View Full Version : Half Frame Rangefinder
i've wanted to own a camera like the Pen F for sometime, a gorgeous piece of engineering.
however i was wondering (and this is the place to ask) if anyone knows of a half frame Rangefinder, surely there must be some around
Roger Hicks
11-14-2008, 03:42
Dear Tom-Bob,
Nikon S3M. Leica 72. Serious money... I think some of the combined reflex/RF Alpas may have been made in half-frame too, but I'm not sure.
If you can live without the RF -- and scale-focus is normally fine with wide-angles on the small format -- Olympus Pen W (25/2.8) is wonderful.
Anyone remember whether the Yahica Sequelle and Taron Chic were RF? How about the Ricoh Auto Half?
You might also find that if you owned a Pen F, it wasn't quite as gorgeous as you think.
Cheers,
R.
i'm guessing from that comment that you've had trouble with the pen F? i can't afford any cameras at all right now, really should downsize the amount in the draw. but it is intresting to know that there a few RF's around.
Roger Hicks
11-14-2008, 04:07
Dear Tom-Bob,
Awkward control layout; finder like looking down the wrong end of a telescope (and dark, with the metered version); double-stroke and rather flimsy-feeling wind-on...
Not all of them have all these drawbacks, but put it this way: I always wanted one. Then 30+ years ago I had a lodger who had one. Didn't want one any more.
Cheers,
R.
I assume you are asking for a half frame with a range-finding, i.e. distance metering mechanism, and aperture plus speed controls.
At the low end cost I have searched and found nothing. Yet out of the blue, here at RFF a guy offered a small Canonet f1.9 custom adapted for half frame. According to the friend of the seller the story was that such cameras were in use by the Australian or NewZeland police.
I do believe that some highly professional job was done, because it included half frame marks in the viewfinder - alike those in any normal Canonet GIII.
Of course I rushed to buy it and was ready to pay whatever. I have used it recently with fujicolor 100 and it is very much ok.
All in all, this opened my mind to the possiblility of looking for a qualifyied technician to do the same job with any camera. After all the job requires two steps. The easy one is inserting two metal rectangles that will shorten the film frame to be exposed. The hard job is readapting the winding mechanism to wind half frame and cock, instead of a full frame.
Then perforating the metal bright lines small plate,that produces the bright lines in the viewfinder - this is a job I do not believe any technician will be able to do. But the good news here is that you (your supposed technician) can achieve a lot by tape masking. At the end then you will have a view like in a Contax or Kiev, without bright lines.
Cheers,
Ruben
historicist
11-14-2008, 06:49
Ducati also made a half frame rangefinder:
http://www.cameraquest.com/ducati.htm
I've seen them for sale from time to time for around £500 which makes them considerably cheaper than a S3M. Still not quite a bargain though...
Al Kaplan
11-14-2008, 07:23
I think that Robot made some of their rangefinder equipped Royal model in half frame, as well as their scale focusing Star. They also made square (24x24mm) format variations. They have a mechanical motor drive and are far from quiet.
Scale focussing an Olympus Pen by guess isn't a problem and they're very well made with great lenses.
Marcel B.
12-11-2008, 01:51
I have a Minolta 1/2 frame rangefinder, cool little camera.
photovdz
12-11-2008, 06:27
robots are very nice, but are not quiet (specially the royal) and definitively heavy... very heavy)
there is also the external telemeter for the robot star... but it's a bit of a fragile alternative...
twopointeight
12-11-2008, 07:11
Roger, speaking of the Pen W, I have two and one of them needs an overhaul. Do you know any repair person who can work on these? The Pen W is pretty rare, but the Pen S is not so. Both are great, all manual, pocket cameras.
motrhead
02-03-2009, 19:37
Konica IIIM. Switchable between half and full frame.
navilluspm
02-05-2009, 07:58
Roger, speaking of the Pen W, I have two and one of them needs an overhaul. Do you know any repair person who can work on these? The Pen W is pretty rare, but the Pen S is not so. Both are great, all manual, pocket cameras.
www.zuiko.com (http://www.zuiko.com) - John Hermanson. He is also a RFF member.
Fujica I believe, made a half frame fixed lens rangefinder. Can't remember the model name. They appear on ebay from time to time.
