Which is the best Bessa to get ?

J

juza

Wondering Monkey
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well.. im considering between the Bessa R2M, R2A, R3M, R3A, or the R4M.
and i want something to go with either the 50/2 Heliar (D) or the 40/1.4 SC Nokton or 40/1.4 MC Nokton. Apparently i do not know which is the best lens of the lot and which Bessa to go with it. My peference goes with the 50/2 Heliar (D) for now but the 40/1.4 SC Nokton looks good too.

And For Bessa's , i've been eyeing the R2M, R3M(is there any difference?) or the R2A, R3A (still is there any difference between the two)


any advices would be most welcomed as i am not sure which to get.
Please share your comments, ideas, experiences, anything you love or hate about the Bessa or anything at all..


regards
justin.
 
The difference between the 2, 3, and 4 is the viewfinder.

The difference between the A and M is the shutter.

For the 40mm lens the R3A or R3M would be the best choice.
 
Like he said. Which other lenses do you want to use beside the 50/40 ?

If 75/90 is important, the R3 is great. If 28/35 is important, the R2* would be the right choice.

Jon, you might want to reshoot your avatar without lenscap :)

Cheers,

Roland.
 
I have an R2A, it's my first experience with RF cameras.
I have the following three lenes, all CV: 25 f/4, 35 f/2.5 and 75 f/2.5.
It takes a liitle getting used to, especially if you are coming from an SLR, but I think my experience with Holgas helped a little.
If you wear glasses you might consider the R2 or R4, rather than the R3, because the R3 has a 1:1 viewfinder. So you might not be able to see the viewfinder all that great.
Good Luck!
Brian
 
If you wish to shoot 21mm and 25mm lenses without external viewfinder, enjoy also the 28 & 35mm... and you find the 50mm is of minor importance, 75 & 90 of no importance, then the R4 is your specialized tool!

Don't be surprised, though, when the very wide view of the R4 viewfinder gives you a fine view of the lens barrel and hood. :)
 
i'm looking for a fast lens. Something that could be used in low light as well as in regular conditions.
I'm currently using an SLR (nikon FE2 with a nikkor 50mm/f1.4)

so im rather used to a 50mm but now that you guys are saying it, a 28mm sounds good too. And i've realised that some lens requires an external viewfinder to use it properly. I do not wish to use a external viewfinder. Any suggestions ?

i think i've chosen to go with the R3M because of the viewfinder and other of its good values. Which lens would you suggest as i am still interested in the Heliar 50mm/f2 or the nokton 40mm/f 1.4. This is the primary lens i want toget and the secondary lens would be a 28mm.

Any suggestions now ?
 
juza said:
i think i've chosen to go with the R3M because of the viewfinder and other of its good values. Which lens would you suggest as i am still interested in the Heliar 50mm/f2 or the nokton 40mm/f 1.4. This is the primary lens i want toget and the secondary lens would be a 28mm.

Any suggestions now ?
Click to expand...
Well, the R3M will need an external accessory viewfinder for the 28mm lens, as it doesn't offer frames wider than 40mm otherwise. The R2, R2M, and R2A viewfinders include 35mm framelines, but not 28. In order to get 28mm framelines, you'll need the R4M or R4A, Konica Hexar RF, Minolta CLE, Zeiss-Ikon, or various Leicas with either .58x (preferably) or .72x finders.

The Heliar 50mm f2 is a limited production lens, so I think what's available out there is all there's going to be. Very nice lens, IMHO, and compact too. The 40 Nokton is excellent and popular, but... Unless you choose a camera body with 40mm framelines you'll have to "make do" with 35 or 50 frames (the lens will bring up 50mm frames in those cameras with auto framelines). Not many cameras offer 40mm framelines: R3, CLE, CL. I think the perfect choice for a 40mm + 28mm combination is the Minolta CLE.

Sounds like you have some choices to make! Poke around in the CameraQuest website, and you'll end up well-informed. :)
 
The 40 Nokton is excellent and popular, but... Unless you choose a camera body with 40mm framelines you'll have to "make do" with 35 or 50 frames (the lens will bring up 50mm frames in those cameras with auto framelines). Not many cameras offer 40mm framelines: R3, CLE, CL. I think the perfect choice for a 40mm + 28mm combination is the Minolta CLE.
Click to expand...

Sorry Doug but i dont quite understand that part. So if i'll go with the CV 40/1.4 MC Nokton, then which would suit it better ? the R2M, R3, or R4M ?
 
juza,
The best Bessa to get is the Zeiss Ikon.... well it may sound funny, but in a way it is true, because it is made in the same factory....
However, to answer your question, my first choice would be the R2A+35/1.7 Ultron and second choice R3A with the 40/1.4 Nokton, the R2A is more flexible with the wide angle lenses, while the R3A is more of a portrait camera. I would recommend the "A" version - if you don't want autoexposure, you can always go manual, but not the other way round.
 
juza said:
Sorry Doug but i dont quite understand that part. So if i'll go with the CV 40/1.4 MC Nokton, then which would suit it better? the R2M, R3, or R4M?
Click to expand...
Sorry if I wasn't clear... Of those three Bessas, only the R3 has framelines for 40mm, so if you want to use a 40mm lens, there's the reason for that choice. You also expressed a preference for NOT using an accessory viewfinder for wide angle lenses. This wish is inconsistent with the Bessa R3 because its widest frameline is 40mm.

You'd like to use a 28mm wide angle... And I think that's a great choice in combination with either a 40 or 50mm standard lens. But among the Bessa models, only the R4 has internal framelines for 28mm; all other Bessas will require an external 28mm viewfinder. The R4 does not have 40mm framelines, though, but has 35 and 50 as well as the 28.

You see the problem? There is no Bessa with both 40mm and 28mm framelines. You can either compromize on the 40 or compromise on the 28. The ONLY camera of which I'm aware that has both 40 and 28mm built-in framelines is the Minolta CLE, which is also an attractive choice for other reasons, though like everything else it has its drawbacks as well.

Some people get around the 40 problem by just using 35mm framelines and calling it close enough... and it may be close enough. Or you could opt for the easier solution and choose either 35mm or 50mm instead of 40mm and pick among several attractive camera choices that offer internal framelines for 50, 35, and 28mm lenses.

The Bessa R4 could be a good choice, but due to the 0.52x viewfinder magnification, the 50mm frame is a little small. Yet its unique 21 and 25mm frames make this a fine choice if wide-angle is "where you're at". :)

Does this all make sense to you?
 
I used the 28 on my Bessa R with the 35 frameline and called it close enough.

And most of the time it was.

Ted
 
Justin,

A lot depends upon where you want to go with your next lens. I would strongly recoment the 40/1.4, it ROCKS. If you are going wider, say a 25 or a 21 go with the R4x. If you think longer go with the R3x, perhaps the best camera for a 75mm lens.

B2 (;->
 
Doug, I get understand now :D. Apparenty my main aim is to get the nokton 40/1.4 now and would most prolly stick with it for a long while before i get another lens. And like you said the R3 is the only bessa with a 40 frameline so im guessing i've made my choice =)

im getting the R3 with a nokton 40/ f1.4 MC for now as i plan to use mostly black and white film with it.

The final question i have now is R3A or R3M ?
im not really sure about the A though cause to what i know, it's in Auto exposure more with Apreture priority.

i like the fully manual mode though, as i hardly use any other mode.

Thanks alot guys.
trully appreceate it.
justin
 
Many people who use B&W film and the 40mm go for the SC version, not the MC.

I use color film and still got the SC because I love the look it gives to photos. The photos have a somewhat retro look which suits my photography.
 
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