Bessa R...She is MINE!!!

MrRanger

MrRanger

Rangefinder Jockey
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Hi everyone!

Just got back from Baltimore today and finally had a chance to get to our local post office. Seems that just before I left they tried to deliver my Bessa but no one was home ( I was home, just didn't hear them! :bang: )

Anyway, after much anticipation, she is in my hands and I'm in love! I know it's not a Leica or a Contax or a Canon or a Nikon. but it is for me a jump up to a better class of rangefinder.

Here is a pic of her wearing an Industar I-61 that I "borrowed" from the Red Fed 3 (Ben, (sockeyed) is sending me an Industar 26 - thanks Ben! 😛 )

Mike 😀
 
backalley photo said:
the r is a great camera, small, light & has a good meter...
Click to expand...

...and IMHO much better looking (along with the R2) than the R2A and the R3a. That red light bugs me, but otherwise a great camera. BTW, Joe, GREAT looking avatar. 🙂
 
Congrats, Mike. I got mine last wek, Thanks Ray, and it was like an old shoe, comfortable easy fitting and felt like an old friend. The manual controls were where they needed to be and did not come with a 40 page manual that took a rocket scientist to decipher. Took me all of five minutes to aqcuaint myself. I have already run a short roll of BW and on a short roll of color
 
You guys make me so jealous.

Every Christmas, my sainted mother gives me $500, which due to my wife's sweet nature, is usually spent by me no later than September.
This year, the money is earmarked for a black Bessa R, matching 35 Color Skopar, plus case, from Cameraquest.
SINCE I KNOW this is what I want, and have been wanting for months, I have hinted to my sweet esposa that I should go ahead and get it, hell it's already August---- but she is holding me back due to my own damn fault.
There is a camera show that comes here every September, sometimes some pretty good deals. I made the mistake of having said, "I'm gonna wait until after the camera show, you never know what you might find there--- if I don't see anything I just have to have, then I'll order the Bessa."
I'm ready to go ahead and order the Bessa, but she's holding me to my word.
ONE MORE MONTH!
 
YEAH! She came in here while I was typing the previous message, and I let her read it. She said, "Well if you were gonna order it in September anyway, what difference does a month make? Go ahead and get it!"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"REALLY?"
Then I got the look like, you protest too much.
Ladies and gentlemen, if I must say so myself, I married well.
Here's a photo of my bonita esposa (taken by myself with my Leica Digilux 2), and I gotta go now, ordering awaits me...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Joe, yes indeed, what more could you want? Well maybe a Gordy strap like Fed_Bob suggested! Krasnaya, you've got a wonderful and very understanding mate - I don't think you'll regret investing in the Bessa.

I agree with you Byuphoto, I didn't even bother to open the manual. Simple, well-made and light! I'm a happy camper!! 😛 Now just got to expose some film with it!

Mike 😀
 
I've got a Bessa R. Brilliant viewfinder, fits the hand well, good looking (and its small size makes it rather unobtrusive) and one of the better metering systems. And, I might add, reliable. I've shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 rolls through it. Recently I've been shooting old Model A's for some friends who have them and found that using a Jupiter 8 on the Bessa R gave a softer, more nostalgic look to the cars.

Congrats, you'll love the Bessa R.

Ted
 
Hey, Krasnaya Zvedska, in Frank's thread it says you sweet wife is getting you a Leica. Here it's a Bessa. What's the straight dope?

Curiosity... and the cat! 🙂

BTW, congratulations! My 50th birthday is only 4 years away... but I think I splurged too soon! 😉
 
Congratulation!!
I think that R + industar61 is a good combination.
Now I don't have industar61 no more, but they gave me nice photos last year.
 
SolaresLarrave said:
Hey, Krasnaya Zvedska, in Frank's thread it says you sweet wife is getting you a Leica. Here it's a Bessa. What's the straight dope?

Curiosity... and the cat! 🙂

BTW, congratulations! My 50th birthday is only 4 years away... but I think I splurged too soon! 😉
Click to expand...

I got the Leica last year, officially for my 50th birthday. I was able to get it 6 months early, reason being we were having a baby in December, and I used that as an excuse to get the camera early. Not like I didn't have 30 other cameras I could have used for that event.
The Bessa is an early Christmas present from my mother, but she doesn't know it. I'm spending the money I will get from her in advance.
And with a straight face, I told my wife that the Bessa is the last one. It fills out my idea of what I wanted for a well-rounded kit--- the Digilux 2, an Olympus C5050 zoom, a Nikon N75 (that was Father's Day), and now the Bessa R.
Two caveats to the "this is the last one" promise:
1) "Nickel-and-dime" collectible stuff not included
2) Someday there will have to be upgrades

So the door is still left open for the future.
 
Forgot to ask: Anyone have an opinion either way about Cameraquest or Photovillage.com? I've known about Cameraquest for a while now, of course since they are a sponsor here I intended to buy from them. But it appears they want $425 for black body/black 35 vs. Photovillage asking $399. Any reason to stay away from Photovillage?
I hope I can get some opinions soon, I want to order this today.
TIA,
KZ
 
In case you want... purchase one item from Rich Pinto in Photovillage, and another from Steve Gandy.

Rich Pinto is a very friendly fellow. Friendlier than Gandy, at least in e-mail courtesy...

And, of course, we'll help you finagle some more loopholes to the "This is the last" plea! 🙂
 
There is definitely a reason why you are supposed to have kids when you are young. Fortunately, my wife is only 35, so she's not yet "over the hill".
I really think most of the problem is mental, though. The thought goes through my head, "I should be thinking of retiring, kicking back, and here I am chasing around this little baby diva-in-a-diaper".
It's also being faced with a future in which you're dealing with a teenager when you're in your late 60's. What a frightening prospect.
I had just gotten my 21 year old daughter (from a previous marriage) out of the house (finally) when my wife said now it's time for us to have one.
What ever you say, mama.
I mean, what are you gonna do? Only one thing: Cooperate, and enjoy it.
 
you have my admiration and sympathy!

i too had a much younger wife and found i could not keep up.
she was still discovering things that i had long ago forgotten etc.

maybe my thinking was a bit too 'old' also...

anyway, all the best and enjoy, there is nothing like a diva in diapers.

joe
 
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