35mm on a R3M

[Gazzah]

After taming my Leica craving (for now) I am thinkning that a better option for me at the moment is to get another Bessa, Im thinking of an R3M (I have an R). I shoot a lot with at 35mm and was wondering if this is a viable option on the R3 without using an external VF. Im thinking of the R3 for the 1:1 VF, I like it on my Canon.

Im used to the VF on my DSLRs showing 80-90% of the frame so I guess this would be the same.

My long term goal would be to get an R4 as well for the wider side of life (I do a lot of 15,20,28 on digital), but that will be some way down the road.

TIA

Gary H

 

[delft]

Widest framelines on the R3 are for 40mm and I have some difficulty in seeing those when I wear glasses. However, the 1:1-viewfinder is very nice and the 40mm nokton is a very fine lens indeed.

Dirk

 

[ruby.monkey]

The 40mm frameline is good enough if you remember to leave a little room around the edges. The R3 finder is excellent - well worth the minor inconvenience.

 

[vorgonyi]

With my 3A, wearing glasses and the 40mm I was not happy with composition. First I thought that I see the patch and can deside whats left or right of that. But results showed that this did not work for me which is why I now use a 50mm on my 3A.

 

[Gazzah]

thanks for the replies...

thanks for the replies...

I dont need to wear glasses (yet..) so it may not be too much of an issue, and as I say Im used to the DSLR's having only 80-90% coverage anyway..
I have a number of LTM lenses so will have to get an adapter, I assume as the frame lines are manual selection it doesnt really matter which one I get?

Gary H

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Right: it doesn't matter. But some cheap (chinese) ebay ones don't fit. Voigtländer ones are fine.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Krosya]

Dont fit? Why? Are they square? Lol. Actually I have one that came from ebay and only cost $8. Works as well as my Leica made adapters-correct focus with 85mm f2 wide open. I just wonder how these stories start?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I'm glad your adapter worked. I was warned about it here on RFF.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Leon.L]

Sorrry, I don't want to highjack this thread but i have a similar question, how about 28mm on a R2M ? I ordered a CV 28mm/3.5 recently and I have not got it yet. Is it possible to use this lens with 0.7x viewfinder of R2M (outer the 35mm frameline) ? Maybe I have to order a CV 28mm metal viewfinder as well... Anyone have the same experience ?
Thanks a lot !

 

[Gazzah]

Where to but...

Where to but...

Ive been looking around at where to buy the R3? . Prices here in the UK are very high for new Bessas - I can get an R3M + 40mm 1.4 cheaper from CameraQuest than I can get the body on its own in the UK. The only worry I have is customs adding their chunk. Has anyone here from the UK bought from the US and wat was your experience?

In all the dealers I can find here there is one used R3M with a grey body, stupid I know but I would prefer black - and even it is over 1/2 the price of the new one with lens from US, and as for flea-bay - you could wait a long long time to find a 2nd hand one there that you could trust..



Gary H

 

[Austerby]

I bought my 28mm Ultron from Cameraquest and didn't have to pay import duties on it when it arrived in the UK. I did factor that into the cost and was prepared to pay if needed, happily it wasn't. Highly recommend ordering from Cameraquest - if you provide your RFF user name at the time of ordering then I think postage is free.

 

[Gazzah]

Excellent news - I think I will order this evening - Ive been faffing around for to long now.

Gary H

 

[Gazzah]

Bought an R3A

Bought an R3A

from a fellow RFF member (blackwave) and it should be winging its way to me now.
Now I have 2 missions -
1/ get some better glass -
2/ figure out what to do about the wider side of life..

When I want to wider than 35 woudl I be better off getting an R4? or going for an L or T ? I guess I would eventually go out to 15mm but at the moment the widest I am concidering is 25...

Thanks for all your advice..


Gary H

 

[Leigh Youdale]

When I want to wider than 35 woudl I be better off getting an R4? or going for an L or T ? I guess I would eventually go out to 15mm but at the moment the widest I am concidering is 25...
Gary H

I can only quote my own experience.
Wanted a Leica. Finder frames don't go wider than 28mm and include 90 and 135 which I never use.
Couldn't afford a late model M anyway. Bought an R3A and 1.4/40 CV plus 75mm CV and 15mm with finder to start with. Lovely to use.
Later I bought a 25mm CV and finder.
All still OK but had the chance to buy a second hand R4A. It has now become my main camera with frames for the 25, 35 and 50 that I most often use now. Still need the finder for 15mm but that doesn't get so much use.

The R3A is backup and preferred for 40, 50 and 75 due to better viewfinder magnification but actually, since I also bought a finder for the 75 I can use any of the lenses on either camera with the exception of the 40 - no framelines on the R4A but you can guess between the 50 and 35 frames. The 15 needs its finder on either, of course.
That's the long answer. The short answer is that with a judicious selection of auxiliary viewfinders you can successfully use almost any of the focal lengths on either camera but the final choice of body probably comes down to whether you would mostly use the mid-range of 40/50/75 or the wide range of 21/25/28/35 as your preferred lenses. The 50mm frame on the R4* is pretty small and if you use that a lot you'll probably want a separate finder for it. Either way, it's likely that you'll need at least one or two separate viewfinders to cover the full spectrum satisfactorily.

 

[Gazzah]

Thanks Leigh

Thanks Leigh

It is as I thought - I will probably want an R4? at some stage.
I have a nothing wider than 35 at the moment, but it is my most used lens. I have a selection of 50s and one old 90mm - the 90 hardly gets any use.
Im looking at an L on e-bay complete with a 15 that is very tempting, at the price the body is basically free..

I guess I will continue my quest to get better glass, use it on the R3 then get the body that suits later on.
I would like
15mm
21mm/25mm
fast 35mm
then I would be happy (for now).

Gary H