What is Rangefinder Cameras ?

Just like the tittle of this post implies, I love rangefinders camera A……LOT as compared to other types of cameras simply because of it’s focusing and shutter mechanism. All rangefinders camera usually utilizes either the focal-plane shutter (Leica M, Zorki, Kiev, Contax iia etc) or the leaf-shutter mechanism (Yashica Electro, Canon Canonnet, Minolta Hi-Matic, Mamiya 6/7 and etc).

Rangefinder cameras are usually much smaller than SLRs, quieter ( due to no flapping mirror ) , can be handheld at much slower speeds, flash sync at all speeds, focus in very low-light / low-contrast, are much more rugged, and usually cheaper except for the Leica of course. They are less complicated and moving parts thus less likely to break.

Using the rangefinder cameras require sometime of getting used to specially if one are used to shooting with a SLR . The images on the SLR viewfinder is ‘what you see what you get’ as it was focus through the lens. Rangefinder on the other hand focus through the viewfinder which is located on the side of the camera which is not through the lens.  To focus with these rangefinders, one would just have to turn the focusing tab on the lens to match the superimpose subject  in a small rectangular box right in the center of the viewfinder. It’s fairly easy when you are used to it. Being a rangefinder, the cloth shutter curtain is really silent  as it does not have a flapping mirror. Almost identical to our modern day mirror-less camera such as the Olympus Pen.  Also the size of the camera body and lenses is a lot less bulkier hence carrying the camera all day long would no be much of a problem. This is the reason why most street photography love using rangefinder camera as compared to SLR.

• Pros

  1) Light weight and small

  2) Silent and unobtrusive

  3) Can be hand held at much lower shutter speed, say 1/15s on a 50mm.

  4) Sharper images as RF lenses normally protrudes deeply into the camera body and it’s very near to the capturing medium such a film or sensor.

  5) Superb wide angle and normal lenses

  6) No black out when the shutter is pressed.

  7) Superb framing. Easier for photographer to anticipate subject moving into the frame. 

  8) Very bright, aperture independent viewfinder

• Cons

  1) Macro photography is almost impossible for film Rf camera.

  2) Parallax issue when shooting at close range - due to the distance between the viewfinder and lens position .

  3) DOF preview is non existence.

  4) Telephoto lenses are limited to 135 mm or shorter due to frames line restriction.

Battle of the TLR : Minolta Autocord

1. Yashica 124G     2. Minolta Autocord     3. Rolleiflex T     4.Rolleilex 3.5F     5. Rolleiflex 2.8F   

I am a huge fan of rangefinder and TLR cameras and I am thankful to have these few awesome cams in my collection. I will be doing reviews on every single of it and share my thoughts and experience shooting with these beauties.

Minolta Autocord

Starting off with the humble Minolta Autocord, which one could purchase for around USD 250 to 370 or so for a decent used copy. Equipped with Minolta Chiyoka Rokkor  75mm f3.5 taking lens and Seikosha MX shutter, the camera is a great performer for it's price. The lens is the greatest asset of this camera. Though it was built sometime back in the 60's the image from the Rokkor lens on this camera looks rather modern and almost digital like specially with Pro400H and Pro160NS which I tested on. The image is slightly more vibrant and contrasty with great amount of details even when shot wide open. Sharpness is certainly not an issue for this lens be it at the center or corner. Very snappy with smooth out of focus bokeh.

In terms of operation, this camera is one of the odd one out as compared to the rest in the TLRs. The film is loaded on the opposite direction of all other TLR in the market in which the film roll is at the bottom while the spool is at the top. Hence if you have a Rolleiflex or a Yashica Mat, you might be confused with the loading at times.

Apart from that, the focus knob is located right below of the taking lens operating in a sweeping motion. The rest of the camera maker opted for the focus knob on the side of the camera body which I feel is more intuitive and ergonomic. Focusing the Autocord for the very first time do feel a bit awkward but after a couple of shots I am starting to feel at home with it. From what I gathered from the Minolta collectors forum, the sweeping focus allow one hand operation where the user could use the thumb and index finger to move the focus tab while using the ring finger to push the shutter release button. Thought this is indeed useful but the design and material used might not be the best. The main problem with this TLR is the focus tab being stiff after years of operation due to harding / drying of the lubrication used. This Left and right movement stresses the focus shaft which causes it to break over time. This is a known issue with this camera. Hence If you feel that your Autocord is having a stiff focus issue, kindly send it for CLA ( clean, lubricate, adjustment ) or some called it overhaul .

While as for the waist level finder, I wouldn't say it's the brightest but as compared to the rest of the TLR at this price range, it's a fair performer. Changing the focus screen would certainly help to ease out the focusing process but finding one with a decent price is certainly not easy.

Metering is non existence in this camera of this era hence an external light meter is recommended.

Summary

Pros : Amazing Minolta Chiyoka Rokkor 75mm f3.5 lens for this price range of TLR. Good contrast, great color rendition and not too prone to flare.

Cons : Camera focus tab is the achilles heels of this camera. Many units which I saw on sale have a broken focus tab ! The ergonomics of this camera can be a little quirky. Even thought Minolta claimed that this is the only TLR camera which you can focus with just one hand but the fact is ...why use one hand when you are blessed with two ?

Buying tips : All version of Autocord looks rather the same and the upgrades are very minute. Older version have no light meter while the later units have light meter. I would suggest to go for the non-light metered version as most of the light meters in the unit are either faulty or inaccurate by now. That would save your some money and weight as well. Always check the focus tab throughly to see if it's easy to focus or simply being THERE as the camera looks rather complete even the tab is missing! Just make sure you see a metallic round stud at the focusing scale area which looks like a smiley face : ) Should the focusing is not smooth or has a lot of friction, try to avoid it unless you are willing to pay for a CLA which might cost your around RM300.

My thoughts : I feel this is one of the best bang per bucks TLR camera out there in the used market.  The direct comparison for TLRs at this price range would be the Yashica Mat variants , more beat up condition Rolleicords and the China made Seagull or some called it Hai 'O. The lens is really nice, decent built quality and again make sure the focus tab works !

Yashica 124G Camera Review

Yashica is a huge manufacturer  of 'affordable' TLRS in Japan and the 124G is one of the latest in the production line. The 124 and 124G is basically an identical camera with just a different outlook. All dressed in tuxido black even down to the metal trims and the contact point is supposed to be gold plated to enhance conductivity. I really love the look of this retro MIB sort of camera but comparing it with it's elder Yashica siblings, I could see corners been cut here and there and introduction of plastic parts to lower down production cost. What a shame ! I have the privilege to test out the older model 124 and the winding crank is a lot more smoother and silent. The 124G winding crank sounds like a moving ratchet with loud clicking sound which turns me off totally. It feels like I'm using motorized pencil sharpener.

All of the Yashica TLRs  come with either the Yashikor lenes for older models or the Yashinon lenses on the newer ones. The Yashinon is a Zeiss Tessar copy with 4 elements glass. Image produced from this lens is lower in contrast and saturation as compared to the Minolta Autocord which I have just recently reviewed. For this lens, the center sharpness is decent enough for shooting wide open but corner is a little soft. It doesn't have the bite like the Autocord but it's a whole different look. Color seems more subtle and so is the contrast. Overall the lens is pretty good but there is a catch, it is prone to fogging hence becareful when you are purchasing one. I have a friend who has gotten one which is foggy and it's impossible to clean even by the professionals. Hence BEWARE to check it thoroughly !

The metering on my particular unit is already dead as I got it as a bargain hence I can't comment how accurate it would be. I shoot with the external light meter or sunny 16 anyway hence it's no biggie. The waist level finder is pretty bright and clear but it's a little dimmer as compared to the Autocord or Rolleflex.

The camera layout on the 124G is pretty much like all of the TLRs with focus knob on the left hand side while the winding crank on the right with both the camera setting dials situated right in between the taking and viewing lens. Not much worth mentioning there as it's the standard layout for most TLR camera out there in the market.  It can't match Rolleiflex in term of optics and built quality, in fact it's not intended to do so but it does serve it's purpose.

Summary

Pros : Reasonable price around RM 800 to 1k ish on ebay, a good entry level TLR with built in light meter.

Cons : The winding mechanism is a little rough and the ratchet sound is rather annoying sometimes. The lens is prone to fogging, suspect is the internal lubricants breaking down after many years. Apart from that there is not much complains for a camera at this price range.

Buying tips : Be sure to check thoroughly specially on the taking lens to ensure no fogging. The built in light meter may or may not work but of course if you could find a working unit that is an added bonus. Apart from that the camera is pretty well built and almost problem free.

Nikon FM2 Review

photo credit : Film Shooters Collective

The Nikon Fm2 camera is indeed a work horse.  This is my very first film camera and I’m sure most people started film photography with one too. There are a couple of variations being the original FM2 and the FM2n where the later model have a slightly higher flash sync speed. I have the privilege of owning both of the models (one chrome which I sold off early this year and another in black ) and to be honest I did not notice a slight difference between them apart from the different X sync shutter speed. The earlier models have the more sought after honey comb titanium shutter while later models are aluminum alloy.  I can’t vouch which is better or more durable as I have not encountered any issues with the FM2 so far. Do note that Nikon do not indicate the Fm2n on the camera body hence the only way to differentiate between these models is the flash sync speed of 125 (FM2) and 250 (FM2n) on both of the camera shutter speed dials as well as on the serial number. ( more details on the link below )

The FM2 are equipped with a illuminating LED type metering system which is displayed on the right of the view finder. Like most film cameras back then, the metering is center weighted and it feeds on the readily available LR44 battery which are pretty cheap. I love cameras that could work with or without battery and the FM2 is one of it. The FE2 on the other hand  would not be fully functional once the battery is dead hence giving the FM2 a little bit more of an advantage.

Comparing to other film SLR from that era, I personally favs the FM2 and the Olympus OM1. The FM2 view finder is not as wide or bright as the OM1 but the maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th second on the FM2 is indeed another advantage. The camera layout is well thought off and intuitive to use.

One the streets, it’s fairly easy to use. Maybe that’s why most beginners started off with one. The Nikon F mount works with almost all the lenses from the 50’s till now hence mostly likely it will work with your existing nikon lenses as long it has an aperture ring on it.

There are a comprehensive write up on the FM2 and the F2n variations on the link below. give it a read if you are planning to get one . It’s best to do some homework before investing on a film camera . After all it’s easily 20 years old : ) Hope this helps. Have fun and keep shooting !

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfmseries/fm2/index.htm

Olympus 35sp review

The 35sp was the only compact rangefinder to have a build in spot meter, hence giving it an edge over it’s rival such as the Yashica Electro, Canon Canonet, Monilta Hi-Matic and such. If you are not familiar with rangefinder cameras, click here on my past article 'What is Rangefinder Cameras ?'
The camera come equipped with a fixed 42mmf1.7 Olympus Zuiko lens. Being a prime lens, the optics are indeed very sharp. I truly enjoy the focal length as it is a good compromise between a 35mm ( street photography ) and 50mm (portrait lens). This camera utilizes the leaf shutter mechanism hence it’s possible to hand held at really low shutter speed ..say 1/15s.

On the streets
Using this camera is very fun. It’s basically “like” a point and shoot camera once you set it on A (automatic) mode. The camera is constantly on shutter priority mode when it’s on A . Don’t get mislead by A as Aperture priority like on all modern camera.  Hence the user selects the desired shutter speed, the camera will automatically determines the suitable aperture setting based on the light reading. I normally max out the shutter speed at 1/500s so the camera will be forced to use the min possible aperture setting.

The camera also allows manual operation but the operation is a little tedious. One would have to read the Ev value based on meter reading and set the Ev value manually on the lens for a perfect exposure. I personally find it slow hence more suited for photographing still life or landscape with this exposure method .

Another nice feature on this camera is the close range focus throw . Which mean with a slightly more than a quarter turn it bring the focus from closest to infinity. So with a little practice, shooting moving subject would not be that difficult.

This camera basically come in two version. The Olympus SP as shown here and the Olympus SPn which is basically an identical camera but with an additional battery check button. The SPn is a lot harder to find due to the low production quantity hence will normally fetch higher prices among collectors.

Summary

Pros : Good optics . Small and light which makes carrying it whole days is not a problem. Light meter is fairly accurate and rather spot. Really easy to use and good for everyday cam.

Cons : It's not cheap. A good copy might set you back around RM 1200.