Bessa R Review

Bessa R Review

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    Votes: 5 1.5%

  • **

    Votes: 6 1.8%

  • ***

    Votes: 60 17.8%

  • ****

    Votes: 155 45.9%

  • *****

    Votes: 112 33.1%
  • Total voters
    338
That's a classy pub. I wish we had places like it in the US. (Maybe we do - I just don't know where they are).
 
anyone else feel the need to buy a backup bessa r for your current one?
i have this nagging thought that one day, current discontinued stock is going to be sold out and i won't be able to replace the humble camera that could!
 
Apropos of your question, atelier7, there's a guy selling an M4-2 in Classifieds because, according to what he wrote, since he got a Bessa R he hasn't been using the Leica much, and is selling it so he can buy another Bessa R before they go out of production.

I'm looking to buy another, myself. I'm also coveting my friend's R3A, but of course then we're talking relatively serious money.
 
CanDocGuy said:
I have had mine for about three months now. It is the first rangefinder I have ever owned, and am loving shooting and processing film again, although it took some practice to get used to the metal film reels again!

In addition to freelance work I do for papers, (all digital) I have three long term doc projects on the go, and I am only using the Bessa on those projects. It is great coming home after a day of shooting with 3-4 rolls of film, that have "good" shots on them, as apposed to downloading 200-300 images from my digital SLRS that I was doing before.

As far as value, I dont thing anything can come close to touching it. I bought mine second hand, and spent $350 CDN for the camera and the skopar 35. I will keep this thing for ever, and it will be the first camera my kids will use if they ever show an interest.

IMO a rangefinder is documentary photographer's tool. I love the feel, the sound. and the pure simplicity of them.

Someone in this thread mentioned using the brown half case, I do too. It reduces the sound of the shutter a little bit, plus I like the feel of it.

I have always wanted a Leica, but I just dont think I can justify the cost. If this thing goes in the drink, it's not the end of the world. I wouldnt be happy, but at least the fishee's wont be looking at a $3000 camera and lens!

I am also impressed with the quality out of that lens! The contrast and sharpness is incredible.

Without a doubt, one of the best little camera's to come along in a long time, and it is great to see the interest in film and RF's again, dare I say film is becoming in-vogue again?

RF's rule!
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I lke the way this thread keeps coming back for more!

Mark - nice work on your website, especially the family farming and native day series.
 
anyone else feel the need to buy a backup bessa r for your current one?
i have this nagging thought that one day, current discontinued stock is going to be sold out and i won't be able to replace the humble camera that could!


-Yes, I felt that way, so I bought a second one.
 
Nokton48 said:
anyone else feel the need to buy a backup bessa r for your current one?
i have this nagging thought that one day, current discontinued stock is going to be sold out and i won't be able to replace the humble camera that could!


-Yes, I felt that way, so I bought a second one.
Click to expand...

I did the same thing.
 
Very comforting words especially if you have a Bessa R coming and you browse through your M39 (=FSU)lenses anxiously!
Makes me really eager to try it out as soon as it comes!
 
When my Bessa R went in for repair recently I felt kinda lost for the week and a half it took to get it back. Luckily I found a local repair guy in Providence.
 
I just received my R today, and used to it to document a friend's birthday, my initial impressions:
-Size, technically, it is longer, and taller than my Nikon FG, and almost the same depth (including lens), but it just seems smaller.
-Weight, It is heavier than I expected it to be, from people's comments, but, seriously, how heavy are your cameras if this seems too light? This is just about the perfect heft for me.
-Ergonomics/build, I can grip it very well with my Brown leather half-case. It feels very nice, and when brought up to my eye, the viewfinder is huge, with nice, bright framelines. The frameline selector on top is very smart, and easy to use, and the right side controls are also nice, though the shutter speed dial is a tad stiff. The only thing I would change would be to make a larger rangefinder patch.
-Noise, definately quiter than the mirror slap on my FG, but not really quiter than my N80, just a different sound, not loud.

So far, I love it!
 
Hi, I also joined the Bessa-R fanclub recently. Got it at a good price, used, but almost as new, bundled with a Ultron 35/1.7.
The same day, I got a Jupiter-8 from a local collector, in almost excellent condition.



