Rangefinder cameras

[jeffherald]

This is a question I have never found a good answer to, so I thought I would ask this group.

What is the attraction of a rangefinder camera? I'm talking film here and I am mostly asking the "older" members of the group. ;) How do they compare to SLR and point-&-shoot cameras? They seem like a P&S but they cost much more. So why are they better (or not)? What's the attraction? They seem to have enjoyed a great popularity in the past and mostly in Europe (am I right in saying this?).

Thanks for the insight.

[PhotosGuy]

They're very unobtrusive, quiet & easy to focus a wide angle lens in low light conditions. Other than that, you'll have to pry my SLR from my cold...
"They seem to have enjoyed a great popularity in the past and mostly in Europe (am I right in saying this?)." True. Leica was King (Google: Ozymandius). There weren't any SLR's then.

[jeffherald]

Thanks for the reply.

"Leica was King (Google: Ozymandius). There weren't any SLR's then."
--That explains that.

So why are they so expen$ive? They can still be purchased new but they cost much more than a 35mm SLR? Are they better?

[PhotosGuy]

So why are they so expen$ive? I'd guess that (1) not many are made so no volume discounts & (2) a lot got thrown away. I don't see that they're 'better', & some people bought an Aztec. ;-)
There was a guy at work that kept bugging me to buy his Nikon SP (black dial) w/2 lenses. I finally gave him $35 to shut him up. Last year I found out it's worth $800!! Someday I'll turn it into an "L"!