favourite FLR quiz

[nikkortorokkor]

I was going to make this JFLR (Japanese Fixed Lens Rangefinder) but hey, some of you may love the Durst Automatica enough to vote for it.

My entrée to the world of collectible cameras has been via that last hope of the bottom-feeding junk camera fiend, the fixed lens rangefinder. Beloved by those of us who just can't convince our spouse or our bank manager of actually why we NEED that M3 Leica, the FLR makes a pretty durned good second best which, in these days of film abandonment, can be bought for a family's worth of Happy Meals.

But which FLR is best? As an historian trained in the Whiggish tradition I've been firmly taught that there Is an ultimate truth, we'll just never know it, so the question of which is best remains unanswerable. That does not, however, prevent us from having favourites, and I reckon that you good folks on the CC board must have favourite FLRs and good reasons for your bias. So fire away! I'll start the ball rolling (to mix metaphors) with my personal fave: the stolid and respectable Minolta Hi-Matic 7.

I reckon the 7 is a camera built by photographers for photographers. Compared to the original Hi-Matic it's more conservative and controllable, being fully manual as well as AE. Here are some of its virtues:

Aesthetics- beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but I think that most will agree that the 7, 7s, and 9 are all nice, modern, understated designs. Not quite as sleek and pretty as the QL Canonets, they are, nevertheless, understated when compared to the slightly flashier Yashica rangefinders.

Metering- the 7s and 9 have the fancy CLC metering, but I've found the plain old CDS cell on the 7 to be pretty good, even after 40+ years and alkaline 1.5 battery instead of the original 1.3 mercury. But there is more. The CDS eye is inside the filter ring (the 1st Japanese camera feature this) and there is an EV system display in the viewfinder. I like the EV system, it has helps me think about light. Best of all, the meter does not turn off when you switch to manual (unlike the Canonet QL17). Why did Canon stick that durned contact breaker in their lens barrel? Minolta seemed to figure out very early on (1963) that lots of us might like to hybridise metered shooting with guesstimation or to meter an area then recompose, or bracket or whatever. But whatever the reason, they new that we needed a metered manual camera sometimes. Like I said, by photographers for photographers.

Size. Big is good. I like the Ricoh 500G, but my daughter likes it better! The 7 is big, solid and grunty. Food for hand holding at low speeds.

Lens. 45/1.8-22 Rokkor. Its good. 'Nuf said.

Monkey-Brick mechanicals. I (a monkey with a brick) can fix the 7. The engineering is pretty obvious. Other contenders, (the QL17, especially) are more jewel-like, more clever, and need a cleverer monkey to fix 'em!

Bright rangefinder, quick focus. After struggling with a 135 Tele-Enalyt on the Super-Paxette, focussing the 7 is a snap. So intuitive.

Neat factory lens hood. It's very pro. I feel my masculine security growing just by clipping it on...the lens that is. Lens envy? Moi?

Cheap. I could buy 3 sevens for the same price some people pay for Dianas and Holgas. It takes all sorts.

Vices.

Only one, and it's not a real vice so much as a could do better. Speed and arperture rings are a little scrunched together and unlike the QL7, don't have raised pieces to aid grip. Thats it really.

I've gone on long enough. Your turn now. Remember Fixed Lens only, no cheating! (get behind me thee Leica).

[bcomber2]

This could be a difficult one, Michael! I am also a bottom feeder when it comes to FLRF cameras but that is what is available out there and none are disappointing. I have yashicas from YK to GTN, Canonettes ql17 and variants, Also Walz envoy, Lordomat, Minolta 7s,7sii, 9 , Olympus XA, RC, Konica S2, EE, Fujicas . The ultimate scoop from the bottom isn't quite there yet! What might that be?! but perhaps it may be sinking slowly. Anyway I have used most of them. Some still need a bit of titivating to get up to speed. Results in all cases have been very satisfactory and I would be hard pushed to select any one over another unless I detail one or two parameters. Here is the difficulty. Handling? view finder and focussing? weight? loading? size? portability? lens capability?
Too many variables for me.. Answer: pass.
Dave

[chrisy]

Yes Nik. the 7 is a good camera although mine read a touch over the last time I used it -then that could be the shutter running a touch slow but it is a heavy old thing aint it?
Along the same lines I like the Yashica Electro 35 GSN and it's smaller brother the CC.The only drawback (for all you purists out there) is it's not fully manual; you can only set the aperture. However my favourite has to be the Olympus 35RC -Manual or auto - cracking 2.8/46mm lens and its got an off switch! And when the day is done you can slip it in your pocket and wend your weary way home.
regards Chris

[nikonbob]

Good thread. My favourite is a Ricoh 500 for it's quirkiness in having a trigger winder built in and the photos it takes despite having the maligned 45/2.8 lens. Did I mention it is built like a tank? For ease of use, small size and very good lens it would be the Minolta Hi Matic E. Oh heck I'll take any of them that I can find, be they Oly, Yash, whatever.

