Bessa R Review

[mike goldberg]

My beautiful Bessa R+side grip is here 😀

I'm going to be really careful about stopping film advance at frame number 33 or 34, so as NOT to get that "mid stroke freeze-up" at the end of the roll [usually released via the rewind button].

As for the flash shoe, I would not put anything in there heavier than a small, dedicated finder if need be. The word seems to be: Be gentle in sliding accessories in and out of the flash shoe. The screws for the RF alignment adjustment are right underneath the shoe.

Cheers, mike

 

[Epimetheus]

I have been shooting 37 exposures on a 36 exposure roll on my bessa-r without any problems. I'm just careful advansing the film on those last two frames.

Only improvement I can think of is that the light meter could shut off when set to bulb(or some other sign on meter). I usually adjust shutter speed without looking the adjust knob and it has couple of times ended up on bulb accidentally.

 

[mike goldberg]

One week later, and the word is "love." After running a few rolls through the R,
I can add.. all the good things said in over 120 posts above are true.

The side grip is a great accessory for this camera; it just belongs there. It's well made, fits perfectly with one screw into the tripod thread, and the camera's rear door can be opened without removing the side grip.

The variety of lenses available for the screwmount R is mind blowing. Mine [used] came with an ancient J8 which is quite good. Another modified J8 is
on the way. The CV 75/2.5 just arrived. And, I bought an extra M Adapter for use of screwmount lenses with the Bessa T or Leica M2.

Further, the R's finder window is bright and clear, and the RF patch is great.

There are a few quirks, and one is: The meter tends to slight overexposure. This is easily compensated for, by going slightly higher on the ISO setting. In summary, I love the R [and the T as well]. I think it was Ted White who said, the R is one of the best buys in RF cameras today. And it is... even if newer models have more bells & whistles... even if Cosina's current and new models are mostly M-mount.

The Bessa R, introduced only 7 years ago, is already a classic.
Cheers,
mike 🙂

 

[tedwhite]

Mike:

Great news about your camera. Bit of advice: Instead of going higher on the ISO setting, simply point the camera down slightly, get that meter reading, set the camera accordingly, then shoot away. The TTL meter apparently is pointed slightly higher than your subject (As in: sky).

I hope I got that right.

Ted

 

[ibcrewin]

bessa r review

bessa r review

Okay here's my take on this Camera..

I was going to take it to Mexico but I didn't get it in time. That was my bad.

Nomenclature: The camera feels pretty good in my hands. People say it's plasticy but compared to most cameras this still feels like a tank. I can only imagine how heavy some other RFs are. The camera does hang funny on the neck strap but it doesn't bother me too much. The Brown leather case from Stephen is nicer than I thought it was going be.

Picture making: This is technically my second rangefinder, but compared to the Canonet 28, I'd like to say this is my first real one. (not knocking you canonet users). The viewfinder is nice and bright, and the shutter has a nice snap to it.
When I got it I stuffed what ever film I had and took some really crappy pictures. Here's a couple shot with bw400cn from a couple days ago. (note: I am really bad at scanning with the 8600f).

and

 

[tedwhite]

Yeah, you can tell it's bw400cn from the slight color cast. I don't know what lens you've got, but don't sell it. Very good tonal range. Enjoy...

 

[ibcrewin]

Thanks Ted. It's the 35mm color skopar classic.

I don't think the scans do it justice either. The prints came out better imho. I have a roll of e6 in there now. I put more thought into that roll hopefully i'll get something better to share there.

 

[BJ Bignell]

A question for some of you: Why are you so careful about avoiding the mid-stroke jam when arriving at the end of a roll?

I have two Rs, and have never had a problem with this. Yes, the lever jams mid-stroke, but this doesn't prevent me from rewinding the film, nor does it make rewinding any more difficult as far as I can tell. I get 38 shots from a 36 every time, and have never had any problems with film or with the camera.

I suppose if you're a rapid winder or if you have a strong thumb, maybe you could do some damage, but I've never seen this "feature" as something to avoid. Is there something I'm missing?

 

[tedwhite]

What I've learned from others:

If it jams in mid-stroke, push in the rewind button, then complete the stroke, and it will rewind easily.

 

[thefsb]

at $450 with 25mm lens and 25mm viewfinder new with warantee the camera is a steal. it's super easy to use, great looking and gives me pride of ownership. is there a better value new camera out there?

 

[robin a]

at $450 with 25mm lens and 25mm viewfinder new with warantee the camera is a steal. it's super easy to use, great looking and gives me pride of ownership. is there a better value new camera out there?

