Bessa R2A or R2M or Leica M3?

[anaanda]

Trying to decide..please help
I just purchased a leica M3 with a collapsable summicron 50 F2 on Ebay. I got it in decent condition..no pictures yet. But now i am thinking i want a light meter in the camera and that extra 1/2000 of a second? I have never shot without a light meter or aperature priority. The Leica is slow to operate but feels nice in the hand....

 

[rogue_designer]

I'd buy a hand held meter, or an accessory meter you can put in the hotshoe. You'll find you need the meter less and less as you get comfortable with your chosen film and lenses. FWIW, I rarely use 1/500 (an ND filter does wonders for bright day shooting if you want more open apertures).

The M3 is a great camera. No reason to swap out for something as trivial as an internal meter. 😉

 

[anaanda]

good advice..

 

[FrankS]

I'd love to help, but only you can decide what's best for you. Since you have the M3 right now, why no try using it for a while and see how it goes. If you really want an in-camera meter and AE, then sell it and buy something that offers those features.

 

[JoeFriday]

what Frank said.. I have an M3, and I occasionally think of trading it for a ZI.. but then I realize that it's very rare that I need AE, and I actually prefer working without an in-camera meter most of the time.. once you get comfortable with a handheld meter, you realize how dependent most people are on their in-camera meters

stick with the M3, and you'll become a better photographer.. you can always sell it later (and almost certainly not lose any money, even years from now)

 

[MCTuomey]

Frank said it well. Only you can decide with the benefit of your own experience. Everyone's different (thank god).

Fwiw, I owned an R2A and an M4 at the same time. Sold the Bessa since it was mostly sitting on the shelf, despite being a great camera in its own right. Shooting meterless for me is a pleasant thing.

 

[rover]

I actually prefer working without an in-camera meter most of the time.. once you get comfortable with a handheld meter, you realize how dependent most people are on their in-camera meters

stick with the M3, and you'll become a better photographer.. you can always sell it later (and almost certainly not lose any money, even years from now)

Nothing more to add, great advise from all.

Once you get the hang of it I agree with Brett, working without a built in meter is actually much faster than working with one.

 

[FrankS]

Yep, preset the exposure and prefocus if possible, and there is nothing faster or more responsive. Less is more.

 

[Kyle]

I agree with everyone else. Stick with the M3 for a while. Its a great camera, and there will be a learning curve for a shortwhile as you get used to shooting without a meter and such, but as others said, it will make you a better photographer. I'd only get rid of it if you want to shoot 35mm lenses without an accessory finder.

I bought an M3 (then later my M2) last year and I too was worried about shooting without a meter, but I'm glad I did it. I'm no longer dependent upon an in camera meter, and even when I shoot with my ZI I don't use the meter. I either judge the light myself, or use a handheld for really tricky situations.

 

[anaanda]

thanks for all the advice guys..I appreciate it...I'll develop my first roll with the M3 tonight..I went out and bought a hand held meter today...

Thanks again

 

[rover]

We done good. A meter is much less expensive than a camera.

 

[Rayt]

When I started photography the only camer I could afford was an Nikon F and a hand held meter. After a while I was so used to seeing the light I could estimate the exposure pretty accurately and often never used the meter unless the light was getting pretty low. I always shot TMX and processed and printed myself and never saw any exposure errors. Later I got into Nikon AF and when I tried using the F again I couldn't do it. The built in meter became such a crutch I couldn't shoot anything without a meter. If I shot slide film I would definately use a meter though 🙂

 

[ghost]

sounds like you were just out of practice. send me that awful metered nikon and all will soon be right.

 

[Rayt]

sounds like you were just out of practice. send me that awful metered nikon and all will soon be right.

Too late. That F100 was history. My latest acquisition was a Leica M1. It has no meter and no rangefinder. Kind of takes me way back to the stone age.

 

[wilt]

Great response; I use a handheld meter (the Calculight XP) with my M3. Works very good, and seldom do I feel the need for anything more automatic. Stick with the M3.

 

[CameraQuest]

I agree that the M3 is a great camera, and that you should take the time to get to know it well before selling it, or adding another camera. It will serve you well as a "standard" basis of comparison for all your future rangefinders.

Yet I have some problems with validity of the poll being taken. It very unlikely any of the people who voted (except me), have even seen the R2M, much less used it. So how can they make an informed vote for or against the R2M?


That being said, I really like the R2M / R3M a lot. It's my favorite of the Cosina Voigtlanders, as they establish a new higher level for CV. Very bright RF / VF, in my opinion the best metered manual meter display of any Leica M camera, noticably quieter than earlier Bessas, with much easier film loading and rewinding than the Leica M's. Except where I would need the quietest camera possible, or a longer EBL to handle a long or fast lens, I personally strongly prefer the convenience of the Voigtlander Bessa R2M / R3M as a shooter over the meterless Leica M's.

Stephen

 

[anaanda]

I personally strongly prefer the convenience of the Voigtlander Bessa R2M / R3M as a shooter over the meterless Leica M's.

Stephen

Thanks Steven
I am still seriously considering the R2M

 

[rogue_designer]

Thanks Steven
I am still seriously considering the R2M

Curious - isn't the R2M the one with the zeiss mount...? I think the R2A is the M mount.

 

[Kyle]

Curious - isn't the R2M the one with the zeiss mount...? I think the R2A is the M mount.

The R2M is an M mount camera. It is basically a mechanical version of the R2A (that is, not battery dependant). Also, the Zeiss Ikon is M mount (if that is the Zeiss mount you speak of). Cosina also made R2 models in Nikon and Contax mounts, but they're now discontinued I believe.

 

[kully]

I'm wondering,

Do the M3 or M2 need the leaders of films trimmed like the screw mounts do?