any half frames with rangefinders?

[cbphoto]

i have a fujica half, which is capable of some really stellar images, but i do miss focus on some wide-aperture shots. are there any half frames out there with a rangefinder? autofocus would be cool as well (i'm inspired by the konica aa thread. if only i could find one), but small size and fast, fixed optics are very important (sorry, samurai). i don't want an slr pen f or a konica auto-reflex. well, i do, but i don't want to spend the $$$.

thanks!

[Benjamin Marks]

There is an insanely expensive "Leica 72" (that is, 72 exposures on a roll) but it was produced in pretty limited numbers. I think Gandy has a write-up of it on Cameraquest.com.

Ben Marks

[shadowfox]

Christopher, if you find one, let me know. I can't :)

[drewbarb]

What, 24x36mm isn't small enough for you?

[saxshooter]

I wonder how hard it would be for DAG or Sherry to make a half frame M. You would think it just involve putting some sort of mask in behind the shutter curtain and re-jigging the advance so that it only advanced half a frame? Then I guess you'd have to somehow mask your VF, since re-doing the brightlines would probably be tough. Perhaps a modified Olympus XA? Hmmm....

[cbphoto]

What, 24x36mm isn't small enough for you?

i consider that mammoth!

[cbphoto]

I wonder how hard it would be for DAG or Sherry to make a half frame M. You would think it just involve putting some sort of mask in behind the shutter curtain and re-jigging the advance so that it only advanced half a frame? Then I guess you'd have to somehow mask your VF, since re-doing the brightlines would probably be tough. Perhaps a modified Olympus XA? Hmmm....

oh my. so...very...tempted...

i just have to ask. i'll report back.

[trittium]

The Robot Royal is not quite 1/2 frame but takes 24x24 frames (400-1000)
There is Zeiss Tenax with a rangefnder that also takes 24x24 frames (500-1000)
Ducati rangefinder is also a far out option (1000+)

[pshinkaw]

I think the Leica 72 was the only one with an actual manually operated rangefinder. However, the Konoica AA35 was a half-frame autofocus. It has an unusual oblomg shape that made it look superficiallt like a disc camera.

Also the Yashica Samurai series was an zoom autofocus SLR half-frame.

-Paul

[rogue_designer]

not an rf - but the Olympus Pen F was an SLR, which would fix your focus problems.

There was a ducati 1/2 frame RF
http://www.subclub.org/shop/ducati.htm
and from Gandy's site (and previous thread here)
http://www.cameraquest.com/ducati.htm

There was also a half frame version of the Leica M4-2

More information on other models can be found here:
http://www.subclub.org/shop/halframe.htm

[cbphoto]

oh my. so...very...tempted...

i just have to ask. i'll report back.

DAG won't touch it due to their workload. great idea, though!

[saxshooter]

DAG won't touch it due to their workload. great idea, though!

I wonder what Sherry Krauter at Golden Touch camera would say! Aside from these two "Leica experts" you may have to search for an "old school" camera tech who'd be willing to tinker with a camera (let's say an Olympus XA -- cheaper for experiment) to make it half frame for you.

[chambrenoire]

I can't believe no one mentioned the Yashica Samurai half frame :) Not a RF but has auto focus and stuff.

[CameraQuest]

i have a fujica half, which is capable of some really stellar images, but i do miss focus on some wide-aperture shots. are there any half frames out there with a rangefinder?

thanks!

The only RF half frames I am aware of are now very rare and extremely expensive collector's items:

the Nikon S3M
Leica 72
special half frame versions of the Leica M2, M42 and M4-P.

Stephen

[nikonhswebmaster]

The Konica IIIM rangefinder camera has a special half-frame mask. When inserted, it automatically switches over. A rare but quality camera. (I don't know this stuff, I just look it up in the The Collectors Guide to Japanese Cameras).

Olympus made a whole slew of half frames all pretty much like the PEN EE-3, but none were RF.

[le vrai rdu]

Fed micron is a RF , It cost about 15->30€

[nikonhswebmaster]

Fed micron is a RF , It cost about 15->30€

My understanding is that the Micron is a scale focus camera?

