What is a rangefinder?

[shadow]

Hi to all,can anyone tell me what is a rangefinder??

 

[ricohflex]

camera that has a mechanism to measure distance from camera to the subject, using internal mirrors or prisms.
usually by turning the lens barrel, you also cause two images to coincide with each other in the viewfinder. when they are then lens is focused on the subject.
very fun and silent.
you will see two windows in RFs
one is for viewfinder window
the other for the other image
the longer the distance bewteen these two windows, the longer the 'base'
and more accurate the RF.

 

[melv]

Then which kind/type of rangefinder is a good one to start off with? I noticed there are brands like Leica and Contax... Any difference with their features/usage?

 

[ricohflex]

I only collect cheap RFs now.
For info on expensive RFs, like Leica M6, ask other members here.

Contax stopped making RFs a long time ago.
They only got autofocus G1 and G2 recently. Now it seems Contax not carrying on with Kyocera.

Some RFs (most not made anymore):

Nikon RFs (made first in 1948, sold later in USA in 1950s)
recent remake for collectors. very expensive. $2000+ British Pounds.
Contax folding bellows RFs
Canon GL III QL, 7s (F0.95 lens),
Ricoh ZF, Ricoh ME, 500G,
Minolta ALS, 7S2, 7S, 9, himatic E, himatic F, himatic G, CLE
Yashica Electro 35 GSN, GTN, MG, GX, Lnyx (F1.4) etc....
Olympus 35 RC, RD, SP-N, XA
Leica CL, G3, M2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (6 or 7 still being made) costly
Alpa sw12 (new and very expensive)
Fuji GS, GW 6x9,
Kodak folding Retinas
Petri 7S
Konica auto S2
Rollei XF35 ( some MADE IN SINGAPORE)
Shanghai 205
Zorki 2C
FED
Voigtlander Bessa 2 (Apo Lanthar lens)
Modern Voigtlander Bessa RFs made in Japan
Zeiss Ikon - modern ones soon available
Vito range of RFs from Voigtlander (before 1980s/90s)
Balda and Solida - postwar Germany
Linhof technika. costly
maybe Speed Graphic too
HongChi - Maoist era China-Leica M copy. Now very expensive since rich PRC Chinese collect.
Gandolfi - eccentric Italian modern medium or large format RF. solidly made. costly.


and many others......

 

[melv]

thanks ricohflex! the summarised list of brands is useful!

 

[ricohflex]

Hi, shadow and melv

an example of a cheap and good RF :bsmilie:
to save you the trouble of going to the website
I have uploaded some for you here ( with proper acknowldgement of course)
These are not my photos but some from website (ROKKOR FILES)
kindly shared by other RF user.
See how good the cheap RF is. The two small parts are enlargements of the detail in the photo.

 

[melv]

thanks again for sharing!

 

[Shodan99]

RF uses 35mm film right? And also does it have light metering?

 

[ricohflex]

RF can use 35mm film
leica, zorki, fed, etc......

bigger RF use 120 film
bronica RF - takes 6x4.5 cm pics on 120 film
mamiya 6 RF 6x6 cm pics on 120 film
mamiya 7 RF 6x7 cm pics on 120 film
fuji 69 RF 6x9 cm pics on 120 film'

some have meter, some don't
most RF users are experienced and some have own hand held meter
so a meter on RF is seldom considered important

good to have but no big deal if do not have meter

 

[student]

RF can use <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=35mm%20film" onmouseover="window.status='35mm film'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">35mm film</a>
leica, zorki, fed, etc......

bigger RF use 120 film
bronica RF - takes 6x4.5 cm pics on 120 film
mamiya 6 RF 6x6 cm pics on 120 film
mamiya 7 RF 6x7 cm pics on 120 film
fuji 69 RF 6x9 cm pics on 120 film'

some have meter, some don't
most RF users are experienced and some have own <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=hand%20held" onmouseover="window.status='hand held'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">hand held</a> meter
so a meter on RF is seldom considered important

good to have but no big deal if do not have meter

Just to add.

Even bigger ones use 4x5 inches film!

 

[ricohflex]

yah
for example
Linhof Master Technika III, IV and V
Plus Horseman VR H