Dustin McAmera wrote:I think if I had any of the little Olympus cameras, or a Konica I, those would be in my favourites. But I'd sooner get an OM2, and have a little SLR; there - my colours are nailed to the mast.
I agree about the OM2. If I were told that I could only bring one camera with me on some fantastic photo venture, and that it needed to use film, I would chose my Olympus OM-2n.
--- James
I guess my favorite must be the Bessa R with a 35 on it, it seems to be the one I grab most often. A tie for second between the Yashica Electro and a Kiev 4, though I am still getting used to the Kiev. Might still have a Canonet 17 around as well.
I've also got a Moskva around for when I wanna go big or the Pacemaker Crown I suppose, for when I wanna go even bigger.
I've used quite a few different rangefinder cameras, from Agfa to Zeiss, and after all of that trial and error, here is my top 5 list of Rangefinder cameras:
1. Leica M2/M3
Yes, there is a reason why these cameras are so popular. I listed the M3 and M2 together since they are somewhat similar. These are by far the best rangefinder cameras I've ever used for 50mm and 90mm lenses (M3) and 35mm (M2). Amazing build quality and a superb viewfinder. I've also used the M4P and a few different Nikon RF cameras, but the older Leica models are simply awesome in comparison.
2. Canon 7
Just the plain old Canon 7 with the funky selenium meter window. They don't have a built in flash/accessory shoe, but they are still the most fully featured LTM rangefinders you can find at the bargain prices these typically sell for. Very good quality viewfinder, lots of built in framelines, etc. Just great little cameras.
3. Voigtlander-Cosina Bessa R
Right up there with the Canon 7, but very plasticky in comparison. On the plus side, it has a modern TTL light meter and is very light in weight. While it doesn't have the awesome 1950s/1960s build quality that the better brands produced in their heyday, it is still a good, solid, reliable little camera. To anyone interested in upgrading from a Canonet, this is what I'd recommend they try first.
4. Original Model Canon Canonet
I know, everyone likes the later compact Canonets (like the GIII QL17), but I actually prefer the larger body on the original model, along with the funky bottom mounted film advance lever. The lens is decent, and for anyone that prefers shooting with their left eye, the bottom mounted film advance is a joy to use (since a traditional top mounted lever gets in the way). Just a cool camera.
5. Kodak Retina II
These are great, simple, reliable little cameras that can be found with pre-war uncoated or post-war coated lenses. They also had a fairly wide selection of lenses fitted, though you typically find them with the Schneider 50mm f2.0 Xenon. These cameras don't suffer from the cocking rack failures common with the later IIa and IIc/C or IIIc/C models. They are also very compact and extremely durable. While not the most ergonomic or user friendly machine, they get the job done.
Of course, I could add many different honorable mentions, such as the Olympus XA, Argus C3, Kodak Retina IIc/C, Polaroid 100/250/350/450, Iskra, and a few others, but the above 5 are definitely the ones I most remember as being "favorites".
The Minolta Himatic 7S, like its SRT cousins, is heavy and provides plenty of room for its internal mechanisms to operate--or you could just say it's big. The lens is a superb f/1.8 45mm that offers a perspective that seems to work well in a variety of situations. In at least some of the models, the cds meter is said to be Minolta's CLC design; it is very consistent-- density of the negatives is similar from one lighting to the next. The rangefinder spot stands out well. You can choose program exposure, metered manual (using EV numbers), or whatever aperture/speed that you want. The results are very good in both B&W and color negative. A similar design was used in several later Himatics though it was radically changed in the 7Sii. I'll post two photos from the University Avenue series that I mentioned in the "introduce yourself" thread.
--the recently completed Habitat for Humanity St. Paul headquarters located at the corner of Prior and University; this corner area was the home for a big horse market in the days before automobiles--(the 7s is not good at removing power poles)
--the sign for Cafe Biaggio at University and Raymond.
Cafe Biaggio Sign@web.jpg (380.18 KiB) Viewed 14675 times
Last edited by minoly on Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
