They made a bunch of good lenses for the Nikon rangefinders, but they get pricey quick. The S3 2000's go for a lot more which is the limited run you mentioned - the 50mm f1.4 was remade with modern coatings too. That said the vintage 50 is still a great lens imo.
Thanks! There are several in that line I need to dig into details on. I’ve seen that pop up in search before but haven’t looked into specs. I’ll do that now for sure.
Merci pour la vidéo ! Je faisais des recherches depuis quelques temps mais je ne trouvais rien qui me décidait. J’ai finalement opté pour le Konica C35 et je suis très contente de mon choix, merci pour les conseils clairs et précieux !
Ya the Nikon s gets up there quick. Iiia are slightly cheaper. The III are still a good deal though since body is same as the A just lacking better viewfinder etc
@@graham_white my rangefinders for now: olympus 35 rc and Canon canonet 28.i know - not the best choice, but I got them for 50€ (for both). Just a bit cleaning + new battery and both are in perfect condition for me. Thank you for your video 👍
I have the Konica C35 Automatic, I picked it up as 'spares or repairs for £10 as the shutter was stuck. It was actually a bargain as I just fired the shutter several times and it is now working perfectly, I guess it got stuck through lack of use?
Very common with leaf shutters. Sometimes all it takes is just that firing the shutter a few times. Other times a light cleaning of the front will unstick/dislodge then I to working. They are rather bulletproof other than that for the most part.
@@graham_white they are completely identical functionally. Their only difference is cosmetics. Update: I was incorrect when I said it sells “much cheaper” than the SP version. It IS indeed cheaper but only slightly to moderately so.
@@graham_white ah, I did find one difference just by observing the models on eBay, the UC version adds a battery check button and light indicator on the back. Yet another reason to get the UC version!
@@graham_white okay. After seeing yet another version: the 35SPn, I’ve got this figured out finally. 35 SP 35 SPn-cosmetically the same as SP but adds battery check button and light indicator (rarest model of the 3). 35 UC -a cosmetically different version of the SPn
I actually had an Electra and totally blanked on including it in this. It is awesome. I really enjoyed mind. All but Silent shutter, fast lens, retro look and great price. Just make sure it’s working when you purchase. It will fire automatically at like 1/60 no matter what unless battery and electronics are working
I have come across a few and seem them but personally never used them. They aren't extremely popular or abundant but that does not mean by any standard that they aren't any good. most price action today is generated by hype.
It’s a rangefinder so the lens is part of the body. Can’t be simply taken off and replaced. Would have to buy a parts body and know how to disassemble/ replace elements
Konica C35: No manual exposure options; construction quality not as good as you think. Konica Auto S2: good lens and finder, has manual exposure options, but doesn't stand up to hard use. Canonet is about the same but newer, so most you find will have a little more life left in them. Braun Paxette: They break a lot; heavy metal doesn't necessarily mean high construction quality. Olympus 35SP: Super-long shutter release travel; meter doesn't work in manual mode (not that it matters because you can't get batteries anyway); no parallax compensation; ridiculously overpriced due to hipster fanboy hype. Nikon S3: Viewfinder frame lines are reflected (rather than projected as on the Konica IIIa) so finder is less contrasty and more flare-prone, especially if hazy from years of dirt; more expensive but really no better than comparable Canon models such as P and 7; large selection of lenses available from 21 to 135+ but they're all insanely expensive, as are repairs. Konica IIIA: terrific design but they're all 60+ years old now, so don't buy one unless it works perfectly and has no missing parts. PS since people are commenting about them: all the Soviet RFs are interesting to collect or for occasional fun use, but not reliable enough for taking pictures you care about (unless you're a repairman and don't mind tinkering with them.)
Thanks for all the input! I would like to go more in depth on these individually later but seeing as how this was already a 20 minute video had to keep it brief. They C35, Auto S2, QL and 35SP are definitely not great build quality for sure, Auto s2 being the worst I would think. I totally forgot about that important viewfinder difference so good call on that. I do think if you find a Konica IIIA in good working condition it should last you a long time compared to the rest in this lineup. And lastly yes the soviets are super cheap and can be fun with cool results. but yeah reliability is poor to say the least. their main appeal is the cost and the interesting bokeh I would think.
