Bessa R2c or R2s?

[rogerkeith]

Hello,
according to your opinion which of the two cameras it 's the best as far as the availability of lenses?

And which types of lenses (russian and srl with adapter ring) can be mounted?

Thanks.
Nicola

 

[ch1]

Hello,
according to your opinion which of the two cameras it 's the best as far as the availability of lenses?

And which types of lenses (russian and srl with adapter ring) can be mounted?

Thanks.
Nicola

Nikkor lenses for the R2S are readily available on eBay. I don't see as many for Contax (note: some of the russian lenses will NOT fit the Contax).

Almost all of your questions are answered here:

http://www.cameraquest.com/

 

[JoeFriday]

I had the exact opposite impression.. Contax lenses were more readily available.. I guess that's because I always looked for Contax and never Nikkor

Nicola, if you don't have lenses already, why are you looking at buying a camera body with such limited compatibility?

 

[Meleica]

the common nikon lenses are plentiful and dropping in price ( at least on ebay ). The 35/2.5 has become cheap and is very good....ditto the 50/1.4 and 50/2....and if you are patient, you can find good deals on the 85 and 105 lenses.... I think Contax lenses are harder to find in top condition and are usually more $$ than the nikkors...

Nikon RF Lens Info & Price Guide

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/nik.htm



Contax RF Lens Info & Price Guide

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/zc.htm

 

[CameraQuest]

the wider than 50's are interchangeable on both bodies, so both are even on that score, whether it be classic NRF lenses, Kiev lenses, or modern Voigtlander SC 21/25/28/35 lenses, or the Voigt SL 12 or 15 with the proper adapter. Most Ruskie 35's however won't mount. SOFAIK, No Ruskie 35 will meter properly on the R2C / R2S due to to a blocked meter cell.

Classic Nikon RF lenses are much more plentiful than post war Zeiss, but this is offset by the pre-war Zeiss Jena lenses, and the post war East German Jena and Russian Kiev lenses.

The modern Voigtlander S 50/3.5, 50/2.5, 50/1.5, and 85/3.5 only focus properly with the Nikon mount bodies, or the Bessa R2S -- not the classic Contax mount Contax or Kiev bodies.

The Bessa R2C body is $599, the R2S body is $499, while the R2S is $749 with the superb Voigtlander 50/3.5
Heliar -- rated by PopPhoto as the sharpest 35mm format lens they ever tested.

To me, the R2S NHS set at $749 is a better deal, with the added benefit of modern 50 and 85 lenses if you so desire them. see info at http://cameraquest.com/voigt_r2s_r2c.htm

Stephen

 

[rogerkeith]

Many thanks!

 

[wyk_penguin]

I hope I am not too late.

Forget the R2S/R2C stuff and get one in M mount.

There is a seller based in Hong Kong who sells adapters that will let you mount Contax lenses on M mount cameras (Checked with the seller. He only has Contax, sorry Nikonians) with full RF coupling. So you get the best of both worlds. The price of the adapter is just a bit more than the price difference between an R2S and R2A (at least for where I live; I don't know why the R2S/R2C sells for more $).

No connection with the seller. Search "Leica Contax adapter" at you-know-where and you will see him.

 

[wyk_penguin]

You're right, I'm wrong. Corrected the post already.

 

[rogerkeith]

I hope I am not too late.

Forget the R2S/R2C stuff and get one in M mount.

There is a seller based in Hong Kong who sells adapters that will let you mount Contax lenses on M mount cameras (Checked with the seller. He only has Contax, sorry Nikonians) with full RF coupling. So you get the best of both worlds. The price of the adapter is just a bit more than the price difference between an R2S and R2A (at least for where I live; I don't know why the R2S/R2C sells for more $).

No connection with the seller. Search "Leica Contax adapter" at you-know-where and you will see him.

Very very interesting!
Thanks!

 

[rogerkeith]

I have tried the leica contax adapter but it cost too much.
About 189 euro or also 239 euro.
It's too high for my opinion.

 

[laverda3c]

If you want to use Contax lenes wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a good user Contax II[a]/III[a] rather buy a contax to m mount adapter?

More rangefinders is the best solution.

Mark -%)

 

[ch1]

If you want to use Contax lenes wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a good user Contax II[a]/III[a] rather buy a contax to m mount adapter?

More rangefinders is the best solution.

Mark -%)

The "contax to m mount" adapter is so you can put contax lenses on M-mount cameras (e.g. Leica, new ZI etc.).

So if you are like me and have a contax normal and wide nikkors (and nikon-compatible VC) lenses - this seems to be an economical way to use them on m-mount cameras.

 

[laverda3c]

The "contax to m mount" adapter is so you can put contax lenses on M-mount cameras (e.g. Leica, new ZI etc.).

So if you are like me and have a contax normal and wide nikkors (and nikon-compatible VC) lenses - this seems to be an economical way to use them on m-mount cameras.

<sarcasim on>
Who would have thought that a "contax to m mount" adapter was so that you could mount an contax lens onto a leica m-mount camera?
<sarcasim off>

The whole point of my reply was to point out that if you have a contax lens that it would be cheaper to buy a contax body to use it on rather than buying the adapter.

Cheers,

Mark -%)

 

[wyk_penguin]

Very right you are. Old Contaxes/Contaxs go cheap.
However, you would have lost the benifit of parallax corrected brightlines and a brighter RF patch (though the early Contaxes would have given you more precision). Not to mention AE and TTL which you could get on some modern M-mount camera

 

[rogerkeith]

With that money I can buy a Bessa T or two bessa L.
The better choice for me?
R2s or r2c body and r2a body!
:°°D

 

[Will]

I hope I am not too late.

Forget the R2S/R2C stuff and get one in M mount.

There is a seller based in Hong Kong who sells adapters that will let you mount Contax lenses on M mount cameras (Checked with the seller. He only has Contax, sorry Nikonians) with full RF coupling. So you get the best of both worlds. The price of the adapter is just a bit more than the price difference between an R2S and R2A (at least for where I live; I don't know why the R2S/R2C sells for more $).

No connection with the seller. Search "Leica Contax adapter" at you-know-where and you will see him.

If you are talking about Rudy, he quoted a nikon to M job for me, but I lost the bid on the dead S2 a month ago.

 

[rogerkeith]

And Russian lenses on a R2C or R2S?
It's possible mount it?

 

[dexdog]

Most Russian lenses for the Kiev would work well in the R2C, except for the 35mm Jupiter-12. The rear element of this lens extends too far back to allow it to mount on the R2C. Other lenses built for the Kiev, such as the 85/2 Jupiter-9, the 135/4 Jupiter-11 and 50mm Jupiter-8 will all work just fine. Don't know about the J-11, but the J-9 and J-8 are thought by many to offer good performance. I used to own a J-9, and could not see the differences in photos between the J-9 and the Zeiss-Opton 85/2 Sonnar.

Russian lenses would not focus effecttively in the R2S because of the differences in the Nikon and Kiev lens helicals.

 

[varjag]

Just to add that from Kiev mount Jupiter lineup I have, J-11 is perhaps the best performer.

 

[tron]

Pardon me for spoiling the fun.

I picked up this thread when I was looking for information about the R2S/C.

The fact is, I feel the opinions below are simply romanticizing the old nikon and contax lenses. I have experience with old nikkor and contax lenses. I now own a Contax G system and also have a R2 and a few top quality M-mount Voigtlander lenses, such as the 35/1.2 and the 50 Heliar. They are of top notch quality and in fact producing image quality no inferior to Leica lenses in the same price range.

I do not see why any person should look elsewhere if they were to buy lenses on these mounts.