NO !!!!!.........Robin

 

[Richard Black]

BJ,
I agree with you and I don't have the problems mentioned earlier. If the advance stops mid-stroke, I hit the release button and begin to rewind. After that I complete the advance and trip the shutter. I have shot 40 or so rolls and have had this happen on occasion and suffered no issues. I'm not fast on the advance though and that might help.

 

[Ming The Merciless]

I just got the results back from my Bessa R w/ the Jupiter 8 lens and was very delighted. I wasn't sure I was focussing properly since I'd never used a rangefinder befor but everything was in focuss.

 

[CanDocGuy]

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!

 

[tedwhite]

I have been recently privy to a Leica M6. With the Skopar 35/2.5 on it and also on the Bessa R, there is absolutely no difference in image quality. To be expected, of course. As for the cameras, both seem to have equally bright and easy to use viewfinders. The M6 is heavier and feels somewhat more solid, and the shutter release sound is, as some have described it, a relligious experience.

Aside from that, I'll take the Bessa R. I like the meter read out better and the film loading is so much easier. And, as others have said, the price is right. So the shutter release is louder, no question. But all RF cameras make less noise than SLR cameras. If you want noise, try Bronicas, Hasselblads, and the Kowa 6. You fire those things, birds bolt from trees a block away, babies wake crying from the house across the street, someone calls the police reporting gunshots, etc.

I could beat this Bessa into the ground, literally wear it out, and buy two more without coming close to the price of a new M7 body.

I guess you could say that I like my Bessa R.

 

[robin a]

Go Ted Go ! I love mine also.........Robin

 

[Spyderman]

It's almost a year now since I bought my first Bessa R. I bought it used, and it served me well.

But IMO the R is just too plastic. I was afraid I might break it. Esecially the film loading door. I also didn't like that the paint (black) wears off pretty easily - especially around the eyepiece where the camera touches your head. Other than that it's a great camera. As capable as any other. And the VF is just perfect - bright and big. Though the RF patch can disappear if you don't position your eye in the centre of the eyepiece.

Now I have Bessa R2. Basically the same camera, but with magnesium body (also the back door!) and M-mount. The VF is the same. M mount permits use of either LTM or M mount lenses and quick lens changing - so this is a big plus. The metering is also slightly different - similar to all later Bessas: it's weighted towards bottom left part of the frame - thus is gives more importance to the ground and less to the sky even when you photograph a portrait orientation picture...
And overall I like the R2 more because I'm less afraid of breaking it...

 

[tedwhite]

The RF patch disappears for the same reason on Leicas also.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

Review from an Hexar RF owner

Review from an Hexar RF owner

Last year, I bought my Hexar RF and the 50 and 90 mm M-Hexanons, which I am most satisfied with. But I always missed some wide-angle lenses. So, some weeks ago, I ordered from the head bartender the 25/4.0 and the 35/2.5 with M-adapter. In order to cut shipping cost per item, I went for the Bessa R kit with the intention to sell the body on the bay. While the parcel was on it's way across the Atlantic, I found both the 28/2.8 and 35/2.0 M-Hexanons @ good rates and obviously couldn't resist - that's just my luck...

When the kit arrived, I was positively surprised about the built quality of the Bessa R. From what I was reading, I expected a flimsy, plasticky camera. The Bessa R is lightweight, but does in no way feel flimsy; actually, it is a pleasure to carry around all day. The viewfinder is as good as my Hexar's and certainly much better than on any compact rangefinder or FSU camera I looked through. And yes, I cleaned the finders of my Revue 400 SE and my Moskva 5.

When I got the test film back, I was very pleased with the results of both the 35/2.5 and 25/4.0. Wide open or stopped down, both lenses are sharp. Period.
The 25/4.0 is very prone to flare, if the sun is just outside the frame. As long as the sun is within the frame, it's quite ok - sample pics to follow.

Well, I decided to not put the Bessa R on the bay, but keep it as a nice, lightweight travel kit for the times and areas when and where I do not want to carry the Hexar RF.
My advice is: Get the Bessa R as long as it's still available. You shouldn't be disappointed.

Best regards,
Uwe


Bessa R with Skopar 35/2.5 stopped down:

Bessa R with Skopar 35/2.5 wide open:

 

[Uwe_Nds]

25/4.0 into the sum

25/4.0 into the sum

Here's some pictures taken with the 25/4.0 checking for flare:

The 25/4.0 in my opinion deals quite well with lightsources inside the frame:

However, with the sun slightly outside the frame, there's a lot of flare; also mind your finger so that it does not appear in the bottom of the frame :bang:. That's something I still have to get used to when using wideangles: