Bessa R Review

Bessa R Review

  • *

    Votes: 5 1.5%

  • **

    Votes: 6 1.8%

  • ***

    Votes: 60 17.8%

  • ****

    Votes: 155 45.9%

  • *****

    Votes: 112 33.1%
  • Total voters
    338
I've used the Bessa R for two weeks now and am highly impressed. Using it with the J-8, Industar-50, J-9 and the 35mm Skopar C, is awesome!
I own more expensive SLR's and lenses, but the R and the CV 35mm blow me away. :D
 
Richard - I did not use a filter on my test roll. The chromogenic B&W film was not a good choice for that particular scene. It was shady and the trees were thick and heavy with new leaves which were a very light, bright green. It was an overcast day and the lighting did not lend itself to creating contrast. I have to give the Bessa meter credit for doing a good job in a semi-challenging situation.

The pic below shows some of the same trees, shot from a different angle, unshaded, in color. Taken with my FED-2 & J8 at about f/8 & 1/100.

Canonman - how is that I-50? I've heard that lens is a good performer. Does the slow-ish speed cause you to miss any shots in available light? I'd like to try an I-50 alongside my I-26M and J8.
 
Chris,
It's the Industar-50 I have is amazing for it's size and price. Here's a shot taken on an overcast day at the Deshutz River, Tumwater, WA.
;)
 
cbass,
I too have an I-50 and am favorably impressed by it. I could not find a photo taken with it this morning but I will look later. The oof area is quite nice and stopped down it is almost Jupiter 8 like. I just wish that it would collapse into the Bessa R I have. Now that would be a small package!
 
Hmmm. What about the Helios 103? I borrowed a Kiev once (before I bought one) and that was the lens attached. I thought it was a pretty good lens. Any others with one?

Ted
 
It is an interesting lens, but AFAIK, it's a Kiev mount only. Gotta admit that I like the Jupiter/Sonnar 50/2 a bit more. I just wish the Industars had been made in Kiev as well.

William
 
William: Didn't know that it was Kiev mount only What I've got on my Kiev 4AM at present is a Jupiter 8, which seems to do a good job.

Just affixed a Gordy's wrist strap that came in the mail today to my Bessa R. Small, non-SLR digital cameras usually come with only a wrist strap, so maybe I can be clandestine. At middle distance the Bessa R looks like any other black point & shoot. However, when one gets closer...
 
Bessa R two weeks on...

Bessa R two weeks on...

I finally had a chance to shoot some color film in my new Bessa R during a Memorial Day trip to Chatham, MA. Chatham is a nice town for picture-taking, if only I could find the "right" focal length :confused: . 35 seems to wide and 50 seems to narrow. I just gotta keep shooting and I'll find my happy place one day.

I've attached two samples below and I'll try to put a few more in my gallery in case anyone is interested in seeing the results. Aside from the boring subjects the photos were accurately exposed and the color reproduction was good. I used Fuji Superia 200 film for these. Overall I am happy. The CV 35/2.5 is plenty sharp but the contrast seems lower and the colors lack "pop" when compared to the Ukranian LTM lenses that I'm more familiar with. Still, I'm not complaining...I can spin my FSU lenses on the Bessa R body any old time!

After a few weeks of use I am still very pleased with the Bessa R. It's fun and easy to use and has a great RF/VF. It is quickly becoming one of my "go-to" cameras, along with my Minolta XG-9 and my Oly XA2.

Bessa R likes: super VF/RF, light weight & small size, fast in use, switchable framelines, accurate meter.

Bessa R gripes: strap lug placement (seems to be a common complaint), back door is slippery, self-timer feels very cheap.

I can heartily reccommend the Bessa R. It's fun to use and has pumped new life into my shooting. If you have a large collection of LTM lenses, buy an R body and you won't regret it. If you're like me and have only a few LTM lenses, the R kit with the 35/2.5 makes sense.
 
Chris, if the 35mm feels too wide and the 50mm seems to constricting, well, the obvious solution is the 40mm f:1.4 CV Nokton! At $349 it's not exactly a steal, but you might find that, if it's "just right" for you, you could sell the other two and not be out a dime. Plus it's way fast, you could almost take pictures at night without a tripod. My Super Takumar 50/1.4 has surprised me more than once in that regard.

My dos centavos
 
The lovely R gets a 5 from me. It was cheap when I got it, and it's light enough that it goes everywhere with me. I've settled into the 35mm length nicely so I haven't felt the need to buy any new lenses.

The only thing tempting me away from it is a Zorki... but that's another story!
 
I give the Bessa R a 2 ;)

that is to say, I bought 2 of them :D the only thing I would change is the lens mount BUT I did not realize the R2 was the one I REALLY wanted. I could not justify the R2 as the second body since I would spend more time removing the adapters to switch back and forth :(

Next week I plan on doing a film comparison same shot same lens different B&W film

Kodak C41 B&W V. Arista EDU ULTRA B&W

Arista EDU ULTRA B&W V. Arista II
 
I, 2, have a similar problem. I lust after the gray R2a, but that again is another different lens systems and/or adaptors, and let me see how many different systems do I need: ltm, 42mm, MD, FD, P6, ? so do I really need another lens system. Besides, I am happy with the R.
 
I have had my black Bessa R since late spring 2005 and I truly like it. In fact, it's the only camera that I have used since I got it.

I did have some concerns about the "plastic issues" but find that this camera is well built, very "handsome looking" in a classical way and just plain 'feels right" in my hands.

I love the CV 35/2.5 lens, but I did get a black J8 that I have used very little.

The only minor issue is film re-wind. I find you have to do it slowly to prevent the handle from slipping out of the groove on the rewind mechanism.

I gave this camera a solid 5 on the poll.

Regards to all,

Bill K.
 
The Bessa-R is a-ok. It's no slouch, great film loading. There's just...something...missing. For the price, it's worth every penny. It's a mechanical camera with a top speed of 1/2000 sec., and that is a super great deal for me. Too noisy for my taste, so it's full of compromises for me. But I like it, otherwise I wouldn't have one.

When a light lens is mounted on it, it's fine. I do need a little bit more heft on it, though. I should either get a case or a grip for it. I do wish it had an on/off button/switch for the light meter, but since that's not anybody's complaint, I suppose that'd be very ill-received (I guess that would depend on how they'd design the button/switch).

The Bessa-R is very good value for the money.
 
This review was written in January of 2004 and has to be one of the most informative pieces of information about the Bessa R available. It just keeps coming up and offering more for all who look.
 
I have not had any chance to actually use a Bessa R, but I did have, at the April 8 gathering in Madison, the chance to "fondle" Gabriel's R. This was a much more substantial camera than I had been lead to believe and the VF was a delight. Combining this with my real experiance with the 35/2.5 Skopar in SC mount, I am confident that I can buy any C-V product and be very satisfied with the cost/benifit ratio.

William
 
I sold my Leica IIIf and bought a second Bessa R body. With money left over. When I realized I hadn't shot a photo with the Leica for the past six months I knew it was time to put her up for adoption. With the Bessa body and the Leica lenses I have the best of both worlds. Plus, Gandy was running a special.
 
Gabriel: Get the side mount, makes a huge difference.

Ted
 
Recent photos

Recent photos

My wife and I retuned from a trip to Mesa Verde, the cliff dwellings in S.W. Colorado. I took 4 cameras, including the Bessa R and Color Skopar and J8. I use a Gordy wrist strap so the way it hangs is not a problem. Here is a couple of shots of the ruins.

p.s. when you click on the photos place your cursor on the lower right and click again to enlarge to get the details.
 

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