You buy a rangefinder for the experience: focusing with the double image, a viewfinder that also shows you what falls just outside the frame, and a body that lasts for years.
Precisely because these cameras often have a long life behind them, it pays to know what to look out for when buying used.
What should you look out for?
With a mechanical rangefinder (such as the Leica M6 TTL .72mm Silver or the Leica M-A), check that the double image in the viewfinder is bright and properly aligned — a faint or shifted image makes accurate focusing difficult. Test all the shutter speeds, look for even felt/light-tightness and see whether the frame lines move along when you change lenses. With bodies with light metering, such as the Leica M6 TTL .72mm Silver, it is nice if the meter still reads correctly. Every camera with us is professionally inspected and functionally tested, so you know what you are getting.
Who is a 35mm rangefinder for?
Ideal if you want to photograph deliberately and compactly: street photographers, travellers and lovers of the analogue process. Popular models right now are the Leica M6 TTL .72mm Silver, a logical entry-level choice with light metering, the Leica M-A (Typ 127), for purists who want to work fully mechanically, and the Contax G2, ideal for autofocus without manual focusing.
Warranty and returns
Our used rangefinder cameras come with at least 12 months' warranty and a 14-day return period.
That way you can test at your leisure whether the camera suits your way of working, with the assurance that it has been checked beforehand.
