There must be some people out there interested in rangefinders. If you're there, this is for you. I would be happy to get your feedback on this.
For years I have been a devoted SLR photographer. I knew rangefinders existed, but didn't really know anything about them. Frankly, I hadn't had any hands on experience with them, and I honestly didn't understand how they worked. Recently in the course of collecting OM system gear I have also happened upon rangefinders. I will tell you, it has been an extremely interesting and enlightening experience. Rangefinders offer some amazing advantages over other cameras.
1. Ease of focusing. I'm in my 40's and I suppose my eyesight isn't quite what it once was. The rangefinder focusing system makes for extremely easy accurate focusing.
2. Inexpensive. Most Olympus models from the 60's and 70's can be had on ebay for well under $100 in excellent condition.
3. Fast, amazingly sharp lenses. I bought a Yashica GS for about $12 on ebay. It looks and feels cheap, but has a huge f1.7 lens which takes razor sharp pictures. I also tried out a Canon GIII QL17. Same speed lens (but not quite as sharp). My "keeper" though has been an Olympus 35LC. It also has an f1.7 lens which seems to be just as good if not better than the Yashica. The build quality is better, too. This camera is like an OM-1-- manual only, with match needle metering.
4. No mirror/prism mechanism. Less potential for vibration. The leaf shutter system makes it easier to get good handheld shots.
The amazing thing I have noticed now is that after taking a couple of trips over the past few months, it has become my camera of choice to travel with. Although it is not exactly small-- I think it's actually bigger than an OM body-- it still is a convenient size (smaller and light than many of today's behemoth DSLR's). It's durable and reliable, even though it's probably over 35 years old.
I think the most amazing thing about these cameras, though, is what you get for the price-- a way to take extremely high quality photos with FAST sharp lenses-- lenses that are not even available at ANY price in today's market.
For years I have been a devoted SLR photographer. I knew rangefinders existed, but didn't really know anything about them. Frankly, I hadn't had any hands on experience with them, and I honestly didn't understand how they worked. Recently in the course of collecting OM system gear I have also happened upon rangefinders. I will tell you, it has been an extremely interesting and enlightening experience. Rangefinders offer some amazing advantages over other cameras.
1. Ease of focusing. I'm in my 40's and I suppose my eyesight isn't quite what it once was. The rangefinder focusing system makes for extremely easy accurate focusing.
2. Inexpensive. Most Olympus models from the 60's and 70's can be had on ebay for well under $100 in excellent condition.
3. Fast, amazingly sharp lenses. I bought a Yashica GS for about $12 on ebay. It looks and feels cheap, but has a huge f1.7 lens which takes razor sharp pictures. I also tried out a Canon GIII QL17. Same speed lens (but not quite as sharp). My "keeper" though has been an Olympus 35LC. It also has an f1.7 lens which seems to be just as good if not better than the Yashica. The build quality is better, too. This camera is like an OM-1-- manual only, with match needle metering.
4. No mirror/prism mechanism. Less potential for vibration. The leaf shutter system makes it easier to get good handheld shots.
The amazing thing I have noticed now is that after taking a couple of trips over the past few months, it has become my camera of choice to travel with. Although it is not exactly small-- I think it's actually bigger than an OM body-- it still is a convenient size (smaller and light than many of today's behemoth DSLR's). It's durable and reliable, even though it's probably over 35 years old.
I think the most amazing thing about these cameras, though, is what you get for the price-- a way to take extremely high quality photos with FAST sharp lenses-- lenses that are not even available at ANY price in today's market.