Oh dear what a reductionist jaundiced view. For the record I have a Zorki 4, extremely robust, fifty years old with a great Jupiter lens, and no repairs ever needed,works like a trojan. Can even work in freezing temp when other much more expensive cameras have given up. You're entirely wrong about Russian cameras. Their main selling point is their robustness and reliability, and generally no need of batteries. Mine can shoot happily all day long with just sunny 16 rule and rolls of film.
I think your prices are mostly all a little low, at least from what i’m seeing, but you did say you did minimal research, so no big deal, but that said, nice video. I love me some rangefinders. Watching this made me want more...lol.. *resist, resist....
Totally love my Konica IIIA! Pound for pound as good as any Leica, certainly M mounts and maybe even a tad better. That Hexanon 50 1.8 is marvelously sharp and I’d put it up against any 50. Simple hinged back to load film vs the somewhat flimsy way to load film in a Leica. Also, a fact often overlooked is that with the leaf shutter of the Konica IIIA one can sync flash all the way up to 1/500th instead of the abysmal 1/50th sync speed of the M6, the most popular hipster Leica. Yes, none of the cameras mentioned are really bought for flash photography but just saying. Yes, you do get an extra stop with Leica and the ability to change lenses but that isn’t necessary for me whom shoots with nothing but 50s on all my cameras. But hey, a lot of ‘em like that little red dot Graham. Not me. And yes, that phenomenal viewfinder of the Konica IIIA.
My personal favourite is the Argus C3. It is my go-to camera that I get professional results from and is solidly built and dependable. Most importantly they usually cost $20. Many people say it’s clunky and clumsy to use, but I’ve been using it for a while and once you get used to it, it becomes second nature and and actually preferable to more modern cameras. The Cintar lens standard is superb and gives nice character to the photos.
So I’m going to Japan for my honeymoon and I’m trying to decide between buying a simple point and shoot 35 mm camera or one with a rangefinder. I know I want to take photos of Mt. Fuji so I’m curious to know what you think I should get? I’m very new to photography
Depends. If you are completely new to photography and specifically film, a point and shoot will be much more forgiving and require less effort and time. The shooting experience of a rangefinder is much more appealing and better cameras a lot of times since you have control of settings. Just depends on how comfortable you are with it.
@@graham_white Thank you for the advise! I decided to go with a Cannon Sure Shot 105 zoom 35mm camera I found for $60 on eBay. I think the zoom will let me get some good shots of Mt. Fuji from afar.
Nice video! I'd like to add the not so well known Yashica Electro 35 GX, a small fixed lens RF with automatic AP mode only. Decent viewfinder, small size, and a sharp 40mm f1,7 lens. Yashica cameras are pretty good and the lens on this beauty is top notch. Only lacking a bit in build quality or finish compared to more expenisve cameras, but at least it's nearly all metal.
Thanks for the video. Here are the 35mm rangefinder cameras I have owned and used: Canon Canonet QL17 G-III with fixed 40mm f/1.7 lens Minolta Hi-Matic 9 with fixed 45 f/1.7 lens Argus C-3 with 35mm f/4.5, 50 f/3.5, and 100mm f/4.5 lenses Contax G1 with 21mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8, 45mm f/2, and 90mm f/2.8 lenses Leica M6 with 21mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2 lenses Of my two fixed lens rangefinder cameras, I use the Canonet more than the Minolta because I prefer the 40mm focal length lens to the 45mm. Of my three interchangeable lens rangefinder cameras, I use the Leica more than the Contax or the Argus because I prefer the Leica's faster lenses.
The fujica35SE was my first film camera I got it at a church sale and it’s super easy to focus with and the standard lens is great they go for pretty cheap online
I hate to be the "well technically" guy....but...The Nikon S3 does have Parallax correction, it is just manual. the small brackets on the top and left allow a certain level of parallax correction, while not as accurate as other models you show they work okay. There are a decent number of lenses for Nikon RFs made by Nikon and other Japanese companies of the era as well as modern Voightlander lenses and some early Contax RF lenses from around the same time period but there are a few tricks to using them.
Very correct. I made it a point to show it has the bracket lines but does not automatically adjust like the Konica but I must have left it out after all. thanks for the reminder!
@@graham_white Nikon S's are my prefered film shooters, so I could go on about them all day, though I know no one really wants to hear me ramble on about them. The longer lenses 85mm and 105mm are nice lenses that offer a lot of dramatic bokeh. I personally prefer the wider ones. All-in-all it is a great system that is very underrated.
Thanks for your video. I do have the canon ql17, good, the konica s3nauto, great, although my copy is not perfect condition and the olympus 35sp, amazing. However the one i end up shooting the most with is the small olympus trip35. Not the same quality, but So compact, so easy, always with me. Lol.
