First rangefinder and lens

Consider a nikon film camera if you have lenses that cover film format ,24x36mm. They are cheap and you will get your feet wet.

Your budget does not buy much in the way of a decent rangefinder. Anything you buy at that price probabley will need $300 worth of repairs. With your inexperience, you will not be able to pick up one not needing repairs.

There are good Leica dealers in UK. Make a shopping trip, not a buying trip.

Thanks Ronald. Maybe I'll hold out for the moment then, until I'm ready to get something decent.

Just for an idea, could anybody tell me what the minimum would be to buy a decent rangefinder/lens combination, and what that would be? Cheers, Anatole

antoan, i think you can safely ignore the advice from above. if you want a rangefinder get one. 300 uk pounds would get a lot. consider the voightlander bessa range and the fabulas cosina glass. you would of course have to go second hand but for the money you have you will get some good stuff.

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now pick up some jupiter 50mm russian glass (russian clone) for a tenner from ebay. industar lenses also go dirt cheap. you would be well within your budget. when you have a little more to add to that, go for a 35mm 2.5 colour skopar lens.

do check fleabay as well. prices are not bad at present because of the economic climate

Anatole, check out www.ffordes.com, based in Scotland. Steve is good to deal with. Leica CL or Minolta CLE may be worth considering. M2 or M3 are excellent for all-manual cameras that will last a lifetime. They cost a bit more. Make sure whatever you buy is fully serviced. Other places to look are www.leicashop.at, www.photovillage.com, and www.sherrykrauter.com. Read all about classic cameras at www.cameraquest.com and www.photoethnogrpahy.com. That should give you plenty to think about!

I don`t follow exact pricing, but 600 for a camera with working parts plus cleaning and relube for $300 to a better one at 1200 to 1500 that may still end up need a relube.

A crummy lens for $200 to something nice at $600.

Go the camera Quest.com and price the current bodies and lenses. I think you can get something new for $700. They are not Leica quality, but you can try out a range finder.

Or get a 35 and 50 Nikon lens and a Nikon camera. You can use the lenses on your Nikon digi if you abandon film. The right Nikon lenses can be used on the digi with good optical results, but will not necessarily fully function.

The real problem with old Leicas is deterioration with time. Rubber shutter curtains go bad. Transports go bad, Rangefinders delaminate, Lubes harden. All fixable, but at great expense. They are a lot like classic cars. Fine if you have the money and know what you are getting.

Get a Pentax K1000. Not a rangefinder and also no bells & whistles but you'll learn alot of basics. Or one of the Japanese rangfinders from the 70's. I have a Minolta HiMatic 7s I still use alot. Check the auctions.

Nope, he doesn't need a Pentax. Check the first two posts.

Could consider a non-Leica rangefinder. You could get a fine ~1960 Canon P or similar with a 35/2 or 50/1.4 and stay well within your budget, although I know prices are higher in the U.K.

KEH in Georgia (no, not that Georgia) always has a few and they are up front about condition. If you shop on the much-loathed auction site, there's an outstanding guy named Jiri Ecer in Japan who trades as jiri_e or something like that. He specializes in Canon rangefinder, and he's completely obsessive about describing condition accurately.

"have suddenly had an urge to get a rangefinder ... would hope to find something with metering inside and luxuries like that ... My budget would be around £300 (approx. $600) for both one lens and a camera"

$600 will buy _alot_ of rangefinder.

First, look for Japanese fixed lens RF from the 70's. The one best fitting your requirement is probably the Olympus XA. This is a jewel of a little clamshell, modern design with a 35mm f2.8 lens. One in good condition should be about $80.

Second, look for the Contax G1 and G2. This is an (automatic focus, auto-wind, AE) RF manufactured in the mid 90's. It is non-traditionalist RF design to say the least. If for no other reasons though, get this camera for the Zeiss optics. The default lens shipped with the G1 was the 45mm f2 Zeiss Planar. In some circles, this hallowed lens is mentioned only in hush tones. A G1 and 45mm lens in good condition should be around $300.

Finally, if you're willing to forgo coupled metering (overrated anyways) then your options really open up.