Bessa A Series discontinued

[jsrockit]

A few years ago, the idea of a new medium format rangefinder would seem far fetched, but in fact, we got two, a folding 80mm model, and a wide angle model.

I don't know about that...Fujifilm sold medium format rangefinders in the 90s. Also Mamiya.

 

[thegman]

I don't know about that...Fujifilm sold medium format rangefinders in the 90s. Also Mamiya.

Sure, in the 90s, but in the early to mid nineties, film had never been more popular in it's history. I'm just saying that a few years ago (meaning 3 or 4), not many of us would have expected a brand new folder film camera.

Mamiya as I understand it still makes the 7II, but that was released in 1999, when film was still a pretty big deal, I can't imagine that they would have released it around the time the GF670 or GF670w came out.

 

[Keith]

Keith has bit gloomy vision about future of rangefinder. I don't see Leica hurrying anywhere from market where they have monopoly, and loyal following for both lenses and bodies. New factory opening next year in Wetzlar makes long wait lists for their equipment shorter. + Who knows how current optical rangefinder can be improved in future so it stays viable alternative to evf.

Not gloomy ... well not intending to be! 😀

Define a monopoly in a market where you have one competitor? 😛

 

[NicoM]

Sad news, indeed. I actually just bought an R2A from another member here at RFF. Still excited!

 

[rluka]

Surprised. Like the end day, it will happen, but nobody thought it would be literally tomorrow.
But like the Leica in second hand market. At least there seems to be enough peoples buying their new digital rangefinders.

The "rangefinder renaissance" started in the 90s is coming to a conclusion.

So what? Many of them have to be scavenged for parts. Mechanical parts suffer wear and tear all the time.

Suddenly image of post-apocalyptic world with scavenging communities compete fiercely for whatever resource is left from the old civilization 😀

Maybe i am daydreaming but what if cosina is cutting bessa a production to focus on developing a digital FF bessa? I am pretty sure that the marked is ready for an "affordable" digital rangefinder as an alternative to APS-C mirrorless and M`s ... ? Technology wise the time is also right?

There's a comment in older topic about how their boss is not so warm towards digital camera, let alone making one.

 

[CameraQuest]

sad news,
but as I understand it
Cosina is still manufacturing more serious film cameras
(five - 3x Besss M and 2x 667)
than any other Japanese camera manufacturer.
-- correct if I am wrong on that --

Stephen

 

[thegman]

sad news,
but as I understand it
Cosina is still manufacturing more serious film cameras
(five - 3x Besss M and 2x 667)
than any other Japanese camera manufacturer.
-- correct if I am wrong on that --

Stephen

You'll get no complaints from me, for me, Cosina is the number one film camera company right now. They make some unique and fantastic stuff, and the pricing is more than reasonable.

 

[Spicy]

the world would benefit from more (effort/products) from Cosina and Fujifilm, as far as I'm concerned

 

[tempest68]

for those who did not notice,
the 2M, 3M, 4M series Voigtlander Bessa cameras were lowered $100 in price to help keep them in production

A series cameras are strictly stock on hand,
-- the factory has none left --

Stephen

Stephen,

If you would be willing to share the information, what has been your ratio of M vs A sales? Was it your experience that the Ms dominated vs As or were sales closer to a 50/50 or 60/40 split?

Jim

 

[sienarot]

Oh wow, that sucks. The R4A was on my to-buy list for a while.

 

[dreamsandart]

The "rangefinder renaissance" started in the 90s is coming to a conclusion.

Rangefinders were dead in the water with the 'SLR revolution' of the late 60s/70s, so I guess this is the 'second going'?

Imagine the Bessa M will be around for awhile, and in the end probably the Leica MP will be the last standing. A bright point is that there will always be loads of used film cameras waiting for some film and a release of the shutter.

 

[thirtyfivefifty]

I never thought that the M7 would be left standing. It seems like yesterday that I was reading an article comparing AE RF's (R3A, ZI, M7). I remember having my heart set on a ZI, but backed out last minute for a DSLR, then the local store stopped carrying the Zeiss line, eventually the bodies were discontinued, and now the CV A's are discontinued. It's definitely a surreal feeling. I'm hoping the M7 carries on for a long, long while.

 

[AJShepherd]

It's a shame, my Bessa R3A was really where I got into rangefinders.
But it would be cool if they produced something like a modern version of the old Epson RD1 (which was basically a Bessa body, I think) with a decent sensor at a reasonable price.

 

[Markus]

This is really sad news. The end of the Zeiss Ikon was sad, it was a good camera and now the Bessa-Line is next. But for me they all had one major problem: small format. I mean it is ok, but if I have the chance to get a MF-camera I would go for it because it has at least 4.x more image size at perhaps the same price.

Still hoping to see a new model like the ZI 🙁

 

[erikhaugsby]

]I think back to how hard core this place was about rangefinders when I joined in 2006 and how it is now.

my M2 is mirrorless! (and so is your DP2M, and my GR 🙄)

 

[cosmonaut]

What about the Zeiss Ikon? It has AE, correct?

 

[Keith]

What about the Zeiss Ikon? It has AE, correct?

Also dead in the water though ... for a while now!

That was a real loss IMO because although it's very similar in many respects to its cheaper siblings (Bessa) the very long RF base length made it a gem for focusing fast lenses.

 

[Haigh]

Thanks for that post jonmanjiro. I managed to quickly pickup a demo R4A yesterday. Since I already have one I now have a backup.

 

[Archiver]

Oh dear.

For me the 21mm, 35mm and 50mm kit is perfect for film. A 15, 21 and 35, aps-c kit with framelines in camera, would be awesome too(and i would already have the 35). Fuji is close to it, but have bad manual focusing, compared to rangefinders. Also it's all by wire. I like scales and such.

I saw that the R4A was discontinued, but I didn't realize that all the A cameras were discontinued. Looks like picking up a R4A ought to happen sooner than later.

The combination of 21, 35 and 50 is my favourite travel combo. Nice and wide for landscapes and interiors, a fast 35 for night time walkabout, and a 50 for environmental portraits.

Sooner or later, Sony or someone will make a full frame mirrorless camera that is compact, works well with RF lenses, and doesn't cost the earth. At least, that's what I hope. And I hope that Cosina keeps making RF bodies for as long as it is profitable for them.