Wait - wait! Let me defend myself before you call me fickle. I've called myself the same thing.
But really! The viewfinder on the N7 stinks. It does I tell you. And it is going back to B&H tomorrow. The viewfinder on my old (bought-used) Elan III is better! Much better. How odd is that?
So what's going to become of me? I'll end up with two systems: SLR and Rangefinder. That's just the way it has to be. The SLR will be heavier and I'll use it mostly with longer lenses, probably quite often on a tripod - and like that. And the RF will be the general walking around camera.
As far as the Rangefinder goes - lots of choices to wade through - not to mention the Ikon which is floating over on ships right now. For now, the Hexar Classic will be the walking around camera. Great viewfinder and lens. Only drawback is that you can't "lock" autofocus. You need to re-focus after each shot but at least I can see what I'm shooting at!
The Bessa 3A - the one with 1:1 magnification is not good for me given the wider lenses I generally use.
The 2A would be better. But you can buy a used M6 body in good condition for around $900. But the lenses... Oh the prices! The horror! The horror! Not to mention the fact that this would be my third go-around with the Leica! (Shoot me and put me out of my misery).
Yes, I was trying to find the camera that would "do it all." I think for some people they can find that mythical beast. But I don't seem to be able to.
Anway, I have sworn a sacred vow to the camera-money god that I will not buy anything tomorrow. To paraphrase:
"I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of one photographer doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kids."
9 comments:
A bit of a conundrum with SLRs: the ones with the better viewfinders are at the top of the heap: on the film side at the moment, that means, for Canon, the EOS 1v and EOS 3; for Nikon, the F6, F5 and F100; Minolta, just the Maxxum 9 (some like the 7, but I was picky when I still mostly shot with SLRs). These cameras are also quite big n' heavy. When companies downsize an SLR these days, one of the first areas to take a hit is the VF, with a tiny pentaprism (if they bother to use one at all - a lot of mi/low-end SLRs use a fixed mirror array to save space, weight and a few bucks), a semi-silvered mirror for the sake of that metering cell mounted at the bottom of the mirror box, and - most likely - a focusing screen, such as it is with AF SLRs these days, which probably isn't the brightest it could be.
I didn't get a good look through that 7n when I was playing with it up at Dave's, so I couldn't fully judge the VF's brightness, or lack thereof. But I have been disappointed with the view from a lot of SLRs over the years, and now tend to prefer older, pre-AF era SLRs for those rare occasions when I need an SLR (current camera is an Olympus OM2n; what I'd really like is a Nikon F3).
As far as Which Rangefinder To Get: for me, money not being too much of an object - eventually - again, I'd go for a user M6 "classic" or TTL, because it's a Leica that can be had for a bit less than crazy-mad money. For lenses, you can start off with a CV lens or two in your favorite focal lengths, then get a little nuts later and replace them with genuine Wetzlar/Solms/Somwhere In Canada-sourced glass.
Of course, if you're feeling lucky, and happen to like the 28mm focal length you could try gunning for this:
http://tinyurl.com/ak5on
Personally endorsed by me. The most-used lens of the trio I have for my HRFs
Yes - the best viewfinder is the Canon 1V. Loud, and heavy. I'd probably use mostly on a tripod for scenics.
Other notes: The Zeiss Ikon is the same camera as the Bessa-R2 (or A) licensed from Cosina. Just the outer cosmetics are different.
There are a set of lenses for the Ikon with the Zeiss brand that are about halfway in price between the Voigtlander and the Leica lenses. The Zeiss lenses are not available yet - at least not from B&H.
The story on the Zeiss-Ikon lens lineup, near as I can remember, is this: some of the lenses (the wider ones) are actually made by Zeiss (you can tell just by pricing one); the others are made, under licence (รก la Contax/Kyocera) by Cosina. Obviously, Cosina's QC is up to snuff for Zeiss to consider doing this, and some of those lenses look quite enticing.
I like the Z-I body, too: looks like more went into it than simple badge-engineering (such as Rollei attempted with their apparently ill-fated offering a short time ago, essentially a pimped-out R2 with 40mm framelines). Cosina builds it, of course, but the body seems to have more going on than the typical Voigtlander-branded fare (all together now: Automatic Frame Lines!). Judging from its shape and dimensions, it also looks like it would have a similar "feel" to my Hexars, save for manual film-winding.
