Bessa 4A/M, 21/4P and 25/4P on Asahi & Nippon Camera

[Abbazz]

From Roger D. Williams on CVUG:

"The two leading Japanese camera mags, Asahi and Nippon, are full
of the Bessa 4A/M this month, and they also mention the 21/4P
and the 25/4P."

In brief: the new lenses are very highly rated. Both are M bayonet mount lenses, do have focusing tabs, don't come with a viewfinder and the "P" designation stands for "Pancake".

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[kshapero]

GAS Attack!!! Got a link to these articles?

 

[kalokeri]

Sounds really interesting. While I am thinking about a 21 at the moment, I should wait and take a look at the "p".

Thanks for the information, Abbazz !

Thomas

 

[Abbazz]

GAS Attack!!! Got a link to these articles?

http://www.nippon-camera.com/monthly.php

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[EmilGil]

Pancake versions of the CV 21 and 25? I thought they were small enough...

For those of us who don't read kanji/katakana, do you have any idea about the price?

 

[steamer]

Just bought them tonight, love those magazines, the photos are always brutally good and often by 60-80 year olds.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Ok...why a new 21mm? The current lens is alread quite small and very good.

Also, f4 on the 25mm is less than exciting. F2.8 would have been far more compelling.

 

[steamer]

the 25 is out in April for 50,000 yen and the 21 in March for 55,000　yen

 

[rover]

Pancake and focusing tabs just don't go well together.

Do they have big tabs, or those nice little CV sticks?

 

[EmilGil]

That's $410 and $450 respectively, a pretty steep raise from Stephen's $250/$330 for the current versions (which both include the finder priced at $128). A M-mount lens with f/2.8, rangefinder coupling and finder might have been good value at that price but with the current specs I find it a bit steep.

 

[dazedgonebye]

If you're going to get a R4 and want 25mm, I guess that would be a winner. I still wonder what will be compelling about the new 21mm over the old, considering the price.

 

[Andy Aitken]

Well I'd say while the old 21 and 25 were optically excellent the barrels were a bit lightweight. I've only had those 2 CV lenses and recently acquired a 40mm Nokton and, wow, what an improvement in build quality - it feels just like a Leica. If the new build 21 and 25 are like that pephaps they are worth the extra money.

BTW I somehow doubt they will be any more "pancakey" than the existing models.

 

[Abbazz]

The picture on Nippon Camera's website is quite small, but the lenses look nice and compact:



Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[einolu]

i am personally very excited about this camera, voigtlander quality has improved so much over such a short period of time. its really impressive.

 

[woodphoto]

I haven't been keeping up on it, when is the release date for the 4's?

 

[einolu]

April or May, cameraquest is taking deposits now. im seriously considering either this or a m6 classic... good thing i have some time to think about it.

 

[nasmformyzombie]

That's $410 and $450 respectively, a pretty steep raise from Stephen's $250/$330 for the current versions (which both include the finder priced at $128). A M-mount lens with f/2.8, rangefinder coupling and finder might have been good value at that price but with the current specs I find it a bit steep.

It's all in the perspective---pun intended. Historically wide angle lenses are quite a bit more expensive than "normal" or short tele. $400-$450 is still very inexpensive compared to anything from Zeiss or Leica. Now if the build quality and optics have improved over the previous versions, are these prices still considered steep?

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Why not buy either a 21 or 25 now, and put it aside for a new R4 in a couple of months?

 

[EmilGil]

It's all in the perspective---pun intended. Historically wide angle lenses are quite a bit more expensive than "normal" or short tele. $400-$450 is still very inexpensive compared to anything from Zeiss or Leica. Now if the build quality and optics have improved over the previous versions, are these prices still considered steep?

It remains to be seen but I seriously doubt that mr Kobayashi-san can improve the lenses enough to justify the price being more than doubled (no vf included). Sure, the 21/4 has some vignetting wide-open and the 25mm is not rangefinder coupled but what can you ask at the current price? I for one have more use of a separate finder than rf coupling when it comes to these lenses...

 

[Doug]

One issue with the R4's very wide-angle viewfinder will be lens barrel intrusion into the field of view. As some object strongly to this, the most compact lenses are needed to avoid the effect. If the new 21P and 25P are flatter than the old, that might be one reason.