Olympus RC vs Rollei 35

"karl.kathy" wrote:

The Olympus 35RD vs the 35RC has a 6 element vs 5 element lens that is wider
(40mm vs. 42mm) and faster (f/1.7 vs f/2.8). The 35RD shutter control is
more typical of the rangefinder cameras of that era, rotate shutter speed
control ring around the lens. The 35RC shutter speed control was a knob on
the top deck of the camera. I personally preferred the 35RC control, but
that may have been strictly due to the uniqueness of the control (very
similar to the Petri Color 35). As for comparing photographs between the RC
and RD, they are both excellent cameras and I could not discern a
difference between the pictures taken with them. The extra speed from the
RD came in handy in low light situations, but I usually don't take low light
pictures without flash. Both of the cameras utilize a GN flash control
system, set the camera to flash, set the GN of your flash and the camera
aperture automatically adjusted for the distance you focus at. This is a
very accurate auto flash system and in some cases is more accurate than the
auto flashes used today with the little photocell on the front (light
objects close to the flash can cause the photocell to reduce the flash
output and cause under exposure to the picture).
The 35LC is a larger bodied rangefinder camera with a 7 element, 42mm f/1.7
lens. The camera used a center the needle exposure control system and the
exposure metered from the lens position so that filters were automatically
compensated for. The 35SP and 35SPN (an SP with a battery check button) are
also larger bodied cameras with the same lens as the LC, the SP had a spot
meter built into it that was moderately useful (I used it only under odd
lighting conditions, and technically I could have guessed the compensation
and been as accurate as what the spot meter recommended). The 35SP/SPN had
the exposure meter mounted to the upper right of the camera, so filter
compensation was not taken into account automatically by the meter. The
Olympus S was also a larger bodied rangefinder camera with a 7 element,
42mmf/1.8 lens, exposure meter was located on the upper right of the camera
body and hence did not compensate for filters, utilized a match needle
exposure control with match needle visible from the top deck and in the
viewfinder (very similar system to the LC).
The ECR and EC-2 cameras were great little rangefinder cameras with fully
auto exposure. I prefer the ability to override the exposure
recommendations, so I never used them.


An excellent reply! Thank you.

I think I preferred the 35RD because, to me, it handled more like an
SLR or high grade rangefinder camera than a P+S. The RC handled like
the P+S it was.

Are there any good classic rangefinders that use modern batteries? (no, i don't
mean the bessa r or konixa hexar, or a leica, i mean something i can find for
less than $200)


Maybe the Canon GIII QL17 easy to find batteries with manual setting, GN
flash control and sharp lens or the Yashica Electro GSN (great lens),
automatic and adaptor with battery for $5.

André