Hi, just new here in this forum and couldnt help notice this thread bout rangefinders.
Enough has been written on the merits and problems with rangefinders. I use both metered and non metered rangefinders and AF and manual ones as well. I also own an slr which i cannot live without too.
The most important things, for me using rangefinders:
1. is its compact size. I shoot street alot and subjects really find it more acceptable and they get comfortable more quickly. Laypeople or for that matter, new photographers dont take us seriously. Which is good.... I get a more relaxed subject
2. huge savings in weight when moving around
3. low shutter speed possible when hand holding. Its possible to shoot comfortably and sharply at 1/16 -1/30 sec with a 45mm or even a 90mm lens
4. for manual rangefinders w/o anything, forces you to think and compose and expose before releasing shutter
I get frustrated with the rangefinder when:
1. close focusing parallex error happens when using a seperate viewfinder in the flash shoe
2. hard to use a cir-pol filter
3. slightly slower AF because the lens (if AF in the case of Contax G2) needs to mark itself at infinity b4 before focusing to correct distance
5. cannot do real macro work
Lastly, owning a rangefinder, especially one without an interchangeable lens is very very affordable. A canonet or an Olympis 35RC or a Yashica Electro is anywhere from $50 to $200 only and some of them come with pretty good lens too in the region of f1.8 !!!
Give a try with one of these cheaply (just make sure you get a clean sample) and decide for yourself . Many people are under the false impression that Rangefinder = Leica. Lots of other more affordable alternatives out there that will turn out great results.
ed