Re: [OM] Rangefinders vs. SLR's

[Skip Williams]

RF's and Leaf shuttered cameras definitely have less vibration.  How many 
stops slower you can hand hold them is open to individual opinion.  
Somewhere between 1 and 2 stops would be a safe rule-of-thumb.
The XPan is a nice machine.  I wouldn't call it gimmicky.  But it has a very 
specialized use and a very unique look.  I wouldn't buy it as a 35mm 
rangefinder with panorama format capability, but just the opposite.  It's 
quite expensive for what you get, IMO.  The comparison with the Mamiya 7 is 
interesting, but that's quite a larger beast and moving up to MF has lots of 
issues with film handling, etc.  At least the XPan is still 35mm.
RF's are nice.  The cheapest way to get a very good, modern one these days 
is the Bessa R2, which takes Leica M lenses.  $550 for the body.  Lot's 
cheaper than a new Leica.
As nice and smooth as Focal Plane Shuttered RF's are, they're no match for a 
leaf-shuttered camera.  Go look at a Konica Hexar if you want a quiet, 
no-vibration camera.  Or a Rollieflex.  Now there's smooth!
Skip


> From: "Olympus List" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: "olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [OM] Rangefinders vs. SLR's
> Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2002 14:51:27 -0700
>
> I had a question; I know due to the lack of a mirror flip-up and causing
> kind of a micro jerk on your part, and because it's a focal plane blade
> shutter, it's easier to hold a rangefinder steady.  The OM's are compact 
> but
> have "heft" and so it's not too bad to hold steady.
>
> My question is, do you think I can hold a camera for at least 1 fstop or
> more because it's a rangefinder vs. an SLR??
>
> I can hold 1/30th on my 50mm very well, (probably comes from all those 
> years
> of shootin' a gun, steady hands) but I'm wondering if I can dip down to 
> say,
> 1/15th if it were a rangefinder instead of a SLR.
>
> I have held 1/15th on my 28mm with no problem, the 1/8th speed was a bit
> much and came out soft..
>
> I was looking to buy an Xpan, but now that I have had time to rethink it, 
> it
> seems a bit of a hype and gimmick, for a lot of $$$..  I was thinking, hey,
> if I were to buy an xpan, why not just buy a Mamiya 7???  But since it's
> fastest shutter speed is 1/500th, and the lenses (medium format) start
> generally around f/4, I thought there would be situations (with something
> like ISO100 film) that would really drop that shutter speed way down.
>
> I can generally on my OM, hold my camera steady for 1 stop below the 
> 1/focal
> length rule, but that's about it.
>
> Let me know what you guys think of the Mamiya 7, and rangefinders vs. SLR's
> in general with respect to how slow of a shutter speed can be handled on
> each.
>
> My gf can't hold 1/125th steady... so....
>
> Albert
>
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