Just got an olympus 35rc, I just got a leica barnack a few months before it. I love the olympus though, it seems so much easier to use. I am new to film, but enjoying it a lot more than my digital camera. Really enjoying videos like yours, thank you!
i have the olympus 35 sp and i love everything about it but it’s really difficult for me to line up the focus because the superimposed images aren’t super well defined. do u run into that issue as well or do u think mine might need to be serviced or something? great vid!
It is a great little camera. Could be that the focus pitch ha faded away but I would think more likely the viewfinder needs to be cleaned inside and out. Dust, haze etc can make it very difficult to see
The Nikon shares the same mount as the Contax rangefinders of the same era. It’s called the Contax RF mount. In fact the camera bodies themselves looked very similar. Not sure who copied who. But there’s a wide variety of lenses. I own the Contax II, really looking to get one of the Nikons as well. My Contax has a f1.5 Zeus Sonnar lens on it. Currently not in working condition though 😒
Ah, I thought they looked very similar. That definitely makes the lens mount more appealing and easier to work with. Dang, thats unfortunate. I am sure they aren't cheap to have repaired.
To my understanding Russian Kiev cameras have the same RF mount as Contax and Nikon. And a bunch of lenses that Russians made otherwise for the LTM (M39) mount (Zorkis and Feds) they also made for Kiev cameras in RF mount, starting with the legendary Jupiter 8, so there's possibly a cheap alternative for extra lenses for ya...
@@tomislavmiletic_ I believe that the Kiev 1-3 were built in the same factory or with the same stock as contax so its basically a contax which is nice.
I did notice that. A lower end model can be around there but yeah the nicer ones especially the one with the 1.8 f stop (I believe that is the correct number) is obviously much more expensive.
It's a pity you didn't mention the FSU rangefinders, the Leica copy Fed (later versions with frame finders and/or selenium light meter) and Zorki (looks like a screw-mount Leica) or the Contax copy Kiev (with or without meter). Contax rangefinders are VERY rare and horribly expensive. All of these take copies of Zeiss designed lenses, and the 35mm f2.8, 85mm f2 and 135mm f4 can be had for a much lower price than Nikon lenses (Nikon basically put a Leica shutter into a modified Contax body, and the first Nikon rangefinders used (whisper it) Canon lenses, adapted to a mount similar to Contax (lenses other than 50mm use the external bayonet and have their own focus scales). Nikon and Contax lenses aren't interchangeable due to different definitions of 50mm. Canon, of course, simply copied the Leica to begin with, but like Nikon progressively tweaked the design. Canon turned to SLRs when Leitz refused permission to use the M-series bayonet mount.
If anyone has a non-functioning Konica Auto S2, you might be interested in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-__alAfOcMs4.html . You might be interested in it even if it is working,
Believe it or not it was in the shelf right behind me.... totally blanked on that one. 🤦♂️ Probably cause I’ve talked about it before so I mentally checked it off I guess.
Of my inexpensive rangefinders and not mentioned so far here I would recommend the Kodak Retina 111C folding camera from the late 50's. The German build quality is superb, you get a 50mm f2 lens with the option of interchangeable 35mm and 80mm alternatives and a big bright viewfinder. My Olympus rangefinder is the 35 RD, a more compact camera than the SP with a nice f1.7 40mm Zuiko lens. Like the SP it has an auto function but the shutter is much quieter.
Nice choice of rangefinders 👌! Love the Braun Paxette and the Konica IIIa. My personal favorites were the Yashica 35 Electro GX and the Zeiss Ikon Contax line, they have great lenses, fairly well available over here. Many people object the squinty finders though... My favorite Nikkor is the 105/2.5 but you can get that for slr aswell. Good start for the new year - stay safe.
Those are solid options. I actually have the Shika Elektra and it’s fantastic camera I just completely blanked and forgot to include that one. And yes that context line is really nice. I really want a kiev 4 since it’s basically same. And that 105 you can’t go wrong with
@@graham_white - once you have held a Contax IIa/ IIIa in good condition in your hands you might not want to go back to Kiev. Early Kievs come closest.
Cool video. Many of the Braun Paxette and Super Paxette cameras also have interchangeable lenses. I have an 85mm for mine. I also am fond of my Zorki 4. And if you can't afford a Mamiya 7 but want to shoot 6x7 with a rangefinder the Koni Omega Rapid cameras are very good cameras and have good glass. It is also the only bolt action rangefinder and has the interesting distinction of having been designed by Omega, and produced by Konica and later Mamiya took over production.
