Bessa L or T

Bessa L or T

  • Bessa T

    Votes: 34 53.1%

  • Bessa L

    Votes: 30 46.9%
  • Total voters
    64
lxmike

lxmike

M2 fan.
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Well now that I have a Voigtlander 25/4 to shoot with I was wondering which of the following to get, an L or T, bearing in mind that finance dictates that the 25/4 will be my one and only cv lens.
 
Well, the lens is LTM mount and not rangefinder-coupled, so what would you need a T for?
 
Get the T. Eventually you will want other lenses and the T has such an on-the-money-honey rf. It is the only Bessa I haev used that could accurately and repeatedly focus the 50/1 or 75/1.4. Many use the T with auxiliary finders.
 
Although i've never used any of the bessa models. I would try to find a T. It's probably more expensive then a L. But it gives you more options, if you want to expand.
 
As already mentioned, for the Bessa-T you would need an additional screw-mount to M-mount adapter for the lens which adds to the overall cost. The T would give you more flexibility for the future if you want lenses with M-mount or e.g. a 50mm or longer focal lenghts. But if you do not own any exernal finder, you would have to buy them for each focal length (adding costs) and to my mind there are better camera choices for upgrades in this direction. So based on your lens pool and financial constraints I definitely vote for the Bessa-L.

Cheers
Thomas-Michael
 
Go with the L. It's cheap. (Sorry... inexpensive.)

Plan to leave the 25/4 on it as a permanent fixture. (I have.)

Get an M mount and lenses when you can afford them.

Or maybe an R... ltm lenses are plentiful and reasonable in price,

not something you can say about M mounts.
 
I have both cameras.
There is no question that one is an "occasional camera" while the other is a "daily camera". Both have great meters, and both are good to own and use.
The T has the M mount and it has a 1.5X RF for focusing, while the L is a P&S without any RF help or VF.

The T is worth much more to me as a camera than the L.
I can use the T with almost any LTM or M lens that I own.
 
I've owned all three. While the T rocks with fast lenses, the L's kicks it's butt with a 25. The T has an advantage as it takes the winder and it's a bit sturdier built, it is taller. I know, it's only a bit, but every bit counts.

I loved my L/25 combo as it fit in just about every small belt pouch I had, even with the bright line finder. I carried it everywhere, did family, street shots, travel, it was one of my favorite combos.

The T is more flexible (it was my first Bessa, I owned two Ts) and it rocks too, but for a P&S lens I'd go L. The L is just so light it really is the most fun rear lens cap you can ever own.

The T can handle 105/2.5, 90/2, 75/1.4 with ease, but the L opens up worlds of wide, ultra wide that is fun. 15mm and 12mm can be fun, lots of fun.

B2 (;->
 
I'm another fan of the T, and recommend it. Mine is a favorite carry on hiking and backpacking trips, and as a second body to a Leica M. I use my T w/ the Skopar 25/4, and it's great. It's also great to have the ability to use both M-mount and LTM lenses on it. I like the lightmeter read-out, and the 1.75 rf is great too.
 
T, incase you decide to use another lens sometime. It's always nice to have the RF there, even if you never use it.

Note that I have never even seen either camera in real life before…
 
Depends.. the T does not have a self timer, and that's something I really miss on mine. If I'm not mistaken, the L does have one.

Unless you decide to get other lenses in later on that require an RF, the L should be fine.
 
The L is so inexpensive, you can buy one now,and sell it for what you paid if you do not like it.

I have a couple I have picked up with lenses and bits I wanted, and was surprised at how much I liked the external meter, and the speed at which I could use it with the 12, 15 or 25.

I passed one recently on to Zu with a 25, I think it makes a terrific fast stealthy street set up.

The price dropped until the new ones dried up, but they are still inexpensive, and even if you ding it up it should be always worth what you paid for it.

I have only seen a couple of T's for sale -- and while I can see its potential for some lenses, plus I have the finders from various cameras for it, when I see them now they seem to be priced higher than the value, at least to me.

I am thinking of pruning my camera stock, but if someone does not knock on the door looking for an L, I do not think they will be hard to sell at current street prices when I start to clean things out.

In that sense, it is a "free" camera-- buy it, try it, and you can always sell it for what you paid.

I spent my early years zone focusing-- it is fast and you should be able to get great results with a little practice, with the 25 and the detents it should be even easier.

Regards, John
 
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I don't care about the mount. For me, L is a plastic toy and T is much better built (though it's still plastic)
 
No, the L is more than a plastic toy, it is made for the CV wideangle lenses. No delusions of grandeur just a simple cheap film carrier for those lenses. No worry about damage or theft just get out and use it. Of course if kudos is what you are after, look elewhere....

The 25mm F4 is permanently on my L body, just set to f8, focus on the 3m clickstop and fire away, its so liberating not to have to worry about things - the perfect stealthy camera.

If you get more lenses I'd jump to the R as its cheaper to buy than a bunch of viewfinders - that's what I did when I got the 50/f1.5 and the 35/f2.5 and I don't regret it. But even though I've now got an R, the L definately stays.

Anyway whichever you go for - have fun!
 
I bought a T just before they ran out at a reasobale price. The main reason for getting it was not a wide angle but the accuracy of the rangefinder which helps when I am working on lenses.

However since then I have changed my mind somewhat. I had the Pentax 43mm which has it's own 43/50 finder and I had some finders for the very wide lenses and then the 75 heliar. It is a different workflow from using a combined RF/Viewfinder but very satisfying. The brightness and ease of use of the finders make them a pleasure to use.

If you are only ever going to have the 25 then the L will suffice. If not go for the T. It will also take M mount and opens up a different way of piture taking.

Kim
 
Bessa T - a 35 or a 50 will find it's way into your bag before you know it. The T can focus anything you can put on it.
 
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