Bought a Olympus 35 RC

[MaxFrank]

After I bought a broken Canonet QL17 of ebay I wanted another little rangefinder (the canonet was actually my first rangefinder, not a great first experience) I just picked up a 35RC in very good condition for €30. It even came with the Olympus skylight filter.
The rangefinder is quite contrasty, but is only visible in good lighting, indoors things become a bit harder to focus, is this normal?
I think it's a great camera, especially for it's size and weight, ideal for street photography.

[Mablo]

35 RC is a fine little rangefinder and indeed ideal for street. It's quite normal that the rangefinder patch becomes a bit pale with time and it can be a bit hard to see in low light but I wouldn't pay too much attention to it. No rangefinder camera is very good in low light.

[Bingley]

Congrats on your acquisition! These are nice little cameras. I haven't tried to use mine indoors yet, but the rangefinder patch is pretty usable. Certainly easier to see than on an Oly XA.

[stratcat]

I agree, the patch in my 35 RC is much clearer than the patch in my XA.

Contrary to Mablos' opinion, I find most of my rangefinders quite easy to focus and shoot in low light; except for my above mentioned XA and my Lynx 14 (with it's faded rangefinder mirrors)

Something that might help you... my 35 RC came with a very clear and bright viewfinder but the patch was dim and difficult to use indoors. A simple cleaning of the rangefinder window with a q-tip and windex brought an incredible improvement and it works well indoors now.

[charjohncarter]

After messing around with many 'pocket' RF 35mm cameras, I decided that, even though the 35RC has some things I'm not crazy about, it was the one that did what I wanted. I sent it out for CLA to John Hermanson (USA), even though there wasn't much wrong with it. But he did two things that I didn't think could be improved: one was he made it updated to today's batteries, and two, he made the viewfinder and RF patch really great. Now it is my camera for 35; sharp lens, good meter, good RF, manual adjustment and auto, flashmatic, and an off setting. I won't go into the cons because the more I use it the less they bother me.

[whitecat]

I have an SP. I wonder if a CLA would help the viewfinder. What was the cost?

[River Dog]

Originally Posted by whitecat

I have an SP. I wonder if a CLA would help the viewfinder. What was the cost?

I had my SPn CLA'd (in the UK for £100) including clearing the jammed focus, a battery voltage conversion and film transport spacing correction.

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by whitecat

I have an SP. I wonder if a CLA would help the viewfinder. What was the cost?

John Hermanson's CLA for my 35RC was$81.00. Like I said all I wanted just to have a few things repaired but he will just do a CLA and do repairs. And I don't blame him. He does a good jobs.

[farlymac]

Love my 35RC. I just don't shoot it enough.

PF

[btgc]

35RC is my only Olympus RF and I like it despite shutter release (little too stiff, but with soft release it works fine). RF patch is quite good compared to some other makes of similar vintage. Auto mode isn't working on mine but I'm satisfied with M mode. I liked fact I hadn't to dismantle leaf shutter to get ot working as it's simplified version without many separate blades for shutter and aperture. This type of shutter as on 35RC normally work after all this years in closets and drawers.

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by btgc

35RC is my only Olympus RF and I like it despite shutter release (little too stiff, but with soft release it works fine). RF patch is quite good compared to some other makes of similar vintage. Auto mode isn't working on mine but I'm satisfied with M mode. I liked fact I hadn't to dismantle leaf shutter to get ot working as it's simplified version without many separate blades for shutter and aperture. This type of shutter as on 35RC normally work after all this years in closets and drawers.

Yes, mine was in very good condition, it didn't even look like it had many rolls run though it (inside really clean). There was a looseness to the focusing barrel and a dented filter ring (which I didn't care about much except I couldn't get the ring off to tighten the barrel). Otherwise it worked perfectly. When I finally decided to use it (a lot) thought I would CLA it and fix the minor problems. Now it works great thanks to John Hermanson.

[back alley]

the oly 35rc was my first 'good' camera, bought brand new (with my own money) in around 1971...
i still have it...have not looked at it in years though...it has the oem filter and hood and cap too...iirc...
the lens is amazing for such a simple design...a triplet i think?

[Darkhorse]

great camera. i think i sold mine on the rff. i remember not being too wild about how it rendered out of focus areas. but i do miss the thing. a lot. captured a lot of great family photos with it.

[btgc]

Originally Posted by back alley

the lens is amazing for such a simple design...a triplet i think?

How about 5 elements?

[back alley]

Originally Posted by btgc

How about 5 elements?

is it 5?
i remember it being referred to as a triplet...but then my mind is going these days...

[MRohlfing]

Originally Posted by back alley

is it 5?
i remember it being referred to as a triplet...but then my mind is going these days...

Yes, it is 5 - more or less a Tessar + 1

It is an E.Zuiko ("E" = 5 by Olympus nomenclature)

[back alley]

of course...thanks!

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by MRohlfing

Yes, it is 5 - more or less a Tessar + 1

It is an E.Zuiko ("E" = 5 by Olympus nomenclature)

Whatever, it is very sharp, good color correction, excellent contrast and I would put it up against my old Leica lenses (LTM) any day. In fact, for a while I had an Olympus Trip 35 which I gave to an RF member (I bought it for, I think, $1.89) and it was unbelievably sharp, etc. Maybe old Olympus lenses are just superior, but nobody knows it. Or maybe they do, but nobody like me listens. Anyway, I'll keep this 35RC and enjoy it.

[Brian Legge]

John is great and I'm very happy with the work he did on my 35RD.

Unfortunately it looks like he is no longer working on rangefinders at this time according to the message on http://zuiko.com

[Dave S.]

Originally Posted by charjohncarter

...But he did two things that I didn't think could be improved: one was he made it updated to today's batteries, and two, he made the viewfinder and RF patch really great.

Any idea what he (John Hermanson) might have done during the CLA to improve the viewfinder and RF patch so well? Was it just a cleaning? Something else?

Thanks! Dave

[Brian Legge]

I've improved the patch visibility in several fixed lens rangefinders with a very careful cleaning - its very possible that was the extent of his work. If cleaning doesn't do it, replacing the mirror or beam splitter is the usual next step.

That is much more difficult than cleaning though.

[farlymac]

Originally Posted by Brian Legge

John is great and I'm very happy with the work he did on my 35RD.

Unfortunately it looks like he is no longer working on rangefinders at this time according to the message on http://zuiko.com

And another one bites the dust. Just hope mine keeps going for a long time.


In The Light Of Winter by br1078phot, on Flickr

PF

[charjohncarter]

Originally Posted by Dave S.

Any idea what he (John Hermanson) might have done during the CLA to improve the viewfinder and RF patch so well? Was it just a cleaning? Something else?

Thanks! Dave

Probably, cleaned, adjusted all the RF parts, but he did very much more. Like checking the lens alignment, adjusting and cleaning the shutter, lubricating all the moving parts, and on my camera he replaced the filter ring. He also checked the light seals for integrity (and repaired one area), changed for modern batteries, and replaced the door leatherette. Good job all the way around. Well worth the price.

Here we are in Puerto Vallarta last January at dawn:

[Bingley]

John, that's a gorgeous shot!

[charjohncarter]

Thank you, but in this case it was the camera and the place.