Introduction / Questions about Bessa R3A

[mikechambers]

Hi, my name is Mike. I have been shooting for a little over a year, initially starting with a Nikon D90 and a 18-105 lens. As I mostly shoot in the city and while traveling, I quickly changed to a 50mm 1/8 prime, which I really like. I quickly got bored with the sterile feeling of digital and picked up a used Lomo LC-A and Nikon F90X and have been mostly shooting film since then (which I love).

However, the F90X is still to bulky for me, and more importantly, is very loud and conspicuous, which is an issue when shooting on the street. So, after much research, I have decided to get a Voightlander Bessa R3A. From what I have read, it seems like a solid camera, and a good deal. I had a couple of questions though before I buy:

1. Is there much of a used market for the R3A? I have seen some on ebay, but they are all seemed to be priced near new model prices.

2. I plan to get a 50 mm lens. I also have glasses. Can someone confirm whether that will cause any problems when looking through the view finder?

3. I am on a very tight budget right now (might have to sell the d90 to get the r3a), and thus might not be able to get the exact lens I want. Are there any good, but cheap lens anyone could recommend (Ive seen a lot of comments about the Soviet Jupiter lenses). Im thinking I could get a cheaper lens until I can save up and afford a nicer one.

4. I am actually going to be in Tokyo in a couple of weeks. Is the market for Bessa R's any better than in the US? Could I potentially get a better deal in Tokyo (again, budget is a big factor right now).

5. Any suggestions on how I might be able to see one in person? I live in the San Francisco area. Any suggestions for places that may sell them directly?

Thanks for any info. Ive been lurking on the forum, reading through all of the threads. The site has been a huge help for me.

Cant wait to start shooting with the r3a!

mike

 

[jpberger]

1. Is there much of a used market for the R3A? I have seen some on ebay, but they are all seemed to be priced near new model prices.

-Yes, you should not have a problem reselling, especially since the dealer network for new vc gear is fairly limited. It's all about condition. If you actually use the camera it will get rub marks etc which will cut the value, but if you are using it it won't really matter 🙂

2. I plan to get a 50 mm lens. I also have glasses. Can someone confirm whether that will cause any problems when looking through the view finder?

R3a has fantastic framelines for 50mm with generous space around them. The 40mm lines are pretty close to the edge, but given that RFs are not about clinically precise framing at the best of times it's no biggie in practice.

3. If you are buying used, you will usually find much better deals when buying a lens+ body kit with the 40 nokton, than you will buying either separately. Fedka.com might be a good place to look for Russian lenses that will work with a ltm adapter. Caveat emptor.

 

[ethics_gradient]

Generally speaking, used R3a's aren't radically cheaper than a new one from what I've seen. I got mine for an exceptionally low price ($275 after eBay's cashback), but it was probably a result of getting lucky and chancing on the listing within 2 hours of it being posted, and the camera being fairly well-used (the owner claimed to have run 100 or so rolls through it, it has some minor but noticeable cosmetic issues when I got it). I think around $350-400 is the going rate for one in fairly good condition, but I admit I haven't looked at prices much since I got mine.

No problem seeing the 50mm framelines with glasses. I don't think the 40mm are that bad, but I lost my glasses shortly after I got the R3a and wear contacts now, so can't really say for sure.

I shot solely with a Jupiter-8 (50mm f/2) for the first 4 or so months I had my R3a, it's a great lens, especially for $30 or so. The J-8 has a better reputation for reliability than pretty much any of the other Russian LTM lenses; I haven't heard of too many bad ones. My personal recommendation for buying FSU lenses on eBay is to be patient and find a US seller; if the lens has issues you can usually return it and only be out $5-10 postage. To be fair the Russian sellers are no less likely to take a return in my experience, but when return postage costs as much as the lens itself there's usually not much of a point.

The way the exchange rate is, pretty much everything in Japan is going to be more expensive than in the US. Enjoy your trip though!

I've liked my R3a and I think it's a great entry into interchangeable lens rangefinder cameras (you might also consider something like a Canonet if you don't mind starting out with a fixed-lens camera). The Bessa doesn't feel as nice as a Leica or even the old Canon rangefinders (I briefly owned a Canon 7), but that doesn't have any impact on the pictures it takes. The aperture-priority shooting is more than worth the trade off in my opinion. Mine's had some minor issues (rubber grips peeling off, RF getting out of alignment every few months), but since I bought it secondhand this may be the fault of the guy who had it before me and not something inherently wrong with the camera. As a tinkerer and cheapskate, I'm pretty tolerant of my camera's quirks.

 

[Bingley]

In response to question 3, there a number of inexpensive 50s that you might look for, including Canon 50/1.8 and Leica Elmar 50/3.5. You'll need an adapter as these are Leica thread mount lenses. Using an Elmar on an R3A in AE mode is a lot of fun.

In response to question 5, you should come along to Bay Area Beer and Gear meets. I've got an R3A, and will be happy to let you shoot w/ it (I'm in Sacramento but get down to the Bay Area fairly frequently).

