Bessa T - Good Considering?

[kb244]

So heres the deal, I got a Fed-2A right now, couple lens (least 2 of which determined won't work, or highly unlikely).

Not worrying bout the viewfinder of course, since I can get ahold of one of those fairely easily.

Compared to the likes of the fed, or say a typical combined viewfinder (like say of the Canon P) , how is the rangefinder focus on a Bessa T? Do you find the TTL metering to be handy/useful?

The lens I have are

- Jupiter-12 35/2.8 (won't work, will probably become the Fed-2A's primary lens)
- Industar-10 50/3.5 collapsible (likely will never use it off of the Fed)
- Canon 50mm f/1.8 (likely to become the primarily lens on the T)
- Jupiter-11 134/4 (a telelphoto secondary on the Bessa)

Then probably save up for a M-mount 35mm lens down the road.

Also the LTM->M adapters, do I need to remove the entire lens (adapter including) in order to get the adapter off the lens, or can I just unscrew the LTM lens from the body with the adapter still in place and screw on another lens ( kinda like how you use a M42->K adapter in a pentax.)


I notice a lot of people saying, get the R, but then not much potential down the road to use an M lens without first getting a new body, and somewhat attracted more to the rangefinder brightness/accuracy of the T, though never experienced it myself.

 

[clintock]

You just can leave the one L to M adaptor on the T and treat it as a screw body..
Focus is fast and sure with any lens on the T, my only problem is that my son and main model is four years old, so by the time I get my eye from the rf to the vf, he's moved!

 

[kb244]

You just can leave the one L to M adaptor on the T and treat it as a screw body..
Focus is fast and sure with any lens on the T, my only problem is that my son and main model is four years old, so by the time I get my eye from the rf to the vf, he's moved!

Yea I have a close to 3 month old son right now, but he don't move much (yet). But I don't own multiple cameras for nothing...

But good to know bout the adapter, cuz I consider treating it like an LTM body til I pick up a decent M lens.

 

[pvdhaar]

Biggest plus on the Bessa-T is the rangefinder magnification, it's 1.5x. It's easy on the eyes even after a day of slaving away behind a computer screen. Moreover, it's very accurate, and corresponds to the centimeter to my Leica M4. Only drawback is that the RF couples downto 0.9meters, instead of 0.7meters like on the newer Bessa models.

And the external meter leds are just splendid indeed, I can take a meter reading from the hip!

As far as following focus on rapidly moving kids, that's something even an autofocus SRL has problems with. Best thing is to scale focus and let depth of field take care of things..

 

[Terao]

Rangefinder focus accuracy is just brilliant, even in low light. Metering LEDs very visible and I prefer them to in-finder LEDs because I wear glasses. I'm not that keen on the need to use an accessory finder, to the point I'm currently resisting the urge to buy an R4A (most of my shooting is "wide"-angle) but I love the compactness of the T, particularly if you use a vari-finder with it (russian turret or Tewe)