I’ve actually shot with the koni omega. I didn’t even think about that since it was medium format but your absolutely right very cool camera you don’t hear much about and yes great glass. I need to look into the paxette line more they are rather interesting, I think like a year after this video I discovered one with interchangeable lenses which was rather intriguing. The 85 sounds very nice, I’m curious about the glass quality
If im not mistaken, this is actually the Nikon S3, you can tell by the shutter speed dial, however not major differences, there are a handful of Nikon brand glass you can buy for it, such as a 135 or 50 f.2. Hope you enjoy it, I love mine. The S, did not have an advance lever, and is why it is so much cheaper than the 2 or 3
Correct! S3. Must have forgot to say that. Ha yes the S is MUCH more affordable. Ever tried contax glass on yours? Someone else recently suggested that
Found a Konica C35 at Goodwill for $25 in mint condition with the leather case . I love the size of this thing. Can’t wait to finish my first roll of film through it
Just to point out, the Nikon S3 year 2000, the newer one you mentioned,is way more expensive that the original one. It usually comes with the 50mm F1.4 lens fashioning a new coating. An incredible piece of glass comparable to Leitz lenses
I can definitely vouch for the C35! I have the EF model and the lens is so sharp for such a basic camera. I recently upgraded to a Uniomat 2 but still take my C35 when i go out shooting, loaded with LomoChrome. It's so light and compact that I don't really notice it in my carry bag. It's pretty limited in terms of exposure range but for outdoor daylight shooting It's treated me really well.
There are Facebook groups, thought not always useful. If Nikon is your main interest Richard Haw has an amazing site that gives lots of info on rangefinder, early F and lens repair.
After 50 yrs. Plus shooting film in Canon & Nikon SLR's, I've pulled the pin & dove into digital with a Nikon DSLR & 3 LENSES. Having learned from some excellent mentors how darkrooms & light meters work, digital was a leap! The lenses for the Nikon D3200 are very good, but the lens on the Canonet GIII 1.7 will make slides sharp enough for more than 100 inch enlargement for projections. It's probably just an opinion, but I like doing the processing myself, even when the computers in the DSLR try to do that for me. BTW: my film cameras are over 40 yrs. old & none of them has or needs a shutter counter!
I had one for very little money. The lens is pretty good and sharp indeed but the body's build quality isn't exactly top notch, not very different from all the other similar cameras of that era. Long story short: My camera broke after shooting only a handful of rolls.
The vast majority of them do from my experience. There is usually a lever in the front side below shutter button ( for most slr cameras) which gives you a usually up to 10 seconds but varies depending on model. A lot of rangefinders have the same feature and light and shoots usually have a button somewhere on the top or beck
You don't really NEED any specific type of 35mm camera. It all depends on what you want to do and what you are most comfortable using to get you the best results. Rangefinders are great cause they are relatively simple and straight forward with the vast majority having fixed lenses. If you want more versatility with glass go with an slr. There is no right answer, just comes down to what is going to be best for you.
Have you ever used a Konica S/s2/s3 non auto? There is VVEEERRYYY little information on them but they look like winners. I'd love to see how the three series compare. The iii, S and auto S/auto s2.
Ive used that camera for years and it was literally sitting in my drawer... no clue how I completely blanked on that one but yes it is a solid budget friendly option with great results.
@@graham_white if you need hammering a nail and you only have your Minolta 7s with you... guess what... it works perfectly. It is definitely a heavy camera.
@@graham_white It's a hefty well built camera (of course it's well built, it's Minolta) and was very advanced for its time: It can do all autoexposure modes! Shutter or aperture priority and even fully metered! As far as I know it is one of the only rangefinders to do that. The lens is a great 45mm f/1.8 Rokkor.
@@graham_white Don't know if you're talking about the original Hi-Matic 7s (which was an early-'60s contemporary of the Konica Auto S2, with similar size and build) or the later compact-size Hi-Matic 7s2, which looked almost exactly like the Konica Auto S3... not surprising since they were both built by a contract manufacturer (probably Cosina or Chinon, guesses differ.) All of this whole class were what you might call “medium-duty” cameras... kind of silly to compare build quality since none of them were designed to last 50+ years, so differences ow are mostly down to how much an individual example was used and how well it was taken care of.