Bessa R3A and Nokton 40 f/1.4 SC or MC?

Bobar57

Bobar57

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Hello
I'm new to rangefinders and quite a beginner too in photography,but I want to purchase in the next few months a Bessa R3A and a Nokton 40 f/1.4.Now,I have some questions:
-I will be using mostly B&W film and I like sharpness and contrast.Which version will be more adequate for this,the SC or the MC?
-How has been this lens rated regarding bokeh and vignetting?
-I use glasses(astigmatism w/some hyper..I don't remember:mad:).It will be useful to know the actual distance between the eye and the end of the viewfinder-the whole pathway-in order to obtain the right diopter if I tell my optometrist.
-Stephen,do you offer the diopters too?How much they cost?

Thanks in advance for your answers,

Robert
 
Bobar57 said:
Hello
I'm new to rangefinders and quite a beginner too in photography,but I want to purchase in the next few months a Bessa R3A and a Nokton 40 f/1.4.Now,I have some questions:
-I will be using mostly B&W film and I like sharpness and contrast.Which version will be more adequate for this,the SC or the MC?
-How has been this lens rated regarding bokeh and vignetting?
-I use glasses(astigmatism w/some hyper..I don't remember:mad:).It will be useful to know the actual distance between the eye and the end of the viewfinder-the whole pathway-in order to obtain the right diopter if I tell my optometrist.
-Stephen,do you offer the diopters too?How much they cost?

Thanks in advance for your answers,

Robert
Click to expand...

I must add that I'll use some color film too,but mostly B&W and that my preferred subjects are street photo and candid portraits of unsuspected models-common folks,specially old people with a great expressions and texture in their faces-I'm after sharpness and contrast,but if I have to chose will be sharpness my favorite.

Thanks,

Robert
 
The R3A and 40/1.4 was the first RF I bought after using Nikon SLR's for years.
I've since replaced it with an M6 and CV 35/1.4 and bought an R4A with a range of CV WA lenses. The R3A and 40/1.4 is now may "car camera". It's a good general purpose setup for when I need to grab a shot and don't have my main kit with me.
A couple of things;
I'm sure CQ sell the diopter lenses for the viewfinders but they're also the same as the Nikon ones. I got a couple to try out to make my selection. The local CV agent took the unwanted ones back.
I haven't noticed any vignetting with the Nokton.
Can't comment on the SC vs MC thing. Mine is multi coated. There might be a difference in "sharpness" but the choice of film might make a bigger difference and the SC will be more prone to flare.

It would help if you told us a bit about your shooting technique. Do you shoot from afar or closeup? Short Tele or Wide Angle? You need to bear in mind that the R3 doesn't have framelines for anything wider than 40mm. If you wanted to use wider lenses you'd have to use an external viewfinder. There's no way you could see the field of view of a 35mm lens wearing glasses with the R3 viewfinder - you might even have a problem seeing the 40mm frames. You should see if you can handle one first. The R2 Bessa might be a better choice from that point of view, with 35/50/75/90 framelines and appropriate lens choices.
 
Leigh Youdale said:
The R3A and 40/1.4 was the first RF I bought after using Nikon SLR's for years.
I've since replaced it with an M6 and CV 35/1.4 and bought an R4A with a range of CV WA lenses. The R3A and 40/1.4 is now may "car camera". It's a good general purpose setup for when I need to grab a shot and don't have my main kit with me.
A couple of things;
I'm sure CQ sell the diopter lenses for the viewfinders but they're also the same as the Nikon ones. I got a couple to try out to make my selection. The local CV agent took the unwanted ones back.
I haven't noticed any vignetting with the Nokton.
Can't comment on the SC vs MC thing. Mine is multi coated. There might be a difference in "sharpness" but the choice of film might make a bigger difference and the SC will be more prone to flare.

It would help if you told us a bit about your shooting technique. Do you shoot from afar or closeup? Short Tele or Wide Angle? You need to bear in mind that the R3 doesn't have framelines for anything wider than 40mm. If you wanted to use wider lenses you'd have to use an external viewfinder. There's no way you could see the field of view of a 35mm lens wearing glasses with the R3 viewfinder - you might even have a problem seeing the 40mm frames. You should see if you can handle one first. The R2 Bessa might be a better choice from that point of view, with 35/50/75/90 framelines and appropriate lens choices.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response Leigh.I come also from Nikon SLR(FM2n,FE2,FM3A)-used briefly DSLR,Nikon too,but was disappointing,I'll stick to film-,my point,I'm still a beginner amateur in a financial situation now where I can afford only one body and one lens,and that is saving for a few months.Bessa seems the best choice for obvious reasons,good camera,not expensive,forget Leica.
I tend to shoot a lot of close up of nature,interesting objects and the like.Relative close distance to get a good shot,but not too much as for disturb or make uncomfortable the -cross my fingers-unsuspected model of candid portraits in mundane street scenes.Also medium distance street photos.Mostly during daylight,few night shoots.
As you can notice,for that kind of photography I don't need anything wider than 40 mm and the R3a is a perfect candidate for two main reasons:1:1 viewfinder and frameline for 75mm,an excellent choice for the future acquisition of a lens of that denomination for portraiture use.Am I right so far or not?
Regarding the lenses,I hate to use them while shooting,normally i keep them while tweaking with the camera settings-obviously to see what I'm doing :rolleyes:-and remove them to look through the viewfinder.That will arise the need of the appropriate diopter.I don't have down here any shop with Nikon diopters to try,so is it either a hit or miss or if some one with knowledge of these cameras-Stephen,please read this :angel:-can tell me the actual distance in the pathway between the eye and the viewfinder alignment.That way I can tell the optometrist to test my eyes for that distance reading and I will have the diopter measurement.If a Nikon already made in increments of + or -1's diopter don't match,maybe he can do a job on one for a reasonable price,but I will not shoot a photo with my glasses on!:bang:
You can't comment on SC vs MC,but you mention choice of film.I have in mind the Arista and Legacy Pro line sold by freestyle(I have read of possible manufacturers of these on the past on another forum,but I don't recall now).All I remember that they were mentioned as quality ones.
Now I'm after sharpness and contrast,I might need to post on that other forum and ask which film will be the most appropriate one.

