a newbe wants to swith to a rangefinder!!!!

[ivzhao]

i am a newbe, but i like taking photos as much as i like breathing.

here's a problem:
i just got into a university and have joined the photography club. they have a really nice&big dark room which i can use for free. i have only been shooting with dslr so now i am considering switching to film, especially rangefinders.

i own a rebel xt with the kit lens. some people tell me to buy a 17-40L and a extra eos film camera. but i like the 17-85 more. moreover, i'd like to try out the rangefinders becuase i think they fit my styles better.

so any recommendations?
what would you do if you are in my situation?

this is my gallery so you can have a idea about my style

thank you very much

[Trevor Ash]

A range finder camera would suit your style well, but some of your photos would have been slightly more difficult to take with the focus abilities of most range finders (you can't look through the viewfinder to determine focus).

I say go for it, buy a cheapie off ebay and see how you like it.

I used to shoot with a Contax G2 using 45 and 90mm lenses. That was (is) my favorite camera of all time. But I had to go digital and the G2 wasn't You can probably find those cameras for very cheap these days....the lenses are SUPURB!!!!!!!!

[Asylum Steve]

Welcome to the site, Ivan...

After looking at your work, I have to say you have a very interesting eye for composition. I really like the severe and unconventional cropping in many of your shots. Oh, and I like the cat hiding in the bushes...

I'm not sure if you'd benefit much from using a rangefinder camera, but it might be an interesting thing to try. A key advantage of that kind of camera is its simplicity and lack of mechanical noise. This means there is very little to distract you from what you are shooting, and very little to draw attention to yourself when you shoot.

[another view]

Welcome, Ivan. You're the only other photographer I know of who has a picture of porta-pottys on their website (here's mine).

You may or may not like a rangefinder, but the only way to know is to try one out for awhile. Depending on your budget there are a ton of them out there. For under $100 on ebay, you could get a Canonet GIII QL17 which is also known as a "poor man's Leica". I have one, and was lucky enough to get one with replaced light seals and all functions operating (self timer works, etc). It's got a really sharp 40mm f1.7 fixed lens and a built-in light meter. Try it for a couple months and if you don't like it, you can probably sell it for what you paid for it.

You've got the opportunity, and I'd definately use it. It will teach you a lot about an aspect of photography that many people starting out today won't have any experience with.