Any love for rangefinders?

lithos · 05-02-2010, 04:12 AM

Leica's the reason the rangefinder died.

pingflood · 05-02-2010, 04:57 AM

I think that honor would go to the SLR.

**Digitalis** · 05-02-2010, 05:21 AM

"Leica's the reason the rangefinder died"

Leica is the reason why rangefinders are still here.

lithos · 05-02-2010, 06:36 AM

Originally posted by Digitalis

Leica is the reason why rangefinders are luxury goods instead of viable photographic tools.

Fixed that for you.

pingflood · 05-02-2010, 06:53 AM

Poor people smell like sour milk.

lithos · 05-02-2010, 07:28 AM

Aw, maybe if buy more gear you'll be a become a better photographer, pingflood. Where's your Hermes Leica?

**ChrisPlatt** · 05-02-2010, 07:48 AM

One of my favorite non-pocket cameras is my Konica Hexar AF.
The 35mm f/2.0 lens is superb and the camera is virtually silent.

Chris

ziggy7 · 05-02-2010, 08:28 AM

I greatly prefer using an SLR, but sometimes even my little Pentax MX is too big. For those times, I carry the nice little XA. It takes very nice pictures, way better than my little Canon digital. I like it even better since I put a 1/8" square piece of black tape on the center of the rangefinder window. It made it much easier for me to focus. The shutter is so quiet that people often don't even notice I'm taking their picture. It is a great party camera with 800 speed film because flash is not needed.

lithos · 05-02-2010, 10:51 AM

The XA. That camera's a piece art. I've got one, love. Surely one of the greatest designs ever made. I love mine, but I dropped it and now the meter's a bit off...

Ratmagiclady · 05-02-2010, 11:03 AM

Ah, all nice stuff.

I've got a Canonet G-III, myself, haven't used her much as yet: I want to re-do a light seal job I'm not confident of, (Got tired toward the end.

) and do some clean-up, anyway. To think how many of these things I fixed up and could hardly give away at the time. If only I'd saved some for me.

And my little Kodak Signet 35. Beautiful little feller, great little lens.

I sort of like to think of something like a Bessa R3A or M as a potential little reward if I meet with some success, though now that I'm into Pentax the size issues aren't as big a deal. Shoot a little differently than SLRs, though, and there's a coolness about that process for a lot of things, obviously. Not generally needful for me, but enjoyable in its own way.

**ChrisPlatt** · 05-02-2010, 11:24 AM

The XA is good but the controls are small and fiddly, the lens often vignettes, and the rangefinder is only fair at best.
I usually opt for the camera with more manual control but in this case I prefer my XA2 and XA3 cameras to my XA.

Chris

pingflood · 05-02-2010, 11:54 AM

Originally posted by lithos

Aw, maybe if buy more gear you'll be a become a better photographer, pingflood.

Well, DUUHHHH.

Why do you think I bought all this pricy Canon gear?

**Digitalis** · 05-02-2010, 05:18 PM

"Why do you think I bought all this pricy Canon gear?"

you should get the 1DSMKIII - it has the Ansel Adams button on it, and it can also make a decent latte...

johnmflores · 05-02-2010, 09:24 PM

This may be the first camera that I loved. Traveled Europe with it in 1990 with it, a tiny tripod, and a couple of rolls of film in a fanny pack. Life was simpler then.

I don't use it all that much anymore, but I can still hear the quiet shutter in my head.

**Digitalis** · 05-02-2010, 09:49 PM

On the subject of quiet shutter mechanisms, the Pentax K-7 is as quiet as an M7 - I'll stand by that.

05-02-2010, 08:28 AM	#23
ziggy7 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Florida Posts: 54	I like my Olympus XA I greatly prefer using an SLR, but sometimes even my little Pentax MX is too big. For those times, I carry the nice little XA. It takes very nice pictures, way better than my little Canon digital. I like it even better since I put a 1/8" square piece of black tape on the center of the rangefinder window. It made it much easier for me to focus. The shutter is so quiet that people often don't even notice I'm taking their picture. It is a great party camera with 800 speed film because flash is not needed.

05-02-2010, 11:24 AM	#26
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	The XA is good but the controls are small and fiddly, the lens often vignettes, and the rangefinder is only fair at best. I usually opt for the camera with more manual control but in this case I prefer my XA2 and XA3 cameras to my XA. Chris Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 05-02-2010 at 11:46 AM.

05-02-2010, 09:24 PM	#29
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Olympus XA2 This may be the first camera that I loved. Traveled Europe with it in 1990 with it, a tiny tripod, and a couple of rolls of film in a fanny pack. Life was simpler then. I don't use it all that much anymore, but I can still hear the quiet shutter in my head.

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05-02-2010, 04:12 AM	#16
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	Leica's the reason the rangefinder died.

05-02-2010, 04:57 AM	#17
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	I think that honor would go to the SLR.

05-02-2010, 05:21 AM	#18
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	"Leica's the reason the rangefinder died" Leica is the reason why rangefinders are still here.

05-02-2010, 06:36 AM	#19
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	Originally posted by Digitalis Leica is the reason why rangefinders are luxury goods instead of viable photographic tools. Fixed that for you.

05-02-2010, 06:53 AM	#20
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	Poor people smell like sour milk.

05-02-2010, 07:28 AM	#21
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	Aw, maybe if buy more gear you'll be a become a better photographer, pingflood. Where's your Hermes Leica?

05-02-2010, 07:48 AM	#22
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,692	One of my favorite non-pocket cameras is my Konica Hexar AF. The 35mm f/2.0 lens is superb and the camera is virtually silent. Chris

05-02-2010, 10:51 AM	#24
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	The XA. That camera's a piece art. I've got one, love. Surely one of the greatest designs ever made. I love mine, but I dropped it and now the meter's a bit off...

05-02-2010, 11:03 AM	#25
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Ah, all nice stuff. I've got a Canonet G-III, myself, haven't used her much as yet: I want to re-do a light seal job I'm not confident of, (Got tired toward the end. ) and do some clean-up, anyway. To think how many of these things I fixed up and could hardly give away at the time. If only I'd saved some for me. And my little Kodak Signet 35. Beautiful little feller, great little lens. I sort of like to think of something like a Bessa R3A or M as a potential little reward if I meet with some success, though now that I'm into Pentax the size issues aren't as big a deal. Shoot a little differently than SLRs, though, and there's a coolness about that process for a lot of things, obviously. Not generally needful for me, but enjoyable in its own way.

05-02-2010, 11:54 AM	#27
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	Originally posted by lithos Aw, maybe if buy more gear you'll be a become a better photographer, pingflood. Well, DUUHHHH. Why do you think I bought all this pricy Canon gear?

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05-02-2010, 05:18 PM	#28
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	"Why do you think I bought all this pricy Canon gear?" you should get the 1DSMKIII - it has the Ansel Adams button on it, and it can also make a decent latte...

05-02-2010, 09:49 PM	#30
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	On the subject of quiet shutter mechanisms, the Pentax K-7 is as quiet as an M7 - I'll stand by that.