Need advice on choosing a rangefinder.

[Joe VanCleave]

Many rangefinders - certainly my Soviet-era Zorki IV fits this description - have rather noisy curtain shutters, as noisy as a mirror-flopping SLR. Conversely, the Kodak Retinas have a wonderfully quiet leaf shutter, but are harder to find in good operating order and modest price.

-Joe

[moto-uno]

Although they're not exactly what was asked for the Minolta hi-matic e with it's 40mm lens
or the Yashica Electo 35 with it's 45mm lens allow some fine rangefinder photography,the Minolta
especially is so small and quiet and that Rokkor lens is no slouch. Hope this adds to the angst
of choices.Regards,Peter

[xxloverxx]

I had a Canonet shutter jam last week. Watch out for that. I love the Ricoh 500G (40 2.8). Just bought a ZF, which is the same without the RF. Just watch that the foam hasn't disintegrated.

[Dismayed]

The Olympus Trip 35 would be perfect. The OP wants zone focus - that's all that it does. Nice lens, and inexpensive, too.

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

I am using Barnack Leicas - one 1A , two IIF , one IIIC , one Leica Mini Zoom plus Leicaflex SL with Elmar , Vario Elmar , Summitar and Summicron and after all I bought a Leica II copy FED1 and this is the camera I want to suggest. It comes from ebay , 30 day guarantee , % 99 Positive Feedback and online registered postal office barcode all costs 62 dollars including postage. Camera is clean like a newly washed baby and all mechanics are smooth and may be camera body works smoother and buttery feel than Leicas.

There are and can be zillions of reasons why Barnack camera increases your performance , may be cold , manly look and skin , may be center of gravity , may be thickness of the body , may be all ship porthole like apparatus but I love the Leica and FED cameras. Its feels I am serious and take me serious saying.
In addition , small viewfinder is a marvel and Its the best viewfinder I used past 30 years. Smaller the what you see , easier to compose without dealing the details. And the optics are AMAZING , it takes amazing things only a Leica owner and a great eye can understand.

I will use Leica optics on the FED1 , I will buy a Summar this summer for 150 dollars from KEH and mission accomplished.

Follow me ,

Umut