wayne_lee5

<p>Any thoughts on getting a good old M3? If you don't need light meter, M3 is a true piece of classic and offers the best viewfinder for a 50mm lens. As for the summicron 50s, they are all good. My personal selection would be the Rigid or the DR version.</p>

<p>This is the Shanghai 58-II. Interesting leica copy.</p>

<p>Check if there is any glass separation. Check if there is any faults on the rear element. Front element is not as important as the rear element but you should check if there is any scratch on the coating or large cleaning marks. Stephen also mentioned to check the oil on blades. You can check this by moving the aperture fast and see if there is any delay in response. Usually oil on blades can be cleaned easily. Focus should be smooth all the way.<br>

Ray has a good point. Even the lens looks great, you still need to check the results if possible. Talk to your dealer about the concern.</p>

<p>Those old voigtlander bessas are pretty good users. And since you are a pro, you can teach her from the basics. The old bessas don't have built in rangefinder so focus could be hard for a newbie but you can help her make her own rangefinder card. (http://tomchuk.com/rf_hfd/) You can also teach her the basics about light such as the sunny 16 rule.<br>

Rollei IMO is a little bit too much for her use. But if you really want to give her a TLR, get the yashica.</p>

<p>I am pretty sure super glue works but it can be a mess.<br>

Email the Master David Odess of Hasselblad Camera Repair.</p>

<p>I would suggest a Rollei 35 SE. (or TE if you want, f3.5 isn't that slow for street photo IMO) The price is pretty high these days but it is a fine performer. Sonnar/Tessar Lenses are both sharp and the German mechanic design is unbeatable. Meter is handy but not required.<br>

If you are on a budget, you can always check those FSU rangefinders. Kiev, Zorki and FED are all great cameras if they are in working order. You might want to get them from a reputable dealer. Russian pieces are cheap and could be a good beginner rangefinder. Russian lenses are dirt cheap as well and usually yield good results.</p>

<p>Lomography is getting crazy on their price these days. It is all about those fashion hipster who view faults as features. Well, I sold my LC-A recently to a lady. I got a mint voigtlander vito ii which has a more retro look and better quality plus a fancy meal in the best steak house in Dallas. Yummy!</p>

<p>I would recommend the Sigma 50mm 1.4 which is a fine portrait performer. With the crop factor, it is a good alternative to the portrait king Nikon 85mm 1.4 which cost 2-3 times. But keep in mind, if you want it you have to test the samples yourself in order to get the perfect focused one. Quality control in Sigma is a little behind those in Nikon or other bigger named manufacture. If you are on a budget, you can always get those great old Nikon lenses from the film era. They are fine performers and usually cheap compared to those new AF ones. Though you mentioned you are more likely in to street photo and landscape. But I still want to recommend the old Nikon AF 300mm f4 IF. It is one of the best glasses Nikon ever provided to the photo industry. Get one in case some day you want to shoot the birds.</p>