Bessa questions and propositions

C

Cat Face

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Hello there! First post here

Firstly, I have just purchased a wonderful little black paint chipped Bessa R, this isn't the problem! I think i'll be very happy when it arrives. The thing is, I have purchased a job lot of about 10 jupiter 8 L mount lenses, some with fungus. I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to guide me on how I should conduct my self with the lenses in question - as in with storing, using on the Bessa and possibly to even direct me to a cleaning guide that they, themselves, would trust? Thanks in advance!

Lastly, I have a proposition that some of you may like. When I get this Bessa I am wondering if anyone would be interested in me writing an experience and opinion based review and conclusion on it. Factoring my move from a Canon 400D/Xti on to a Zenit XP, Praktica BC 1 (both your pretty much standard film SLRs) to a decent rangefinder like the Bessa R.

I hope to provide a very quick source where people, looking for the low experience, bare basics explanation of what it is really like to use one of these compared to something like a DSLR - how does that sound?

Looking forward to responses
 
Now, you listen here - that didn't help at all. I just want it to arrive faster now

I hope you're happy, I probably won't even sleep now

Read a decent 4 pages of that guff last night and dear god I wish people had more negative things to say. In all honesty I am still very happy shooting on my Zenit 12 XP - its focusing is majestic, its like a dream, a very blurry one
 
The R is a really nice camera. Of course I wouldn't know this without trying others, but, I could have been very happy keeping my R and not answering the seductive call of other cameras.
 
rover said:
The R is a really nice camera. Of course I wouldn't know this without trying others, but, I could have been very happy keeping my R and not answering the seductive call of other cameras.
Click to expand...

That is the only problem of the R: in the long run it can be very, very expensive .... 🙂
 
I think the thing that has got me with the manual SLRs is, it is like when I paint or when I draw - I am sucked into the situation, the moment I bring the metal bricks up to my straining eye i'm in there, its passion. I just can't wait to try this with a rangefinder.

Now thinking about it I wish I had bought an Epson R-D1 but if I got that I couldn't afford a lens.. or to eat.. you know, kind of important to me!
 
The Bessa R can become the thin edge of a wedge if you allow it, kinda like MJ is (supposedly) the gateway drug.
 
Hey man, I can handle it

I can stop whenever I want. I don't need this stuff, seriously, any time I can stop

Just not now
 
Oh god, i've been here for 4 minutes and we're on politics and hard substances.

Right, enough spamming i'm going to bed (not to sleep but to sit there waiting for my Bessa). Tomorrow if i'm lucky i'll be posting my first impressions on the Bessa and/or the jupiter lenses maybe even in their own thread

Night everyone, thanks for making me feel welcome.
 
Love to see some stuff done with the Jupiters and the Bessa R. The R is a sweet little camera, mine is one of the first one Mr Kobayashi made and it has survived 9 years of being battered around. They do chip the paint all that, but I still use mine (and that is not for lack of other rangefinders} I have tried several of the Jupiters on it - only one that gives me problem is the 35f2.8 as the rear element is too close to the back and blocks the meter cell a bit. I like it with the 85/2 Jupiter and I have had no problem with focus shift.
Please let us know how it works out and hope to see some posts soon.
 
The ONLY thing I don't particularly like about my Bessa R is the rather stiff rewind. I stress the "only" part. Otherwise a wonderful camera.
 
Thankyou very much for the responces guys!

I may not be posting my work often because it logs my daily life and friendships as a personal project. I fear my friends wouldn't approve of their images being posted. In contrast, (!!!) if the Bessa comes today! I'll take it to the Birmingham (UK) antique fair tomorrow and get some shots to post up, I hope you'll enjoy them.

One more thing, has anyone got any opinion on the fugus filled lenses?
 
I went from a Bessa L to a Bessa R to an R-D1.

If you're already eyeing the R-D1, you better stop all that eating you do and save up for the Epson. 😛
 
tedwhite said:
The ONLY thing I don't particularly like about my Bessa R is the rather stiff rewind. I stress the "only" part. Otherwise a wonderful camera.
Click to expand...

I thought it was only in my mind. I'm glad this irks others, too. And the rewind knob that slips from time to time if you accidentally lift while turning.
 
RML said:
I went from a Bessa L to a Bessa R to an R-D1.

If you're already eyeing the R-D1, you better stop all that eating you do and save up for the Epson. 😛
Click to expand...
Oh, i've been looking at the Epson before I got my DSLR, when I was still on a conpact. I don't know why I didn't get it, I suppose I couldn't justify the cost on a body alone where as for canon i've got my 50mm and flash, being all I need is under what an Epson costs sadly.

--

Right for all who is interested, I have prepared an image to compare the size of different 50mm lenses.

50mmscopy.jpg


On the far left is the black (of course it is) jupiter 8 f 2.0 probably from around the 1970s with a Mamiya 40.5mm UV filter and rear metal lens cap

We then have the Multicoated Pentacon Prakticar f 1.8 (Praktica B mount) with a hoya skylight filter

and last (but not least!!) we have the Canon EF 50MM f 1.4, the only lens I use on digital at the moment!

--

As you can see the jupiter is about twice as large as a canon 50mm, I hope this has helped.

--

Final thing, could anyone help me spot fungus on the lenses please?
 
Hey CatFace, I was bidding against you on that lot of lenses, I think. However my PC went on the fritz and you one, it seems.
I love my Bessa R, shame I don't go out with it much at the moment, snowed under a bit with work.
Can't wait to see results and hear your feedbac.
Tom
 
I'm very sorry you didn't win!

I may either sell or give away most of the lenses, I have chosen to keep two fungus free lenses, one beat up non collapasble chrome deal without focus nob and the black with the filter as you can see.

I've spent a good hour or so with 2 different people having a good look at the lenses and i'd say you are probably better off buying from russia as these do look extremely worn. If you can't wait to get something to use on the Bessa (ahem..) then I suppose it was a good buy. Just don't know how long they'll last.

My plans have changed, it turns out I can't go to the antiques fair to test the Bessa as it hasn't arrived, instead I will get my camera bag and take it on my travels today when it arrives (I have to stay in until half 9 to wait until delivery)

It may proove tricky getting people's cosent to post online as I usually do lone portraits, not crowd scenes.

Anyway! I'm off to bed!
 
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