Best fixed lens RF viewfinder?

Best fixed lens RF viewfinder?

  • Olympus 35SP

    Votes: 81 7.4%

  • Olympus 35RC

    Votes: 56 5.1%

  • Olympus 35RD

    Votes: 20 1.8%

  • Olympus XA

    Votes: 53 4.9%

  • Minolta 7s

    Votes: 30 2.8%

  • Minolta 7sII

    Votes: 40 3.7%

  • Canon QL17 GIII

    Votes: 206 18.9%

  • Konica Hexar fixed lens

    Votes: 201 18.5%

  • Konica S3

    Votes: 46 4.2%

  • Yashica GSN

    Votes: 162 14.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 193 17.7%
  • Total voters
    1,088
Just realized this thread is from 2006. I probably posted something else earlier and totally forgot about it. Well, now you have my impressions after a long time too.

Thanks Scott, I have high hopes. I'm bringing it with me to Europe at the end of March as my only camera. Tired of lugging the SLR stuff, and don't have a P&S or RF with a wide enough angle for those churches and other large buildings that are all crammed pretty close to one another.
 
Some time ago since my first post in this thread, I went back to what was my roots in RFs: the Voigtländer Vitomatics.
I bought four in a short time and re discovered what a well designed RF can be. So, if I have to vote again, I will surely do it with those beauties.

Ernesto
 
The Minolta AL is an often-overlooked RF camera with nice features
including a shutter to 1/1000 and an easy to remove port
for adjusting RF alignment, an excellent 6-element f/2 lens, bright
parallax correction VF, selenium meter, and, because not many
know about it, it often sells for peanuts.

The A5 model is very similar in features but without the meter.
 
Oi. I picked up a heap of fixed lens rangefinders recently - I'll keep this thread in mind.

Cameras I've used:

Canonet QL 17 GIII
This is my default, go-to camera. It feels good to use, has been reliable and takes sharp pictures. No complaints other than the bokeh, which feels particularly ugly to me. This was my first rangefinders so anything bigger feels like a step backwards.

Looking purely at the rangefinder though, this is a great camera. The parallax correction is a great feature - less leaving space to crop, etc like I do with other cameras. It also feels very large relative to the other cameras. Brightness seems on par with everything else. If it showed the aperture like the 35RC, it would probably be a near clean sweep.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4439630401/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4573528763/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4618217646/

Olympus XA
I hate to say it, but I'm not a huge fan. Its the camera I would have had with me at all times for snap shots - but as much as I hate admitting it, I'd probably just use a camera phone. Or I'd have another small rangefinder with me. The image quality is okay. Good for the size of the camera. But I'm not a fan of trying to use it for anything too detailed. Maybe it will grow on me. I also found the rangefinder patch very hard to see, though that may be my camera.
No images worth posting but that is really my fault not the cameras.

Olympus DC
Automatic only, which is an immediate penalty for me, but the image quality is great. The camera feels better in my hands than the Canonet and is even smaller. I prefer the bokeh to the Canonets. The DC also strikes me as quieter than any of the Canonets I've heard, though this is anecdotal. This camera made me want a 35RD badly.

No complains about the finder. It is absolutely useable and doesn't feel like it gets in the way at all. It doesn't feel as spaceous as the Canonet GIII but is nice otherwise.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4529990899/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4530622736/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4522330865/

Yashica Lynx 14
Love the speed, love the look of some of the shots. The patch is one of the most difficult to see of any of these rangefinders. I plan on replacing the splitter or mirror at some point. I don't know if I can deal with the size of the camera. I have SLRs that are smaller. I don't mind hand metering, but many of the other cameras have meters which are convenient when needed. All that said, I've had a high rate of keepers with this camera.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4590765373/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4593369381/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4590786467/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4593986268/

Yamato Pax 2
Way beyond my ability to repair as the focus was stuck like rock. Couldn't even get the top off to fix the rangefinder patch. Cute camera but nothing that suggested it was a great user. Sold before taking a shot.

Ricoh 500
The finder itself is on par with the other better rangefinders. The patch is on the contrasty side over all and seems to slightly deal better with lower light than most of the others. I can't get past the side - I like small cameras and it is just slightly large for me, but the lens is great.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4870003089/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4870615720/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4870616698/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4870003267/

Olympus 35RC
A nice middle ground between the XA and a more traditional form factor. The RC finder was nice, though it doesn't hold up as well in low light as some of the others. I dig seeing the aperture and shutter speed though. Very nice. I like handling the camera, though I am not 100% sold on the lens yet. After using the Retina IIIc, the RC just didn't feel as crisp. Turned out it needed cleaning but I haven't taken it out again since.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4953468082/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4952874623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4952874949/

Olympus 35RD
Very polished feeling camera with the same great lens as the 35DC. My only complaint is that changing the aperture is a pain as it is so thin and so close to the body. The Minolta Hi Matic 7sIIs knob at the base really shines by comparison. The finder is bright and easy to use. Great camera but the thin aperture ring is hard for me to deal with as I usually shoot in manual. Like most 35RDs, mine required service to deal with oil leaking on to the blades.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/5012959685/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/5014466987/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/5014464755/

