Recommendation for Entry Level Rangefinder

[MarvelStone]

Greetings to all,

This is my first post. So a big hello to everyone out there.

I'm looking to buy an entry-level rangefinder as a gift for a friend.
If I could, I'll get him a Leica. But sorry lah, working on a tight budget.

(1) Can you recommend a Camera within the range of $75-150?

(2) Should I up the budget to get something more worthwhile?

(2) Which shops in Singapore should I go and shop? (Central area preferred)


Ideally, the camera should be working fine without additional servicing and come with a 50mm Lens to match

I hope I'm not being unreasonable to expect such a deal at the quoted price. I have a few models in mind. The K1000 and the AE-1. As of now, I know nothing about the Russian brands.

Thanks in advance!

Clement

 

[schon]

not that i have a recommendation, but aren't the k1000 and ae-1 slrs instead of rangefinders?

 

[jinglejangle]

yes, i think you should top up to get him something more worthwhile. a bessa R is a great screwmount mechanical rangefinder with a meter. if the batteries run out, at least it's not a paperweight. but a new one would cost about 400 plus without a lens. with a lens it would be more, but russian lenses do go for cheap.

you can check out secondhands at the buy and sell though, i got my bessa R with a russian 50mm f/2 for only 300. lucky me.

but you could PM chiif if you want a new set.

 

[lightrules]

CAnon QL17

Just the right price and compares well ( image quality wise ) with Leica.
Many will scream but its true, just the handling of Leica is unbeatable ( if you can afford it )

Given a choice I would get the Leica
but given that budget, CAnon is great !

 

[alternatve]

CAnon QL17

Just the right price and compares well ( image quality wise ) with Leica.
Many will scream but its true, just the handling of Leica is unbeatable ( if you can afford it )

Given a choice I would get the Leica
but given that budget, CAnon is great !

I don't agree that it can compete with a Leica, as you have to look at a package not just image quality. I do agree that it can produce some great pictures.

With your budget, your options are limited. You might want to get a

Canon QL17, small, fast lens, manual speeds but heavy and has a fixed lens.

FED 3, Zorki 4, soild, has a full range of speeds, interchangeable lens mount, removable back but it's heavy, has a squinty rangefinder and might be unreliable.

FED 2, Zorki 5,6, solid, interchangeable lens mount, removable back, long rangefinder base length but no slow speeds.

I usually get my russian stuff at www.dvdtechcameras.com. His stuff works well.

Samuel

 

[azzurri]

As mentioned by lightrules, the Canonet QL17 is one that you can consider, considering that it comes with an inbuilt lightmeter and rangefinder. Problem with that is that it uses the PX625 batteries.

Another rangefinder you can consider is the Yashica Minister D, like the the Canonet, it too uses the PX625 but comes with an inbuilt lightmeter and rangefinder.

Other ones you can choose from are the Yashica 35 series; Zeiss Continas, Contessa (if you are very lucky); Voigtlander Vitos; Olympus XA2 (I think the XA may be a bit out of the $150 range), Trip 35.

FSU rangefinders are worth considering too, but if your friend is a first timer, he may need to get a while to get used to the quirks of FSU rangefinders.

You can try eBay too considering the prices may be lower than what the shops in Singapore are charging and that you get a much wider range to choose from too.

 

[gossipmonger]

your budget is indeed modest, but workable. it all depends on how open-minded you are towards second-hand RFs.

if you have the time, check out ebay to find out what kind of camera that money will buy you. then check out websites that would provide more in-depth info about the camera you're interested in. try cameraquest for starters.

i think you will actually be spoilt for choice! good luck in ur search

 

[RSphoto]

go for Olympus 35SP

 

[MarvelStone]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies.
Firstly, I realized I was indeed talking about rangefinders, although the occasional SLR with full controls and old-school vintage looks would also qualify.

Thumbs up for the weblinks to the educational websites. I'll have to go through the learing curve before making an informed choice.
For Now, I'll go down to Peninsular Plaze and browse through the cameras there, especially for the models mentioned in this thread.

Thanks all

 

[jinglejangle]

i suggest you check out carefully what you're getting and at what price. you might be able to get it cheaper if it's sourced by the pros here (not me though, i'm a noob).

 

[Rurouni]

I'm not a seasoned RF user but here are some thoughts:

(1) Maybe old Yashica electro GSN? Fixed lens but seems to be a nice cam for ard S$100 2nd hand typically, depending on condition and if electronics work. Has a pretty fast F1.7 lens also iirc.

(2) I upped my budget to a Bessa-R with 35mm lens. Was under 900 brand new a while ago, I'm sure you can get the Bessa-R 2nd hand at affordable prices now that so many people are transiting to digital. 35mm or 50mm RF screw mount lenses are quite plentiful so 2nd hand shouldn't be a problem. Only thing is that I don't usually see a lot of RF stuff for sale on clubsnap.

Greetings to all,

This is my first post. So a big hello to everyone out there.

I'm looking to buy an entry-level rangefinder as a gift for a friend.
If I could, I'll get him a Leica. But sorry lah, working on a tight budget.

(1) Can you recommend a Camera within the range of $75-150?

(2) Should I up the budget to get something more worthwhile?

(2) Which shops in Singapore should I go and shop? (Central area preferred)


Ideally, the camera should be working fine without additional servicing and come with a 50mm Lens to match

I hope I'm not being unreasonable to expect such a deal at the quoted price. I have a few models in mind. The K1000 and the AE-1. As of now, I know nothing about the Russian brands.

Thanks in advance!

Clement

 

[prettypettythieve]

you can check out secondhands at the buy and sell though, i got my bessa R with a russian 50mm f/2 for only 300. lucky me.

wow! i want one at this price too