Which Bessa is for you?

Which Bessa is for you?

  • L

    Votes: 43 4.2%

  • T

    Votes: 59 5.8%

  • R

    Votes: 143 14.0%

  • R2

    Votes: 73 7.2%

  • R2M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 16 1.6%

  • R2M

    Votes: 53 5.2%

  • R2A

    Votes: 112 11.0%

  • R3M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 40 3.9%

  • R3M

    Votes: 91 8.9%

  • R3A

    Votes: 157 15.4%

  • R4M

    Votes: 118 11.6%

  • R4A

    Votes: 113 11.1%
  • Total voters
    1,018
Juan Valdenebro said:
I'm enjoying a lot my fourth Bessa, an R3A... What a wonderful camera!

It feels great having in the street an R4M with the tiny 28 3.5 and an R3A with the 40 1.4...

And 2 Ts ready to shoot with fast and slow film and the 15 Heliar and 90 Summicron on, in a small bag... Yet I can perfectly use these last two lenses on the R4M and R3A...!

Voigtländer Bessa line = clever design!

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

Clever design - if only they made a camera with a good/longer EBL in the Bessa line, as Ikon ZM is not for me.

As far as which one for me - well, I'm still yet to try R4A/M, but R3 series are very nice and I still really like the "old" design R and R2 better. Really awsome cameras.Even with all the shortcommings of a loud shutter and short EBL.
 
Hi Krosya,

About Bessas requiring -as a line- longer EBL and less noisy shutter noise, I disagree after using four of them...

My Bessas T have longer EBL than 99% M Leicas in the world. All M Leicas except .85 ones are infierior in EBL.

And about shutter noise, the difference is more about tone than about loudness... I can shoot in front of people and they don't hear my camera shooting. And I mean in silent places... Take a look at this (already posted) shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40894234@N07/4528669840/

I was inside a dark church, and the girl didn't hear my shutter noise... Except for a preacher speaking very low, the church was in total silence.

And about EBL, for that shot I used the shortest EBL model, the R4M, and focused my 40 1.4 wide open with it, and it's tack sharp: look at her shoes (where I focused)... Being wide open at 1.4 and as close to her as I was, Bessas, even the ones with the shortest EBL are truly wonderful gear... I guess it depends a lot on the photographer too... Of course this is not against you in any way: this is just in favor of the truth, because showing great results is better than just words (I'm talking about my posting).

Cheers,

Juan
 
What I think, is quite interesting is the fact, that many more people use the R3a compared to the R3m, that’s the same for the R2a and R2m. But it’s not for the R4, seems like half of the wide-angle-fans don’t trust in aperture priortity. 😀
 
Kolame said:
What I think, is quite interesting is the fact, that many more people use the R3a compared to the R3m, that’s the same for the R2a and R2m. But it’s not for the R4, seems like half of the wide-angle-fans don’t trust in aperture priortity. 😀
Click to expand...

True. As Tom A. once pointed, with wide lenses AE can give a lot more trouble because more sky comes into the frame many times, fooling the metering... And the R4M is a masterpiece...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
True. As Tom A. once pointed, with wide lenses AE can give a lot more trouble because more sky comes into the frame many times, fooling the metering... And the R4M is a masterpiece...

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

Know that. 😉
Just saw it and thought, that I could mention it.
Is there a difference between the R4m and R4a in build? I thought it was just the Aperture Priority...?
 
Sorry, yes, forgot the battery-independence. Always forget that one, as it doesn’t matter to me, but I know, there are photographers that must have it.

My Bessa R is also well built. Love it 🙂
 
kshapero said:
R3M works great.
Click to expand...
5052297373_4538909552_z.jpg
 
R4m = nice, wide-veiw VF and all-manual operation. Supposedly quieter than the A-versions as well. Wide view lets me compose better or anticpate action/movement. Hand-meter or Sunny-16 and I can even take the battery out! My R2 olive & R3m's are nice, but the one "keeper" is the R4M.
 
I would have voted for the III if it were on the list. I'd really like to have this beautiful folder!

Have an R4A in the classifieds. Bought it instead of an external finder for a 21mm - which suits the focal length perfectly. 35mm also works like a charm. But 35 is as wide as I found I liked. So sold the 21mm lens and have the R4A in the classifieds. <sales-pitch>No bargain, but cheaper than new and with a grip. </sales-pitch>
 
Ooops. I clicked R2 when I meant R.

I chose the Bessa R because it was an inexpensive manual camera with a meter. Though inexpensive, it is well made and has an excellent viewfinder.
 
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