Hi Matic 7sII
Brilliant little camera if you can find one in workable condition. The finder is relatively middle of the road - it doesn't strike me as better or worse than most of the other cameras. Liking small cameras, it fit in my hands well. The aperture control was brilliant. Probably my favorite from a handling perspective. Unfortunately mine had a touch of fungus in the lens and some winding issues.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4983741932
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4983132255
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4985930646

Retina IIIc
Definitely the outlier in camera style, but folded it is more compact as many of the others listed here. The finder is a little smaller and orange tinted, but quite contrasty. Its simple - no info display, lines, etc but it does the job. As noted above in the 35RC comments, the lens is wonderfully sharp.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/4941698653/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cannel.../www.flickr.com/photos/cannelbrae/5257043372/


Cameras I just picked up but which need work first. Hopefully most will be salvageable. I'll post thoughts once I shoot a few rolls:
- Olympus 35SP, pending service
- Ricoh 500G
- Konica Auto S2
- Yashica GSN
- Taron Robin 19
- Royal 35M (may be beyond repair)
- Walz Envoy (may be beyond repair or at least my abilities, lens doesn't focus to infinity and I can't figure out why)

I feel like I ought to start more of comparison between them with this many, but I feel like variability is so high with these older cameras that I wouldn't be doing anything useful.
 
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My current nomination for best is the viewfinder in my Lynx 14E IC: big honking parallax compensating frame lines that have proven to be VERY accurate, and a contrasty, easy to see patch.
 
paulfish4570 said:
My current nomination for best is the viewfinder in my Lynx 14E IC: big honking parallax compensating frame lines that have proven to be VERY accurate, and a contrasty, easy to see patch.
Click to expand...

Paul,

I like the Lynx also, but since you like your cameras a bit on the heavy side, have a look at the Konica Auto S2:
- it's quite heavy (nearly as heavy as the Lynx) and hence very stable in your hands,
- an excellent 45/1.8 lens,
- shutter-priority but you can use it manually,
- it keeps metering while in manual mode,
- the framelines change size with focus (the only camera I know of that can do that)
- very easy to work on if necessary (e.g. rangefinder aligmnent is very easy).
- AND it's dirt cheap.

I bought several of them just for fun, for prices ranging from USD 8 to USD 22 on eBay, all in working condition, even the lightmeter.

Stefan.
 
Stefan, KAS2 is fine camera though shutter release - short travel and smooth - of Lynx is in stratosphere where KAS2 just can not reach it. AE mechanism requires to move additional springs/levers and that makes wonderful camera with could-be-improved release. I use soft release on my KAS2 and that helps a lot.
 
btgc said:
Stefan, KAS2 is fine camera though shutter release - short travel and smooth - of Lynx is in stratosphere where KAS2 just can not reach it. AE mechanism requires to move additional springs/levers and that makes wonderful camera with could-be-improved release. I use soft release on my KAS2 and that helps a lot.
Click to expand...

You're right: the shutter release of the Lynx is unsurpassed.

Stefan.
 
Now that I have been using a Konica S III for a while, I have to say its viewfinder is a bit better than my 14e's because its needle/notch meter reading is so easy to see. The Lynx's over/under lights can get lost in any glare, and the meter is battery dependent; the S III's is selenium cell and every bit as accurate, at least until low-light is encountered.
 
Here's an obscure one: the Mamiya 135 EE. It has the same size and form factor as the Canonet QL. The 38mm f2.8 lens is unbelievably sharp. Mine was $10 on iBay, mint...the word "bargain" doesn't even come close: love it.
 
retnull said:
Here's an obscure one: the Mamiya 135 EE. It has the same size and form factor as the Canonet QL. The 38mm f2.8 lens is unbelievably sharp. Mine was $10 on iBay, mint...the word "bargain" doesn't even come close: love it.
Click to expand...


I agree 100%. I had one, but stupidly sold it a couple of years ago. I think they must be rare--not big sellers. I got mine here in Korea. Here's one taken w/ it.


Incheon-45 by wrs111445, on Flickr
 
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Since I was only interested in fixed-lens rangefinders that did not depend on batteries, I never evaluated many of the rangefinders on your list. Of the battery-independent fixed-lens rangefinders that I did evaluate, the Minolta Hi-Matic 9 was the easiest to accurately focus in dim lighting situations.

I voted for other because the Minolta Hi-Matic 9 was not on the list.
 
Ql17 Giii

Ql17 Giii

No brainer for me: the Giii QL17 has by far the best 'finder, of those listed. My only complaint is that is has slightly more barrel distortion that I would prefer (and I wish it were attached to a better lens. No hate mail please :) ). I also happen to hate the Hexar AF viewfinder.... very distracting IMO. Your moving around playing with a scene, then you focus and your framelines jump into a new position and you have to recompose... Distance scale is useless too.

BTW, few people notice that the QL17 actually has somewhat scaling framelines. On the long side, they expand or contract as you focus in or out.
 
tonal1 said:
. . . and I wish it were attached to a better lens. No hate mail please :) ).
Click to expand...

No hate, just a question: Are you original owner of the camera? If not, has it been serviced by a knowledgeable tech? If neither, I'd suggest you don't know what the lens/camera can really do.

Pre-digital I had a Giii QL17 (in black no less) that was properly serviced and provided exceptional results. When I showed prints, people usually asked our favorite question: "What camera did you use?"

That said, I'd quite agree; very nice VF. ;)
 
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