Bob

[aceroadholder]

Michael, I'd go with the Minolta 7s. It has a great piece of glass. I'm still impressed with the pictures I get with it. I agree, the scrunched up speed and aperture rings are the only fault I can find with the camera. Having said that, I use the auto setting 95% of the time anyway. I quit bothering to turn the meter off... just put the lens cap on (as the owners manual suggests). I use the 1.5v battery too.... I can't tell any difference in the metering.
Any of the FLRF's mentioned will run rings around all but the best digitals I've seen.

Orlin in South Carolina, USA

[doubs43]

I have to go with my first real camera - bought in 1967 - which turned out to be an excellent choice. It was the Fujica V2 and the 45mm f/1.8 lens was tack-sharp. Exposures using the built-in meter were spot-on except in backlit situations and I have slides on Kodachrome that still amaze me.

Walker

[vintageslrs]

Most of you know I'm not much of a rangefinder fan.....I owned SLR cameras before I ever owned a rangefinder---so rangefinders always seemed uncomfortable to me---and I much prefer SLR's--they just seem natural to me.......anyway.....

My fav would be a Petri 7S----I know some will laugh. But I have a few Minolta Hi-Matics...a Canonet...a Kiev..an Argus...an Aries and a Konica but my 2 Petri 7S ALWAYS take great photos for me and never seem to disapoint.....I use them manually setting the SS and aperture myself (using the meter in my head)....my Petri 7S cameras outshine all my other rangefinders.

Bob

[nikkortorokkor]

Walker, you make me cry. The camera which kicked off my 'collection' is a rashly-bought Fujica V2. Unfortunately it is well beyond economic repair (I'd have to buy a better one just to scavenge parts, and that seems to be putting the cart before the horse).

I have made a late discovery of the charm of the older, simpler camera. The Toyoca (which could be interchangeable with any number of 50s Japanese rangefinders) Is a nice handler. The shutter, which sounds deafening in my workshop recedes into a quiet *click* in a crowd. No meter means no long, heavy shutter release (my biggest complaint with the 7) and the speeds (b 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 300) are just strange enough to exercise my feeble brain.

[mickeyobe]

Every time FLR's are mentioned I have to put in some words for the Voigtlander Vitessa N. Still, in my opinion, the most beautiful camera ever made. It has a plunger that both cocks the shutter ( B to 1/500 ) which is unusually quiet, and advances the film. Focussing is done by a thumb wheel at the back of the top plate. The viewfinder and superimposed rangefinder are bright and clear. Focus and depth of field are shown by a revolving disc on the top of the camera. Manual rewind on the bottom plate is exceptionally easy and fast. The "barn doors" open and fold easily and positively and when folded make a neat, pocketable package. Quality is superb.

My second choice FLR is a little Fujica 35 - ML. It might be the baby brother to the Vitessa N. It has the same focussing wheel and distance/depth of field disc on the top plate. The parallax correcting viewfinder/rangefinder is one of the brightest I have ever seen. Shutter and aperture are cross coupled if one choses to use that feature. The film advance/shutter cocking lever is on the bottom of the camera, not my favourite feature but one need not remove the camera from one's eye when using it. The rewind knob and handle is at the end of the top plate, unusual but very smooth.
This is a small, solid, well built camera that feels good in the hand and is a pleasure to use.

Mickey

[pancake]

I'll chime in with my two favorites:

1. Olympus 35 SP. I had two, both were purchased way lower than what they sell now on the 'bay. I sold the chrome one and kept the black one. A good friend who is an excellent camera tech cleaned it up. It's my favorite because of the lens. A 7-element Zuiko 42/1.7 that renders images most pleasing to my eyes. Also the viewfinder is super nice. While not par with a Leica-M, it's superior to those of its peers. No doubt in my case it's partly due to the cleaning performed by an expert.

2. A Bessa RF with Heliar lens. These are expensive nowadays due to the lens' reputation. My hand were tired of putting my jaw back in its place because it kept falling to the floor when I saw the 6x9 Ektachrome slide that came out of this camera. For a 71 years old equipment, it handles like a new camera.