 

[mfogiel]

The responses regarding glasses and the 50mm frameline above, have been a bit too enthusiastic. I wear the thinnest carbon type glasses, yet on the R3A seeing anything beyond the 50mm frame gets difficult, forget the 40mm frame altogether. The first frame that is easly usable is the 75mm.
I think that you might consider as an alternative a Leica M2 or CL, in the last case you might go with the 40mm lens instead of the 50mm. As a matter of fact, a Leica CL with the 40/2 C Summicron would be a wonderful and compact entry to the RF world.

 

[mikechambers]

In response to question 5, you should come along to Bay Area Beer and Gear meets. I've got an R3A, and will be happy to let you shoot w/ it (I'm in Sacramento but get down to the Bay Area fairly frequently).

Beer and gear?!?!? I dont know if I can handle that much awesomeness in one place!

Is there a link for info on the Beer and Gear meets?

mike

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Consideration of R3A

Consideration of R3A

1. Is there much of a used market for the R3A? I have seen some on ebay, but they are all seemed to be priced near new model prices.

People seem to hang onto them. Mine isn't for sale either!

2. I plan to get a 50 mm lens. I also have glasses. Can someone confirm whether that will cause any problems when looking through the view finder?

Best way is to take up the offer to meet and handle one. I would have thought that the 50 framelines would just about be the same as the total viewfinder for a spectacles wearer. The 40 is definitely out.

3. Are there any good, but cheap lens anyone could recommend (Ive seen a lot of comments about the Soviet Jupiter lenses). Im thinking I could get a cheaper lens until I can save up and afford a nicer one.

I, and others are impressed with the VC 2.5/50. Small, neat and with good performance. So, it's not a 1.8. So what!

4. I am actually going to be in Tokyo in a couple of weeks. Is the market for Bessa R's any better than in the US? Could I potentially get a better deal in Tokyo (again, budget is a big factor right now).

I think the way the US dollar is going you'd be better advised to buy in the USA.

5. Any suggestions on how I might be able to see one in person? I live in the San Francisco area.

Take up Bingley's offer.

Cant wait to start shooting with the r3a!

This will sound like sacrilege to some but I recently bought an M6 and whilst it's got a lovely feel to it the Bessa has a couple of neat features like AE and shutter lock that the Leica lacks. Enjoy!

 

[chris00nj]

1. Adorama has a used one for $499.
2. Yes you can .
3. Canon 50/1.8, Summitar 50/2. The Jupiter lenses make be okay if you can buy one from someone who can vouch for them, but Russian lenses have spotty quality
4. Agree to buy it in the US. Nothing in Japan is cheap.

 

[kshapero]

I wear glasses and a 50mm lens rocks on the R3X. Even the 40mm frameline is ok if you are not too fussy. Budget wise the little CV 50/2.5 is a great sharp lens to have.

 

[mikechambers]

Would the R3A still work if I want to option of trying a 35mm lens eventually?

Right now I shoot with a 50mm, but I could see wanting to try a 35 sometime.

mike

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Would the R3A still work if I want to option of trying a 35mm lens eventually?
Right now I shoot with a 50mm, but I could see wanting to try a 35 sometime.

mike

Yes, everything will work exactly the same except the viewfinder won't show all of what the lens will capture. You'll just need to get and use an accessory viewfinder in the hotshoe. It's no big deal - I was doing that for a couple of years for a 25mm lens on my R3A before I bought the R4A. (The 40/1.4 was too close to 35mm for me to bother with that focal length at the time).

 

[mikechambers]

Yes, everything will work exactly the same except the viewfinder won't show all of what the lens will capture. You'll just need to get and use an accessory viewfinder in the hotshoe. It's no big deal - I was doing that for a couple of years for a 25mm lens on my R3A before I bought the R4A. (The 40/1.4 was too close to 35mm for me to bother with that focal length at the time).

Thanks. Will the R4A or R2A viewfinder work with both 35mm and 50mm lenses?

mike

 

[Bingley]

Beer and gear?!?!? I dont know if I can handle that much awesomeness in one place!

Is there a link for info on the Beer and Gear meets?

mike

Mike -- Keep your eye peeled for threads from the SF Bay Area RFF group. We often organize "beer and gear" meets on those threads, usually in connection w/ a shooting outing or a visit to an exhibit. Yesterday, for example, a large group met at SFMOMA to see the HCB exhibit. There was also a meet-up in SF in September for some shooting in Chinatown. Newcomers are welcome. If you can make the next meet-up (not sure when that will be), let me know and I'll be sure to bring my R3A if you still want to try it out before buying.

 

[Bingley]

FWIW, I"m also a glasses wearer. I agree w/ Akiva, that a 50 works well on the R3A. The 40 framelines are harder to see, but not as bad for me as the 35 framelines on a Canon P (which are almost impossible to see). But I suspect the R3A/40 combination is something you either get used to, or you don't and wind up selling the camera and trying something else.

What I like about the R3A is the "A" part: the AE system works very well, in my experience, and using an R3A w/ a vintage Leica lens is a blast.