[le vrai rdu]

My understanding is that the Micron is a scale focus camera?
oh yes, i thought it was a rf but in fact it is a scale focus :/

but micron 2 looks like a RF
http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/collect/fed/img/13/011.jpg

[cmedin]

The Micron 2 is indeed a rangefinder. (It's also a full frame...)

[le vrai rdu]

The Micron 2 is indeed a rangefinder.

unfortunately, as I am looking for one it seems that it is not an half frmae, still he is very small

[nikonhswebmaster]

OK to recap -- the Micron 2 is an RF but NOT a half frame.

[le vrai rdu]

voilà :) that's it

[kuzano]

Pacific Rim is reputable... good people. They have a Konica IIIM with mask on eBay right now. Here is the link, and it's on a BIN. Step Up. It may be a long time before you see another. ( Of course, if you buy it ... two more will pop up )

http://cgi.ebay.com/KONICA-IIIM-WITH-WORN-CASE-106987_W0QQitemZ120206478128QQihZ002QQcategoryZ152 36QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have a Samurai. It takes great pics, Auto focus works well. Very sharp lens. One thing I like about it is that it looks like a small videocam, which seems to put people off a lot less than a camera.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Heck I would say Mike may have the only one I have ever seen. And it has a box! Kind of like buying one new. I bet the meter can be repaired with a new cell.

Funny camera, tempting. 5 years ago I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

[Sam R]

I had a Leica 1/2 frame prototype in my hand once. There were apparently twelve made in Midland Ontario

Sam

[kuzano]

I bet the meter can be repaired with a new cell.

I seem to recall seeing a website this last week indicating replacement of Selenium Meters.

[Ernst Dinkla]

The Robot Royal is not quite 1/2 frame but takes 24x24 frames (400-1000)
There is Zeiss Tenax with a rangefnder that also takes 24x24 frames (500-1000)
Ducati rangefinder is also a far out option (1000+)

I think the Robot Royal came in three versions, FF, 24 x 24 and 18 x 24, suitably called 36, 24, 18.


Ernst Dinkla

[kb244]

You could always look into a Ducati (yes the same company that makes the motobikes). Looks like a mini Leica.... however good luck finding one that still works and doesn't cost more than everything else :D

But it does have an RF and it's coupled with interchangible lens.

Edit
Here's a few pictures of a broken one (bad shutter curtains) we sold for about 800$

http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/1.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/2.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/3.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/4.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/5.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/6.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/7.jpg
http://www.cameracenter.net/images/ebay/05_24_07/ducati/8.jpg

[Al Kaplan]

At one point there was the Leica 72 which I think was based on a III-A or III-B body. There might be pictures of one in a Leica Manual from the 1940's or so.

[oldgearhead]

Why not just put a rangefind on your camera? Oh! Did you mean bulit-in, like the modern one on the right? However, its full-frame but very small.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/data/500/Cameras_1.jpg

[kuzano]

I can't believe no one mentioned the Yashica Samurai half frame :) Not a RF but has auto focus and stuff.

True... it's autofocus, but my Samurai is sharp and one the money focus-wise. But it busted my wallet at $30 purchase price, and I had to buy a battery on top of that... And a CR5 to boot.

[Sonnar2]

I had a Leica 1/2 frame prototype in my hand once. There were apparently twelve made in Midland Ontario
Sam


Hi Sam, was it same size as the M4, or smaller?

How was the featherworks motor working?

have fun, Frank

[Dante_Stella]

The Konica IIIM rangefinder camera has a special half-frame mask. When inserted, it automatically switches over. A rare but quality camera. (I don't know this stuff, I just look it up in the The Collectors Guide to Japanese Cameras).

Olympus made a whole slew of half frames all pretty much like the PEN EE-3, but none were RF.

I have one on my mantle. Very well-designed, very well-made (hand-soldered brass covers with heavy chrome plating), with huge 1:1 viewfinder and projected, field-corrected framelines for 24x36 and 24x18 (this was a groundbreaking VF for any camera in the 1950s - and widely advertised to have more accurate framing than many SLRs).

Leica still doesn't have field correction today (and neither has any interchangeable lens RF made in the last 30 years).

The automatic film plane mask-activating-frame-counter is one of the neatest things. But the mask can run a cool $300.

The IIIM also has a hot shoe, which you would never expect in the 1950s.