Bessa L + 15mm Heliar for travel?

[hausen]

I love my 15mm on the Monochrom. Never tried with my film M. Must give it a go. Is awesome on the MM.

 

[nikonosguy]

the 15 is enjoyable --- it's worth getting, but i'd not make it the only lens for good travel

 

[biomed]

The Bess L is great. CameraQuest had a super sale price on the L when I bought the CV 15. The L works well with the 21/4 and 25 snapshot.

I equipped mine with a double shoe adapter and CV spirit level.

 

[CCCPcamera]

The CV 15/4.5 is my favourite lens for landscapes and architecture. Together with the external viewfinder, this lens works really well on my M2. I've always wanted a Leica MD to pair with this lens - in my mind that would be ideal.

Tremendous lens. Amazing bargain. Good build quality and ergonomics.

Buy one.

 

[skibeerr]

Boattrip Ushuaia by wim_b, on Flickr

Arg2008007 by wim_b, on Flickr

It is a great lens to have but i would go for a 35 if it was your only lens.

 

[k__43]

I used the Bessa L with a 15mm heliar V1 in cuba (http://500px.com/Kay_k) and had not much problems with flare.
I was shooting slide with it and found the meter of the L was often tricked by all that wide bright sky in the frame resulting in a lot of underexposed shots. My guessed exposures with the Pentacon Six on slide were (mostly) good. So don't let those LEDs fool you.

 

[FredtheLlama]

Thanks for the replies folks. I'm still contemplating the 21mm or the 15mm.

Everyone has good things to say about the L, just don't expect solid build quality!

@K_43, thanks for the heads up - I was told this by another member too.

 

[alfredian]

Also the 25mm

Also the 25mm

I have carried the Bessa L + 24mm f4 Snapshot Skopar on trips. Sturdy enough if you have it in a tote (small). Built-in meter is handy & I'm coming to use external viewfinders more and more - especially with the Wides. Enjoy, alfredian

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I use the 15: a great lens if you want to get it. And very well corrected. But I wouldn't use it as my only lens. Better a 28/35/40. Considering size, speed, image quality and price, there's no better option than the CV 40 f1.4, IMO.
Cheers,
Juan

 

[fotomeow]

the 15 LTM is part of my standard travel pack, but not for your average "tourist" shots. I find it indispensable to capture people and things in homes/rooms/buildings, or anything with tight corners.
But keep in mind a couple things: there is a skill to the use a a wide angle like the 15:
1. Use your distance scale to set focus and click away. I can be very indiscrete with taking close-ups of people without them knowing, and get very natural pics.

2. your images will be s/w distorted unless you are cognizant of the keeping the camera horizontally and vertically neutral (consider a double-shoe mount to hold both your 15mm VF and a bubble indicator with both horizontal and vertical bubbles: CV and Don Goldberg make/sell double accessory shoes)

3. B/c of the wide-angle, shooting landscapes will produce "smallish" looking landscapes b/c the image in the negative is so reduced in size. You can get awesome landscapes with this lens, but must be willing to blow them up to 8x10 minimum, if not 11x14 or 16x20 for optimal results, and one of the great uses of this lens.

4. Perhaps consider a Minolta CE/CLE to use with the 15mm in addition to the CV T or L. Whateve you get, you will need to find an accurate way to meter : use a manual meter, or some general rules of using the 15, e.g., it tends to dramatically underexpose if you use the camera meter, but ppl have figured that it is about 2-3 stops shy of proper exposure, so some folks just use the calculation and click away.

Well, thats enough for now. There are many threads of info on this great lens, but it does take some knowledge and practice to get the best results with this lens. If you get the LTM version, I have seen guys make DIY hoods for it with success. Again, this is on the net.
enjoy yer trip!

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Whateve you get, you will need to find an accurate way to meter : use a manual meter, or some general rules of using the 15, e.g., it tends to dramatically underexpose if you use the camera meter, but ppl have figured that it is about 2-3 stops shy of proper exposure, so some folks just use the calculation and click away.

That's very odd. I only use the internal meter with my Bessa L, for all lenses (15/25/35) and get good exposure without any compensation at all.

 

[FredtheLlama]

@fotomeow

Thank you for the detailed reply, it echoes what others have said.

The thing sticking in my mind now is that with the 15mm, I'm best to use a handheld or other device to meter. This kind of defeats the point of it being a compact/rough and ready setup. I may as well take a TLR! Will I have to externally meter with any body I choose?

How well does the L meter with the 21mm?

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

@fotomeow

Thank you for the detailed reply, it echoes what others have said.

The thing sticking in my mind now is that with the 15mm, I'm best to use a handheld or other device to meter. This kind of defeats the point of it being a compact/rough and ready setup. I may as well take a TLR! Will I have to externally meter with any body I choose?

How well does the L meter with the 21mm?

Meters are not made to meter a scene, but to meter a middle luminance value... So we must aim there... If we can't find one, it's easy to decide if the scene is a bit lighter than that and requires a +1, or a bit dark and requires a -1, or because of a window, light source, or overcast sky we need +2 or +3.

Bessas' meters are the best in camera meters I have used. They meter, more than the whole frame, mainly half its area: the part that's in the center and a bit below its center, trying to avoid upper skies...

But any meter requires your decisions for 90% of the shots... For example, if you're photographing someone with a white wall behind, you need +1 or +2 depending on how close to the person you are: how much white comes into the image...

Cheers,
Juan

 

[dmc]

Sorry, I have no idea how loud is this AF thing. L was louder comparing R, so loud I didn't find it usable for street photography where I'm. It will be OK for busy streets with traffic. If you could find L locally, you'll find R for sure. I was able to find my on local classifieds.

You must have had a bad copy. I have both an R and an L. Quite frankly the shutter sound on mine are identical, neither is very loud.

 

[dmc]

@fotomeow Thank you for the detailed reply, it echoes what others have said. The thing sticking in my mind now is that with the 15mm, I'm best to use a handheld or other device to meter. This kind of defeats the point of it being a compact/rough and ready setup. I may as well take a TLR! Will I have to externally meter with any body I choose? How well does the L meter with the 21mm?

Do you carry a phone with you. Download a light meter app and you are away to the races. No extra gear.

 

[dmc]

I travel with the L and the CV 15 all the time. They are an excellent combo and great fun to shoot with. Do take your other camera with you for the requisite tourists shots, then use the L for your artsy stuff. Enjoy!

 

[batterytypehah!]

The L will only meter while the shutter button is half-pressed, no delay at all. That was a major annoyance for me and one reason why I sold mine.

And yes, it is loud (for a "rangefinder") due to the dual shutters. You won't go unnoticed in a quiet venue like you can with a cloth or leaf shutter.