measuring searcher

bndctcvl · 2006-10-02T20:28:36+00:00

Hallo, Ich hab mich mal nach Messucherkameras umgeschaut, aber die einzigen die ich gefunden hab sind einfach sehr teuer. Gibts da noch Alternativen zu Le...

bndctcvl

Hi, I’ve been having a look around for rangefinder cameras, but the only ones I’ve found are just really expensive. Are there any alternatives to Leica and the like? Thanks in advance for your replies. Benny

cfb_de

Hi Benny, New to photography? You should have a look at the Bessas as well. Second-hand? There’s plenty. Prices start at around twenty-two euros for a Russian Leica (Zorki, FED) or Russian Contax (Kiev), go up to about 200 for a Contax with AF, and are open-ended for certain special-edition Leica models from collectors’ showcases. Braun Paxetten are also available at reasonable prices and are quite good. It’s not for nothing that these are nicknamed the ‘primary school teacher’s Leica’. M39, but *not* a Leica thread. Best regards, Franz

HansDerHase

I can only agree with the previous speaker regarding Cosina-Voigtländer Bessas and Russian rangefinders. If you’re looking for something less expensive but with a slightly more modern design than Russian Leicas, Kievs and Paxets (though without interchangeable lenses), then the Japanese models from the 1960s and 1970s are also worth considering. For example, the Olympus SP (in my humble opinion, too expensive), the Konica Auto S2 (too rare; I don’t think anyone wants to part with one anymore) or one of the Yashica Electros (see http://www.yashica-guy.com/). But there are plenty more alternatives. You can find good information, for example, at http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm (http://www.cameraquest.com/com35s.htm in particular has made my mouth aqueous). Incidentally, if you want to chat with like-minded people, there’s no getting around http://www.rangefinderforum.com. Kind regards, Hans