I got into rangefinder world a few months ago, as I bought a FED-2 with Industar-26M just out of curiosity. I didn't really expect to get one single decent picture out of it, but found the pictures that came out of this camera, especially the bokeh, simply amazing! I have several decent prime lenses for my Pentax SLRs but never seen a bokeh like that! So I decided I need a more modern and smooth running camera body, with TTL metering and without the FED-2 quirks, for those nice russian lenses.

I shot one test roll yet and I think that I like the Bessa-R a lot. The film advance and rewind is not quite as smooth as on my mechanical Pentax SLRs from the 70's. But I think I can live with that. Can't wait to scan the first negatives! :-D
 
Patrick: Hard to beat those Pentax Spotmatics for smooth advance and rewind.

I have three bodies and they all are equal in the smooth department. I was looking at your website. What camera and lens are you using for the wide angle photographs? (Very nice, by the way).
 
tedwhite said:
Patrick: Hard to beat those Pentax Spotmatics for smooth advance and rewind.

I have three bodies and they all are equal in the smooth department. I was looking at your website. What camera and lens are you using for the wide angle photographs? (Very nice, by the way).
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Thank you Ted,
I used a KX and a smc-M 28/2.8 for the most recent wide angle pix. I have no Spotmatic but I heard that KX and MX are essentially Spotmatics with a bayonet mount.
 
"...essentially Spotmatics with a bayonet mount."

Yes, that's right. The sole drawback to these cameras is the lack of lens variety that the M42 screwmount bodies have.
 
tedwhite said:
"...essentially Spotmatics with a bayonet mount."

Yes, that's right. The sole drawback to these cameras is the lack of lens variety that the M42 screwmount bodies have.
Click to expand...

Ted,

Not quite...

When the K-series came out there were three models: K2, KX and KM; the K2 was with aperture-priority exposure automation, the KM was really a Spotmatic F in K mount, and the KX is more or less like the KM but with full-information viewfinder. The KX and KM were killed off early, and the K2 was joined by the K2 DMD, as the M-series came out. The K1000 was meant to be a stop-gap model but surprised everyone by outlasting them all.

Pentax was well aware of the problem with establishing the K-mount so it was designed to take an adapter to accept M42 lenses, provided that the lenses can be switched to manual diaphragm. The adapter sits inside the body's bayonet mount so cannot be taken out by pressing the lens release button, which is unlike that for the Praktica B-series, and for that matter, the adapter issued by Leica when they switched from screw mount to bayonet.
 
Thanks for the information. As for the adapter, is it like the one I have for my istDS that comes with a little tool?
 
tedwhite said:
Thanks for the information. As for the adapter, is it like the one I have for my istDS that comes with a little tool?
Click to expand...
Should be the same one. There are different types of M42/PK adapters, BTW, one that completely "hides" inside the camera bayonet, and the cheaper ones with a "collar" that alter the registration depth, preventing the lens from focusing to infinity.
 
I have the actual Pentax-made adapter, and it "hides," so I can use all my Super Takumar M42 glass. My favorite, using the adapter, is the 300/4.0 as it becomes a 450 on my DSLR. Great for bird photography.

Ted
 
Bessa L To R4

Bessa L To R4

I started using the Voigtlander system with the Bessa L, went on to the T and now own a R4A.The journey began with the L as a second body to my Leica lenses. I then purchased the Bessa T because of the focusing and the exterior meter. I found that feature very useful for off the hip shooting with my 21 mm.I then sold my 21mm finder , T body and bought the R4A because of the interior 21mm frame lines. I truly like and enjoy using my Voigtlander but the one peeve I do have is the loud shutter, other than that it FANTASTICO.Italo C.
 
Italo C.

I agree. We could all do without the voz alto shutter.

Ted
 
main reason I bought a Bessa R was the curiosity for a very wide angle lens, which was the VC 15 mm. Later I changed it for the 12mm. Meantime I realized it is a camera not too big, not to heavy, I could bring with me almost always. For this reason I bought the 35 mm (1,7) VC and took camera with me during business trips (withou having my boss thinking I was on holidays!)
next step was to buy a closer lens and bought the 75mm/2,5 VC (i think now it had been better to buy a 50mm, more versatile). To finish the story, now a few years later the Bessa R is the most used of my cameras (and now I do not travel so much for business!). For me only one complain: changing lens, sometimes take too much time ! for sure an M mount would be quicker. May be in futur an R2 M, with a 50mm, maybe...
I like the bessa ...
rob
 
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