1st rangefinder recommendations?

[TheFlyingCamera]

Here's another wrinkle to consider-

Contax G1 or G2.

They're autofocus, with manual focus capability. They take modern CR2 lithium batteries. They have interchangeable lenses, and some of the best glass ever made for 35mm. They offer aperture priority or manual exposure, TTL flash, and they're quite compact and quiet (not quite as quiet as a Leica M, but still quite good).

[Anscojohn]

Konica Auto S-2. IMHO, even better than the Canonet QL-17 GIII. You can generally find these Konicas for under $50, and they are wonderful - the lens is Leica Summicron quality.

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I agree. Although the Konica Auto-S2 is a bit bigger than the Canon, they have most of the same good features such as parallax correcting viewfinder and as Doug Green states, a very, very fine lens.

[dougjgreen]

*******
I agree. Although the Konica Auto-S2 is a bit bigger than the Canon, they have most of the same good features such as parallax correcting viewfinder and as Doug Green states, a very, very fine lens.

Another thing, and this is significant with these older cameras, is that the Konica Auto S-2 is much easier to re-seal than the Canonet QL-17 GIII,

[mojobebop]

Here's another wrinkle to consider-

Contax G1 or G2.

They're autofocus, with manual focus capability. They take modern CR2 lithium batteries. They have interchangeable lenses, and some of the best glass ever made for 35mm. They offer aperture priority or manual exposure, TTL flash, and they're quite compact and quiet (not quite as quiet as a Leica M, but still quite good).

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g1 not good for street shooting.
the focus mechanism won't shoot till in focus.

[Ektagraphic]

I have looked into getting a Voigtlander Bessa and I think they are great cameras.

[keithwms]

Yes, get a brand new bessa and lens. Used cameras can be great, but... why not support new products if you can afford to do so.

[TheFlyingCamera]

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g1 not good for street shooting.
the focus mechanism won't shoot till in focus.

Well, then put it in manual focus! I've done plenty of street shooting with my G1 and G2, and had no problem with getting the images I wanted.

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Hi,
If you'd like to try Leica because it is said to be lighter than a SLR, well, I can tell you that a M6 plus 35mm or 50mm lens is no lighter than a Nikon FE2 with similar lenses... or the difference is really hard to feel.

I often take my cameras with me in the mountains or on long-distance walks, so I pay careful attention to weight:

Nikon FE2 + 20mm (Russian) + 35/2.0 + 105/2.5 = 1.579 Kg.
Leica M6 + 21mm (C/V) + 35/2.0 + 90/2.8 = 1.080 Kg.
(and if I add the C/V 15mm, it adds up to 1.274 Kg.)

So while the M6 kit isn't super-light, a half-kilo less weight to carry is far from negligible in many situations.

With a Bessa, the advantage would even be greater.

[stradibarrius]

Does the Konica S-2 have inter-changeable lenses?

[Pete H]

Well, then put it in manual focus! I've done plenty of street shooting with my G1 and G2, and had no problem with getting the images I wanted.

I have to agree. My best street shots have all come from my G2. AF and hammer that focus lock button - it's placed perfectly for my thumb.