I have a Zeiss Tenax II RF camera that gives 2/3 frames [square]. While not a "half-frame" camera, it is close to being one. The camera has a Zeiss Sonnar 4cm 2.0 lens that is awesome for such an old camera. The Tenax was trying to compete with the Robot camera, and it was built as a top notch camera.
Spider67
02-05-2009, 08:25
Robots were used for recording altitude data in German planes in WWII....that was the place where they coulb be considered quiet...
Oh yes some of them need proprietary film cartridges
I have a couple of Dial's, they don't sport coupled RF, but scale focusing works like a charm, great camera.
Brad Bireley
02-05-2009, 09:05
If you have a little extra $
http://cgi.ebay.com/Leica-M4-P-half-frame-18x24_W0QQitemZ370154211257QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm _Cameras?hash=item370154211257&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
buzzardkid
02-05-2009, 09:07
Just last week I found an expired listing on Westlicht Auctions of a Konica Hexar RF 72.
Not kidding, the link is here (http://www.westlicht-auction.com/index.php?id=133075&acat=133075&_ssl=off)
It's in lot number 419
Apperently, these were factory modified. And very limited edition, only fifty made.
I have saved a set of pictures to my hard drive, it might take a while before another specimen is sighted...
urban_alchemist
02-05-2009, 09:28
Dear Tom-Bob,
Awkward control layout; finder like looking down the wrong end of a telescope (and dark, with the metered version); double-stroke and rather flimsy-feeling wind-on...
As always, it's all about getting a good one. I've got two penFTs, and whereas one is a bit on the iffy side (cranking mechanism, dodgy ADHD meter, dark viewfinder), the other is an absolute peach - totally smooth bits and a bright enough finder to focus in nearly all useable light.
I love the Pen Fs... great little cameras and so flexible...
VictorM.
02-05-2009, 11:57
Mmmm...this is almost an old thread, except I missed it the first time around. I'd also recommend a Pen S, but with an accessory rangefinder:
Al Kaplan
02-05-2009, 12:37
You don't need a rangefinder with a Pen S (30/2.8 lens) and certainly not with a Pen W (25/2.8 lens). Both great little cameras that I'd bought second hand for peanuts about 40 years ago . Now they're worth quite a bit and I just could't resist some of the offers I was getting. I also had a Pen D and a Pen FT at different times over the years. Great lenses, and I still have the half frame negative carrier for my Omega B-22 enlarger.
George S.
02-05-2009, 13:02
Canon Demi
You don't need a rangefinder with a Pen S (30/2.8 lens) and certainly not with a Pen W (25/2.8 lens). Both great little cameras that I'd bought second hand for peanuts about 40 years ago . Now they're worth quite a bit and I just could't resist some of the offers I was getting. I also had a Pen D and a Pen FT at different times over the years. Great lenses, and I still have the half frame negative carrier for my Omega B-22 enlarger.
I still have the Pen S and Pen FT, but I sold the Pen D. The Pens S has a very sharp lens. Yes, they are great little cameras that are beautifully crafted and rock solid.
Ken Ford
02-06-2009, 18:26
www.zuiko.com (http://www.zuiko.com) - John Hermanson. He is also a RFF member.
He's here on RFF?
Canon Demi - I did have one many years ago. Got it from somebody and used it. the rangefinder patch wasn't Leica like, but OK. I gave it to a friend who in term gave it to his girlfriend in Russia. He came back, the camera didn't.
Good optics on it though and nice compact package. I have been looking around for one for a while, though the last thing I need is another camera!
I kind of like 1/2 frame too - had several Pen F's and usually ended up breaking the film advance. Even had the Nikkor SLR adapter for it - a Leitz Telyt 560f5.6 ( I also had the Nikon to Telyt adapter) became a rather spectacular 800mm lens, though you had to look for the camera at the back of the lens - kind of dwarfed it.
A nice 1/2 frame rangefinder with 3 frame lines and a built in meter would be nice though. Great for people shots, when they are standing up!
Hello, I have a Yashica 72-E. Nice camera with a 2,8/28mm Yashinon, Lightmeter (working!) and full manual control.
But a full-frame-Minox 35 or an Olympus XA is considerably smaller!
Regards, Tmas
Russian Chaika. About $20 on eBay. No rangefinder, this is scale focused I think.
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