Bob
 
Hi Bob, I've got the r3a w/40mm sc. If you are shooting bw ,it is a bit less contrasty than the mc but thats good. Its easier to add contrast in print/post than to try to reduce it.

It handles color nicely too imo.

It's sharp, the bokeh is not beautiful and vigneting has never been a problem.

I dont wear glasses so can help there.
 
Hi Bob,


I use the MC version two years ago. I like it more than the SC one, because on direct sun I control my B&W contrast with exposure and development, and for color the MC is better (to me: the SC one is too soft on color if the light is soft...). And the SC flares more: you can find examples here on RFF.


About both: the 40 1.4 is an amazing lens. I prefer lenses without visible barrel distortion, and that's why I prefer it over some of his 35mm focal length relatives... No visible vignetting either.


It's amazingly small and light for its speed (great on viewfinder too!) and it's really sharp even at 1.4!


Its biggest strength to me, is that it's the best all around lens I have tried ever. Above lots of great lenses I use on SLRs, RFs, MF, LF and DSLRs... Nothing else comes close in such a small and complete package: I can make it look wide, I can make it look tele, use it for landscape, portraiture, street shooting, family and friends, interiors, churches, low light, night shots... I can take it with me as my only lens and just do anything that appears unexpectedly.


Being a modern lens I really find its bokeh nice: soft and relaxing on 99% of my shots. About bokeh: most lenses can show a busy bokeh sometimes... For example when we are focusing close and there are strong light sources coming to camera from the background, like bright direct sun between trees' branches and leaves, but even then the bokeh gets soft if I use f/1.8 or f/2, and those f values allow me selective focus enough... Again, most of the times I like its bokeh at 1.4. ANY great image you get with the 40 Nokton, will never be bad because of its bokeh: that's what matters.


I buy ISO400 and ISO100 film from Freestyle: Kodak Tri-X (Arista Premium 400) and Fuji Acros (Legacy Pro 100). Both sharp, clean toned and with fine crisp grain on Rodinal 1+50.


I focus accurately my 40 1.4 wide open on my Ts, R4M and R3A. The other lenses I use on them are the 15 Heliar, the 28 3.5 Skopar and the Leica Summicron 90. R3(A or M) + 40 Nokton, is one of the best camera/lens sets ever designed by any brand.


Cheers,


Juan
 
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As far as the bokeh: it's pretty nasty wide open, but it's ok at f2-2.8 and pretty nice at f4. (My experience is that f4 -5.6 is the sweet spot for the lens) That said generally If I'm shooting wide open its 1, really dark, and 2 the subject is not super close.
 
Bobar57 said:
Regarding the lenses,I hate to use them while shooting,normally i keep them while tweaking with the camera settings-obviously to see what I'm doing :rolleyes:-and remove them to look through the viewfinder.That will arise the need of the appropriate diopter.I don't have down here any shop with Nikon diopters to try,so is it either a hit or miss or if some one with knowledge of these cameras-Stephen,please read this :angel:-can tell me the actual distance in the pathway between the eye and the viewfinder alignment.That way I can tell the optometrist to test my eyes for that distance reading and I will have the diopter measurement.If a Nikon already made in increments of + or -1's diopter don't match,maybe he can do a job on one for a reasonable price,but I will not shoot a photo with my glasses on!
Click to expand...
Hi Bob... I'd take the camera with me to the optometrist/optician so that he can make a recommendation on the most useful diopter correction. I suspect that if you can't find the "right" screw-on eyepiece, he can replace the glass in the "wrong" one to be correct for you. Use his expertise!

The 40mm is a great all-round useful focal length, as I found with my new Minolta CLE kit in 1982, and I continue to like it today... even finding near-equivalents in other formats. Hope and expect you'll enjoy your R3 and 40mm!
 
jpberger said:
As far as the bokeh: it's pretty nasty wide open, but it's ok at f2-2.8 and pretty nice at f4. (My experience is that f4 -5.6 is the sweet spot for the lens) That said generally If I'm shooting wide open its 1, really dark, and 2 the subject is not super close.
Click to expand...

Hi jpberger,

Here you can see close focusing and nice bokeh at 1.4... And in four shots can be seen what the lens does with Tri-X and TMax3200, under direct sun, on overcast days, and inside a real dark church:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40894234@N07/4549633224/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/40894234@N07/4528669840/in/photostream/



Pretty nasty bokeh? I don't think these shots have a pleasant bokeh because of the photographer in any way... They have a pleasant bokeh because of the lens only... Just my opinion... An amazing and powerful lens.

Cheers,

Juan
 
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