on getting it into your pocket.

 

Drawbacks: No 28mm frameline. No choice of finder magnification.

 

 

2. Olympus XA. Not fully manual -- aperture priority AE, but with two steps of backlight control. Decent finder (not Bessa or Leica league, but not bad). Decent lens. Fantastically compact. Dirt cheap. Fixed 35/2.8 lens.

 

 

All the classic rangefinders mentioned other than the CL have dim viewfinders, are heavy, and have no light meter, all of which makes them nearly useless as tools. The CL is relatively compact but the finders are fairly crummy and how do you keep them fixed? No framelines below 40mm. Not so cheap.