Bessa, Contax, Hexar RF?

[kuuan]

I am looking for a film RF camera / system for travell / documenary photography.
It should make great images 😉
be sturdy, but if possible rather lightweight and small, in any case unobstrusive.
and together with 3 or so very good lenses rather at the wide end ( a 28, 35 and a 50? ) it should cost little.
On my dSLR I almost only have used manual focus lenses, I like MF, on my dSLR with mf I can get the focus much better where I want it to be, and the old lenses are great but relatively cheap. However I do miss quite some shots on the street, so I cannot decide if AF would be desireable or not.

Which one should I try to get, a Bessa, Contax or the Hexar RF?
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I know, I know, I am asking the impossible, this cannot be answered easily and I should research first..but the thing is that, unexpectedly, I shall go to Japan very soon and chances are that there I could find the camera of my choice much cheaper than back in Europe...so I should choose fast. So far I have not much idea of the variuos Contax and Bessa models, just that the Contax G1 offers AF, and that from guts feelings I am attracted to the Hexar.

grateful for any input,
best regards,
Andreas

 

[sevo]

Neither. Get a Fuji GA645zi, Mamiya 6/7ii or Bronica RF645. Price-wise these are within the range you specify - and size (or rather film area) does matter indeed!

 

[kuuan]

hm Sevo, bigger film is certainly great, but so are the cameras.
- I was looking for a compact, lightweight option..

 

[Krosya]

As far as price, quality and features it's hard to beat Hexar RF. I have a couple and love them. But if you wanted a camera that is not battery dependent, some Bessa models may be for you. I have never used G1. I hear they are pretty good, but AF and limited lens selection would turn me off that choice.

 

[rover]

Yes is the answer.

Take a look at the Bessa R2m/a, ZI, Used Hexar RF, and the lenses you think fit your needs and decide which fits you budget best. All three bodies can use the same lenses, you can mix and match lenses here and there to adjust your kit to fit your budget. For example you can choose a Leica 35 Summicron, Zeiss 35 Biogon, CV 35 Ultron or CV 35 Skopar, each are a little different, priced at different levels, and all very good in many ways.

There are a lot of ways to skin this cat, all are pretty good.

 

[Bobfrance]

I've had all three and kept only the Hexar RF.

My decision was made because I wanted to get into M mount lenses and I personally found the Hexar to have a far better feel & build quality than the Bessa I had briefly.

That said. I got into RF cameras through the Contax G1.
It is a very nice camera and the Zeiss G lenses are the best bargains on the planet. They're the reason I still use Zeiss lenses today.
The downsides for me with the G1 were noisy autofocus and a small viewfinder (I wear glasses).
It is still worth considering though as you can get a body and a few lenses so cheaply these days and none of the others have AF.

Bob.

 

[Ben B.]

I have an Hexar RF for almost a year now and I love it! Of course it is battery dependant and noisier than my M6 but it saw a lot of action lately nonetheless... Perfect with a 35.

Ben.

 

[kuuan]

thank you everybody for your input

hm...
Krosya, I want to my camera to meter, so the need of a batterie does not bother me too much. I suppose there are current, quite easily available batteries for all the mentioned cameras, yes?

Bobfrance the Contax is limited to it's Voigtlaender lenses only? - but they are good and cheap, that sounds attractive though!
smaller viewfinder is a turn off, me too I use glasses and a good viewfinder great for manual focusing is very high on my priority list.

Rover you exclude the Contax, and in Bessa limit your choice to R2m/a, ZI. Why? There are also R3 and R4 by now, did you exclude them for being pricier? Leica 35 Summicron, Zeiss 35 Biogon, CV 35 Ultron or CV 35 Skopar sound sweet...but how much more expensive are they compared to the VL / Contax lenses?

getting somewhere here..🙂..thanks!

 

[Cron]

I would take a look at Contax G1 or better Contax G2.
Fantastic lenses, reliable bodies, AF fine on both but a little better with the G2.
And the prices are down.
You will get no better picture quality for the money you will have to pay here.

 

[Krosya]

hexar rf uses 2 cr2 batteries.

 

[Bobfrance]

hexar rf uses 2 cr2 batteries.

As does the Contax.

And just to clarify, The G1 & G2 use the Contax/Zeiss G mount lenses which is unique to the Contax G system.

 

[daniel~]

I would take a look at Contax G1 or better Contax G2.
Fantastic lenses, reliable bodies, AF fine on both but a little better with the G2.
And the prices are down.
You will get no better picture quality for the money you will have to pay here.

I'd highly recommend G1/G2, too, especially for travel. Got both and very happy with them. Those G mount lenses are great bargains considering their stunning performance.

G2 has got slightly better VF & AF than G1, but it's also bigger and pricier, so I suggest try them both first.

One thing different from traditional RF: G1/G2's VF would show only the area to be photographed. There is no "coverage outside the frameline". Some people consider this a disadvantage.

Also, what many users seem to overlook is G1/G2's ability to shoot by manual focus setting. Although not like rangefinder kind of smooth, setting through dial instead of button, works for me.