Voigtlander Purchase=Good Deal?

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bherman

bherman
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I'm kind of new to Voigtlander. I've owned Leicas in the past, but got rid of them since they were too expensive and I tended to shoot digital more anyway.

Now, I'm starting to shoot more film, so I broke out my 'trusty' Rollei 35SE a while ago.

I have a potential deal on a Voigtlander that a friend of mine has decided to sell. This is what he has:

*Voigtlander R3M Black 250th Anniversary body, new and unused in the box
*CV 40mm F/1.4 SC lens with B+W UV filter and Metal Shade, also new, but to box.

*Voigtlander Brown Leather Case and Strap

All for $700.00.

Is this is good deal, or should I "pass"?

Thanks

Brad
 
A new R3M goes for about $580, not sure how much the 250th Ann. was, maybe more..?? and the lens goes for $400 new. If Leica was too expensive, I think, besides an Ikon, this is the next best thing..
 
To be honest, I never used a modern Voigtlander camera. But many respected photographers on RFF do and they love them.

I do own a few lenses though, and they are simply great.

Basically you get 95% of Leica quality for a fraction of the price. Sure, Voigtlander products don't have the glamour or ultimate quality of Leica. but for someone who just wants the discreetness of a rangefinder for a fair price... well, they are unbeatable.
 
I only owned one for a few months before I bought my current cam, nothing bad to say. I also have a friend with an R4M that loves it..
www.cameraquest.com, read up on the different models,R2,R3,R4, they all have different magnification, depending on what lenses you like, and the M's are manual with a meter, the A's are aperture priority..
 
An acceptable deal, provided that you want or need exactly that combination of body and lens. You'll find better bargains if one or the other is a compromise for you.
 
"I wonder how many Bessa R series rangefinders will still be working in 56 years, or repairable then. I would not bet a penny on many of them lasting 95% as long as that."

Who cares? How many folks here are really going to keep the same camera for five years, much less 50 years? I just don't understand this common statement.
 
sevo said:
An acceptable deal, provided that you want or need exactly that combination of body and lens. You'll find better bargains if one or the other is a compromise for you.
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Agreed...

If you like the 40mm focal legnth it's a brilliant set up for a reasonable price. I think an R3 with a 40mm is a match made in heaven, but I am a sucker for the 40mm focal legnth.

Some people aren't too keen on the focusing tab but personally I find it to be really nice to use. Oh and the lens hood's a beauty too.

Hope this is of some help.


Michael.
 
I've had an R3A in the past and I liked it. The main disadvantage of Bessa compared to Leica was more "camera-like" shutter sound.

The sound itself is louder than Leica M with cloth shutter curtain because Bessa has modern vertical metal curtains. And also this type of shutter sound is much more camera-like to typical people on the street, and they are more likely to notice that you took a shot. Regular forks don't even think a photo was taken with Leica M or other cloth curtain RF / lens shutter cams because the sound is very "foreign" to their ears.

Other than this, I felt Bessa super solid, well made camera with a superb VF.
 
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I have a Bessa L, T,and R. They do their job well, but they don't feel like my M3 or M6 or even the Hexar RF.

As for the lens, I feel that CV lenses are bargains.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
"I wonder how many Bessa R series rangefinders will still be working in 56 years, or repairable then. I would not bet a penny on many of them lasting 95% as long as that."

Who cares? How many folks here are really going to keep the same camera for five years, much less 50 years? I just don't understand this common statement.
Click to expand...

In 56 years most of us will be dead. I would be 94 by then. But... the original owner of my M2 is probably dead, and I think it will outlive me too.

But stating that the Bessas won't work in 56 years remains a dangerous statement. How many old (and cheap) Kodaks still work? And my 30 year old Nikon FM probably will reach that milestone easily.

Reminds me a bit of the quality argument when I bought a no-brand remote for my Nikon D200. If if it breaks it is one tenth of the price, so it can basically break 10 times. Which it won't.
 
the cv r4a/m is a great camera and incredibly well built. of all the mechanical film cameras that i have owned that one is the most missed.
my rd1 is based on a bessa body and it works perfectly out here in the real world.

and at 59 i could give a rat's tucus (sp?) if the damn thing lasts another 50 years. and the original dead owners of all those leicas? i doubt they really care much at all.
 
A Bessa is a perfectly fine RF camera. Leicas feel more massive (and I owned M6, M7 and MP) but never take better pictures.

For some reason, the more expensive the stuff I bought was, the more it got in my way...
 
I recently picked up the R3A. I really enjoy the "Aperture Priority" mode, the EV adjustments and the 1:1 viewfinder.

In terms of use, I'm quite happy with it. The only thing that I prefer on the M6 is the focus patch appears brighter on the M6 in low light situations, making it easer to focus.

In terms of the shorter rangefinder baselength, I haven't noticed my pictures less sharp, but then I don't print off alot of 8x10s.

Now if I was willing to cough up for a M7, I'm sure I'd like it more, but not $2,000 more😱 Its a personal choice on using limited funds.

Best Rob
 
Longevity

Longevity

If I was earning my living taking pictures, then the Leica vs. Cosina issue would be a non-issue as I would have to own the most dependable piece of equipment out there. Hence all of the rather expensive full frame Canon and Nikon equipment that you see in the hands of professional photographers today. As a hobbiest my thoughts are somewhat different, although not that different. I want a reliable camera that I can enjoy, knowing that at the end of the day it will bring home the shot that I envisioned. But if it didn't, I will not be fired, I will be disappointed, but I will still have a roof over my head. Having had a camera fail while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (Bronica RF645) I am quite sensitive to the issue of relibilty.

My Bessa R4A has been used by me for the past 2 years without any problems (except for cold weather battery issues.) Does it give me the results that I want - absolutely. Does it feel like a Leica - absolutely not. Does it have all of the loading quirks of a Leica - absolutely not. Will it last as long as a Leica when used by a photojournalist or wedding photographer shooting hundreds of rolls on an assignment - probably not. Will it last as long as a Leica when used by me shooting 1-2 rolls per week - who knows, but I hope so.
 
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95% of Leica Quality?

95% of Leica Quality?

I can't agree with the "95%" statement! I'd say that you get about 10% of Leica quality, but camera quality is not picture quality - you can still take the same pictures.....

Ronald_H said:
To be honest, I never used a modern Voigtlander camera. But many respected photographers on RFF do and they love them.

I do own a few lenses though, and they are simply great.

Basically you get 95% of Leica quality for a fraction of the price. Sure, Voigtlander products don't have the glamour or ultimate quality of Leica. but for someone who just wants the discreetness of a rangefinder for a fair price... well, they are unbeatable.
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There's a Rollei branded Voigtlander clone (don't know what model) with a Rollei Sonnar 40/2.8 in the Classifieds. It will offer you the Rollei quality you know and still take any future Voigtlander lens. Just so you know...!
 
The Cosina Voigtlander cameras and lenses are excellent value. The lenses are high quality -- well made and optically excellent. The bodies seem to have improved with each new model.

Cosina has done a very good job, particularly in serving a market niche with a lower-cost product that meets the needs of most photographers.

The Rollei camera was the Rollei 35 RF and was a clone of the Bessa-R2. It's an M-mount camera, and the lens is screw-mount with an LTM=>M adapter.
 
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