RF or SLR for beginner in film photography?

[Ben Ang]

ermz.. i would say go with an SLR but that is really up to personal preference. i started film with a GTN and a minolta 7Sii. but it d din really click with me.

so i moved on to a minolta SRT & 50 1.4. and this combi was very nice for me. huge viewfinder, precise focus(very important). added 35 f2.8, 105 2.5, 135 2.8. but in the end dumped it all to consolidate n use nikon. now i use a nikon FA which allows me to use all my nikon lenses on both my digital and film. the flexibility is really really good.

IMHO, the biggest issues for me were
- ease of use. the slr just fit better and felt more intuitive in my hands.
- flexibility. i can shoot everything from 20mm-200mm without extra eye pieces. and use the same lenses on my d200. can do macro too.
- Telephoto stuff. its v difficult to shoot tele on rangefinders and i use a 135mm half the time.
- focus. the rangefinder always left me guessing about focus(ok ok, i used a cheapo yashica) and when i started to use faster lenses, i really needed to be sure of the focus. o.. and you can focus anywhere on the image. with the rangefinder, must always focus in middle then recompose. was v frustrating.
- features. things like DOF preview, PSAM modes, exposure compensation, TTL flash, matrix metering help me worry less and concentrate more on the image at hand.

the rangefinder has its advantages too. but im not too familiar with them. and the point about mirror slap, i just lock up my mirror before shooting and i can go down to 1/8 without shake.
anw, with you're budget you could probably try both
just a breakdown on pricing:

Rangefinder: Yashica GSN, 45mm f/1.7, about $130-150 max.

SLR: FM2 + 50 f/1.8 about $300-350 depending+ $100-150 if u prefer f/1.4

i would however, recommend the FA over the FM2 and if u really like mechanical, take a look at the nikkormat FTN. beautiful camera.

about the mirror shake, this was taken at 1/15 or 1/8 with a 50 1.2 on my FA with mirror up. with proper technique its possible. without practice, even a rangefinder wont help

regards,
benjamin

 

[ZoomP]

I am using the Nikon F3HP in addition to my Leica gears. TO me, they both served different purpose. Nikon for AE stuffs and Leica for manual expose. It's refreshing switching from RF to SLR, to be able to see what my lens is seeing. I also like to see DOF on the Nikon.

Of course, nothing replaces my RF gears.

 

[ptm]

ptm: RF is not for everyone because what you see, may not be exactly what you get (this is what most SLR users who tried RF complains). RF is about seeing the world and putting a frame around it to compose, compared to your experiences of LX3 or DSLR, where you are composing based on what the camera sees. Get cheap FM2 and a 50mm (it will last you for years, decades and might even outlive you) and keep a portion of you $ for film & developing. You will need to portion more for film and developing, which is essentially what photography is all about, if you are serious about pursuing film photography. Anyway, you might start off firing at will but will eventually find yourself shooting lesser, with higher hit rate when you get more comfortable.

Do also read more about the fundamentals of zones in metering as older cameras does not have the fancy metering of cameras today. Understand your camera and the meter and you will be able to appreciate the basis of photography. Assuming you have not touched film before, its very different experience from digital. Something most, if not all of us here appreciates and enjoys

If you are keen to try out RF, do drop by SAM (Glass Hall) on 6th August at around 6.30pm. We will have a talk on RF and you can chat with RF users and even try your hands on one. Warning though.. you got to stay away from those who's cameras looks vaguely like the brand with a "Red Dot". Cos your budget is definitely not enough and if you get bitten and poisoned, your are in for it

Cheers~

heh will read up on the zones in metering.
will try to drop by if not overloaded by work that day.
pardon my ignorance, for RF, one set the distance first followed by aligning the split images into 1?

 

[ptm]

really appreciate the advice given by all of you, thank you
i need to really think it through and read up more...damn didn't expect to come to such dilemma in wanting to try film. all along i only know there is slr until i came across the word RangeFinder and googled it.
if only budget is not a concern ha!

 

[jasv22]

Hi tan131,

Am interested in the chat on RF on Aug 6. Can I know where is SAM?

Thanks!

 

[Srono]

Hi tan131,

Am interested in the chat on RF on Aug 6. Can I know where is SAM?

Thanks!

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=739405

 

[night86mare]

hi

am a beginner to film photography and was wondering if i should start with RF or SLR.
have briefly (few minutes) tried a RF and a SLR (nikon fm2) in shop.
have a budget of around $800.

thank you.

it depends on your needs.

these two types of cameras are very, very different.

other than size, noise made by shutter (much less for RF), viewfinder and focusing are quite different on a RF versus a SLR. my suggestion is that you take RF more as a sort of specialist tool catering to primarily street photography. please note that this is not saying that RF can ONLY be used for street photography, just that if you do a lot of street photography, it would be the recommended option for you.

 

[idi0tekue]

SLR wins RF in almost every aspect. But why I got the bessa R3A is because of its 1:1 viewfinder, that's the only reason why I use the RF.