To quote Christian Bale in "Batman Begins": can I get one in black? (To answer my own question: yes, but not for a while)
Dave:
Calm down. Take it easy. Have a beer. You will eventually find that "do it all" camera. Don't worry, you can still do digital. We won't tell. Frankly, all of your prints look great and I can't tell the difference!!! I mean this in a good way. I agree with Barrett unless you go top of the line for a film SLR the lower end ones have so so viewfinders. I used Canon F-1's and an A-1 for years. Still have them and lots of FD lenses. The camera can be compared to carrying a brick. The viewfinders are good but no comparison to a rangefinder. Hate to say it but the digital SLR viewfinders are better than the film SLRs. My Nikon D 70 is very bright. The few times I played with the Canon 20D it looked good to me.
So its back to the film world for you and spending time in that dark bathroom. As they say: "whatever floats your boat!"
I'm going to continue using both digital and film. But, I am going to make a concerted effort to find a good lab for film development and scanning.
Also reached a milestone today.
Have been getting my stuff framed at a store on 1st. Avenue off 86th Street. Several months ago the owner asked me for copies of my stuff and said he would try to sell it. He framed and matted several 13 X 19 prints B&W and color and rotated them in the window. Stopped by today on my way back from Staples (bought a lot of Canon ink carts). Told by one of the workers that two sold last week for $100 each. The others look promising. Will get my check this week. Probably will split it with them.
So now my wife has to stop laughing at me. Keeps saying that I think I'm Ansel Adams. Someone liked the stuff to pay $100 each.
I don't have the time to matte the prints. I used to do it. Don't have the space either. I may do a web site and sell unmounted prints.
So Dave, try to resist temptation tomorrow at B&W as your fingers play with that great looking black Leics M 7 of M 6!!!
Take care.
Craig
Craig,
You go, guy! Congrats, and I say it's a sign of things to come.
As for resisting the siren song of svelte, black rangefinders? Well, you know what the Borg said...
I used the F-1 throughout the 70s, and it was a solid, trustworthy tool. It was also a brick, especially with a Speed Finder and Motor Drive MF slapped on, never mind the lens. I would use an F-1 again for my specialty work - especially with a 100mm Macro, a 35mm tilt-shift lens and a Speed Finder...but forget the motor this time around. ;-)
Dave, have a look at Cameraquest: http://www.cameraquest.com/index.htm
If you get the 40mm/1.4 you'll want the single-coated version, originally available only in Japan. Apparently it's better for B&W than the multi-coated version readily available here.
Hi Barrett:
I got bitten by the digital bug about six years ago. A client had a web site that sold digital cameras. Bought a Sony 3.3 meg. Then graduated to the Sony DSC 717 5 meg. Then the Panasonic Lumix 4 meg. Meanwhile I have also been using the Leica and got a Bessa R 2 last year and sometimes the Canons. Bought the Nikon D 70 this past January and 3 lenses and I love it. Depending upon the subject I can work from complete automatic to everything manual.
I sold all my darkroom stuff before I got married 13 years ago. Didn't have the space for it in my wife's apartment. Started using labs for developing and printing. Going to digital and first getting an Epson C 80 and then canon i9900 changed everything. Now can print almost everything at home. I do both color and B&W. Based upon what I have seen and learned courtesy of dave I will eventually get an Epson 2400 for B&W. While I still use film I don't know if I will go back to developing film. I have a Pacific negative scanner that is OK. A good lab can develop and scan. problem is there are no good ones on the upper East Side. End up going to Alkit on my way to work.
My perspective is that digital can do almost everything. I use film cameras for candid stuff when a small quiet camera is needed.
I am content to stay with the digitals and the D 70 along with teh Leica and Bessa.
Know anyone who wants to buy the Canons.
You can see some of my stuff at usefilm.com
Whetre can I find your work.
Take care.
Craig
Barrett:
Hope I start selling more stuff. Got to be able to fund this hobby. Getting tired of practicing law. This is more fun.
Craig,
As for my meager Web presence (for the moment) there's this:
http://www.positivefocus.org/portfolios/bbenton/
And this (just click on my name as it scrolls on by):
http://photo-galeria.com/
More to come in Autumn. Honest.
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