mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Aug 11, 2007 3:15:24 GMT -5
"I won't go into a long screed, but have a look at these two websites:"
Peter,
Terrifying revelations, indeed.
Which opens up the question:
Should I still use it occasionally or should I place it in permanent retirement only to be looked at longingly in passing and lovingly fondled only on national holidays?
I think I shall opt for the former and should it eventually become victim to one of its family's genetically inherited ailments I shall mount it on a pedestal with a suitably engraved memorial plaque and a little flag on its "telephone pole".
Mickey
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Post by nobatt on Aug 11, 2007 9:43:13 GMT -5
After being a purist user of different classic german rangefinders ( Contax, Leica), i became before several months a fan of the great 70ies rangefinders from Japan ! I really have a lot of fun and i am impressed by the wonderful pictures i have taken with my Canonet QL 17 GIII and the Ricoh 500G. I would like to have all of the Konicas, Yashicas, Minoltas etc. Fun factors like autoexposure and the excellent lenses made me addicted. I will buy next an Olympus SP with seven element (!) lens.
By the way, i recommand the extremely solid semi-professional german Kodak Retina IIc (small"c") with Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 2,8/50mm, which is absolutely comparable in image quality with the same era screwmount Leitz Summicron and Voigtländer Ultron. The whole camera is astonishing well made with perfect Syncro-Compur shutter and lovely technical details. You can achieve one for less or more 20 Euros on german eBay in fine condition, you have the choice of two interchangable, fantastic lenses and a lot of interesting accessories. The Retina IIC and IIIC (big "C") have a bigger and brighter viewfinder, but they are expensive, so i am using my Retina together with a 50mm Leitz Viewfinder on the accessory shoe for easier and better composing . The design of the older Retina IIa is in my opinion nicer, but the front lens element is fixed without the ability of interchanging lenses.
Boris
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Aug 11, 2007 17:35:43 GMT -5
Mickey,
I hope it never comes to that, but should it come to pass might I suggest that a suitably simple engraving on the plaque would be "In memorium. Sic transit gloria mundi". Not sure what to put on the flag.
PeterW
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Post by doubs43 on Aug 11, 2007 17:41:14 GMT -5
Mickey, I hope it never comes to that, but should it come to pass might I suggest that a suitably simple engraving on the plaque would be "In memorium. Sic transit gloria mundi". Not sure what to put on the flag. PeterW Peter, considering the suggested plaque, I'd say the flag should simply be at half mast....... or maybe half telephone pole?  Walker |
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Aug 11, 2007 18:10:59 GMT -5
Peter,
"Thus passes the glory of the world."
That is pretty high praise for an unreliable telephone pole with barn doors and a wonky rangefinder.
Could it be that you have a secret affection for little Miss Vitessa?
As for the flag. What could be more fitting than horizontal stripes of the colours of the spectrum starting with Violet (V) at the top and across the bottom in red ...---... ?
Boris,
I have the Retina II with no lower case letters. It does have the non interchangeable Xenon lens.
It is as you say, "astonishingly well made".
It produces excellent pictures and is great to use even though the view/rangefinder is a little skimpy.
Mickey
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Reiska
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Post by Reiska on Aug 12, 2007 6:13:44 GMT -5
I have not many rangefinders because I have kind of affair with SLR cameras. Anyway, the newest camera in my shelves is Yashica Electro 35 GS . No manual mode but otherwise it is gorgeous. If you compare it with contemporary German rangefinders in the same price class it is absolutely better built and it has also proved to be more reliable. One thing which has not posed out here (This will confirm John's observation, that I should have to renew my English dictionary  ) is that the situation in Germany was different after WWII. This might have had an impact on this subject. I'm so proud of my Yashica, that I have show it here:  Here is the whole page: www.thecamerasite.net/02_Rangefinders/Pages/yashicamg.htm |
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Post by nikkortorokkor on Aug 13, 2007 16:23:37 GMT -5
Update: Doh! The Lynx 1000 that I thought I was 'stealing' at NZ$20 + p&p is, on closer inspection of the vendor's fuzzy picture, a Minister, which looks almost identical to the 1000, but with a 1:2.8 Yashinon lens. If I'd been more circumspect, I'd have looked up from my computer to the camera shelf and recognized the lens as the same as that hanging off the front of my Yashica J. Caveat emptor! The Lynx 14 is, meanwhile, the centre of a bidding war. An advantage for the vendor using TradeMe (New Zealand's online auction site) is that all auctions now automatically extend, just like a 'real' auction does. Thus, if someone bids just as the auction is closing, it'll stay open for another two minutes. A feature which prevents sniping and promotes bidding wars. Let the games begin! Well, the Lynx 14 has just gone for NZ$100 (about US$74) - too rich for my blood, but good for the vendor, who placed a sensibly low reserve on the camera. I'm sure he's very happy. The rangefinder buzz seems to be alive and well here in NZ. The shutter on my Hi-Matic 7 has, alas, jammed again, causing me to get 3 exposed images off a 24 roll film. How come equipment failure always happens when you think you've made that image that'll make the cover of National Geographic? Just like the fisherman's 'One that got away' methinks. It's my own fault for being impatient with my cleaning. I must've sealed in some shellite and, when it finally dried, the dreaded oil on the blades reared its ugly head again. Obviously being too eager is my problem (see Minister purchase above)  |
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Post by John Farrell on Aug 13, 2007 16:41:19 GMT -5
The bidding on the Yashica M1 I was following got too rich for me....I had an auto bid to $15.05, and it went for $15.55.
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Post by nikkortorokkor on Aug 13, 2007 18:12:15 GMT -5
John, discretion certainly is the better part of valour. I do love some of these guys who can sniff out an auto bid and beat it by 50 cents! The Minister just turned up in the post & I'm kind of glad it's not a 1000. A tattier camera is hard to envision! The owner must've been a sweater, or maybe he took it to the tropics. Anyway, these are fairly simple little cameras to fix, so it'll be fun seeing what I can do. I've even found a nifty little innovation to love - the extra ring on the front with EV numbers. Turn the ring and to the 'correct' EV (as indicated by the meter) and the aperture ring sets itself 'automatically' to the right f-stop for the speed you've selected. Neato.  Noeither is quite in the league of Reiska's Electro GS!  The EV ring  The J's Yashinon: No EV ring. |
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Post by John Farrell on Aug 13, 2007 19:50:16 GMT -5
I've had some interesting Yashicas over the years - an M, like the one I was bidding on, which looked like it was in unused condition. A YK, which has the same lens and shutter as the earlier Js, and a body reminiscent of a Nikon M. And a Minister 700, an unusual variant with an f1.7 lens. I have sold all 3, in the interest of keeping the collection self funding, and under control.
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