Rangefinder

Contax IIa – Zeiss Ikon’s Best Classic Rangefinder Reviewed
2400 1350 James Tocchio

In 1944, Allied invasion forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in France. With the first wave of troops was a young combat photographer named Robert Capa. In his hand was the Zeiss Contax II, then…

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FED 5b – The Joys and Pains of Shooting the Soviet Union’s Beer Can Rangefinder
1956 1100 Jeb Inge

For those who argue that the third part of a trilogy is typically the worst, The Godfather Part III is People’s Exhibit A. The political intrigue of financial malfeasance in Vatican City was destined to disappoint…

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Which Leica Rangefinder Should You Buy?
2200 1237 James Tocchio

Every day, someone asks me which Leica rangefinder they should buy, and I think they expect me to come back with an easy answer; “Get an M-whatever.” But it’s not that simple. Instead, I ask…

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Canon’s Canonet Rangefinder Does the Impossible – A Canon Camera That’s Not Boring
2200 1238 Chris Cushing

Canon makes boring cameras. Sometimes they make really boring cameras. I have an F-1 and I love shooting it, but like many Canons, it simply cannot be name-dropped. It’s a bit like trying to impress your coworkers…

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Olympus 35 RD – Olympus’ Final 40mm Rangefinder
2200 1238 Dustin Vaughn-Luma

It was 1975 when Olympus made the call to launch their final Hail Mary in the competitive 40mm fixed-lens rangefinder game. Olympus engineers aimed to better the already well-received Olympus 35 SP and replace it…

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  • Dustin Vaughn-Luma
  • 11

Ricoh 500 G – A Dark Horse Compact Rangefinder Film Camera
2200 1238 Dustin Vaughn-Luma

Have you ever taken a trip to a distant city and deliberately avoided the favored tourist destinations in exchange for quaint alleyways and lesser-known pathways? If so, you’ve probably come away with some of the…

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  • Dustin Vaughn-Luma
  • 20

Contax G2 Camera Review – The Anti-Rangefinder That’s in a Class of Its Own
2200 1238 James Tocchio

The Contax G2 is like no other rangefinder on Earth. In fact, its technological ethos employs certain tricks that are outright heresy to diehard fans of the classic rangefinder; it runs on batteries, its manual…

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A Week Away with the Contax T – a Perfect Travel and Street Rangefinder Camera
2000 1125 James Tocchio

Three film cameras; ten rolls of film. That’s what I packed for a recent week away. Among these cameras was the Contax T, an unbelievably compact 35mm film rangefinder that somehow marries luxurious excess to…

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Zeiss Ikon ZM 35mm Rangefinder Review – Everything a Rangefinder Should Be
2000 1125 Dustin Vaughn-Luma

A few months ago, I sang the praises of the Zeiss C Biogon 35/2.8 M mount lens. In that earlier review, I spoke to my wife’s sixth sense and how she dealt me a whopper…

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  • Dustin Vaughn-Luma
  • 18

The Canon P is A Beautiful, Functional 35mm Rangefinder Worth Shooting Today
1833 1031 Chris Cushing

What adjectives describe a modern Canon camera? Rugged? Purposeful, maybe? I’ll bet beautiful seldom comes to mind. That’s not a knock. Canon today produces cameras that survive when guys like Larry Chen strap them to…

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Desert Island Cameras No. 04 – Leica Edition with Japan Camera Hunter Bellamy Hunt
1280 783 James Tocchio

We’re back with another edition of Desert Island Cameras, the recurring feature in which we spotlight the best of the best from a given camera brand. And today we’re picking our one-and-done Leicas with a…

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Six Months with the M2 and My Struggles with the Myth of Leica
1999 1124 Josh Solomon

Author’s note: The Leica M2 is an interchangeable lens rangefinder introduced in 1957 by German optical powerhouse Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH. It is the successor to the famous Leica M3 used by Henri Cartier-Bresson, among…

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Minolta Hi-matic 7sII – 35mm Film Rangefinder Camera Review
2000 1125 Dustin Vaughn-Luma

Beginning in the late 1970s, camera manufacturers began to turn away from fun and discrete rangefinders to bulky, and often boring, SLRs. But before totally abandoning the once-popular rangefinder, each of the major Japanese makers seemed…

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  • Dustin Vaughn-Luma
  • 21

Five Best Affordable Rangefinder Cameras
2000 1125 Josh Solomon

Rangefinders. The mere mention of this type of camera inspires visions of the erstwhile street shooter; a clandestine spirit who is here and not here, never participating but always observing. We imagine these shooters gripping their German…

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