DIY Project Turns a Panasonic GF3 and Soviet Fed 5 Into a Digital Rangefinder
Photographer and creator Mr. 50mm designed a DIY digital rangefinder, which only requires about $200-$250 worth of parts.
“This project aims to be the cheapest most accessible way to get into the Digital Rangefinder game. Back in the days of the 2010s it was possible to buy a used Leica M8 or a Epson R-D1 series camera without selling internal organs, but it seems today that isn’t the case,” Mr. 50mm writes on Hackaday.
Mr. 50mm’s project, called the RGM-79, requires two of what he describes as “sacrifices.” There’s no free lunch; a photographer must have a Panasonic GF3 camera and a Fed 5 Soviet Era rangefinder to modify for the final build. As of writing, KEH has a “bargain”-graded GF3 available for $94, and some Fed 5 rangefinders are on eBay for under $100. The build also requires 3D printer filament or 3D printing costs and “a set of cheap screws.” Finally, if making an M-Mount version of the RGM-79, users will also need a lens adapter, like this one from Fotodiox.
To be clear, both the Panasonic GF3 and the Fed 5 must be functional. The Fed 5 also requires the diopter adjustment, as Mr. 50mm doesn’t know if his project works on variants equipped with projected frame lines. To be even clearer, these are “donor cameras” for the RGM-79 project. In the case of the 12.1-megapixel Panasonic GF3 Micro Four Thirds camera, it will be fully taken apart. The Fed 5 will be “partially” torn down.
Essentially, to make the RGM-79, the builder takes the imaging pipeline from the GF3 and the rangefinder from the Fed 5 and puts them into a new 3D-printed camera body, creating a digital rangefinder that costs less than a first-party Leica M11 battery.
Mr. 50mm rates this project as moderately difficult, and he has killed a couple of Panasonic GF3 cameras during various projects over the years due to their fragile electronics. However, it’s also an extremely neat, relatively inexpensive DIY camera project that offers a distinct digital rangefinder photographic experience, typically locked behind a massive paywall.
It is admittedly a complicated build, as the massive Hackaday project illustrates, but it’s also very cool and well worth checking out.
Mr. 50mm’s YouTube channel is also a treasure trove for photography nerds. The photographer creates a lot of awesome, in-depth videos about a wide range of photography topics, ranging from a deep dive into the classic CCD-equipped Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro to reviews of the latest flashes. Any photography enthusiast who enjoys nerding out over camera tech should check our Mr. 50mm’s work.
Image credits: Mr. 50mm
