Bessa R4 viewfinder

[mfogiel]

I have just received my Bessa R4A - a first rf camera since I used a Zorki about 40 years ago...

The plan was to use this camera with the wide angles like 21 and 28. Specifically I had in mind the 21/4.5 C Biogon (not out yet) and a 28mm lens for everyday carryaround shooting.

The camera is very nice, and although it doesn't obviously feel rock solid or look particularly prestigious, the finish is good and I like its compact size, the light weight and simplicity.

The viewfinder is pretty nice (I wear glasses - the thin type), but I can hardly see the 21 framelines - not a big problem I think, as shooting with such an angle seldom lets you crop exactly... but the 28 frameline, which is of ideal size for me, is missing any reference in the middle of the bottom of the image, and that is a bit annoying.

Most of all, I have decided to buy a 28/2.8 Elmarit as the resident lens, because it is very practical for street use, falls between my 25 and 35 ZF lenses and looks to me like it is a better performer than the equivalent Biogon, I also liked more its rectangular rubberized shade with cap, being more practical in daily wear.

The problem is, there was no new Elmarit available in the shops, so I have bought a second hand older version - apparently optically as good or better, but alas, a little longer. The hood covers about 20% of the view at infinity and even more at close range.

I wonder if anybody else has tried other 20mm lenses (with hoods ) on the R4, especially the new Elmarit, and if they behave any better. BTW another strange issue is, that with this lens the Bessa is tilting a bit backwards, so with a lighter lens the problem might get worse... Has anybody got a remedy against that, a short strap maybe, or one of these additional grips?

Any comments are welcome.

 

[Doug]

I recently received an R4A as well, and have been putting it through its paces to get acquainted and make sure all is well. I think viewfinder intrusion is going to be a "fact of life" with the R4 except with the smallest slowest of wide-angle lenses. One has to use some imagination to fill in the missing bits at lower right. So far I've used mine with the 21 Elmarit, 28 Summicron (same size as your Elmarit I think), the 35 Biogon, and most recently the 25mm Snapshot Skopar. All but the last intrude well into the viewfinder frame, and of course it has its own set of limitations.

Tilting backwards is a Bessa characterisitic resulting from the position of the strap lugs. I understand the lug position dates back to the body's origins as an SLR, which has a more forward weight balance. I do like the side-grip which improves the balance as well as holding security, and like even more the trigger winder which allows vertical carry.

 

[peter_n]

I have a 28/2.8 Konica M-Hexanon on my R4 and it intrudes a bit into the VF as well. As Doug says viewfinder intrusion is a fact of life with this cam. A remedy for the camera tilt is a heavier lens - I use a chrome 24/2.8 ASPH on it and the camera hangs straight... 😉

 

[Doug]

A remedy for the camera tilt is a heavier lens - I use a chrome 24/2.8 ASPH on it and the camera hangs straight... 😉

True, true; a heavier lens helps ... <feeling GAS buildup> ... Wonder if the 24/2.8 ASPH intrudes less into the VF than the 25 Biogon...😱

 

[back alley]

my answer was to buy the slow versions of the cv lenses. this works great for almost all of my shooting which is primarily outdoors on the street.

 

[peter_n]

True, true; a heavier lens helps ... <feeling GAS buildup> ... Wonder if the 24/2.8 ASPH intrudes less into the VF than the 25 Biogon...😱

I have not used the Zeiss 25 but the hood on the Leica 24 gets in the way quite a bit. Its acceptable to me but YMMV. I'm not selling this lens for a smaller one it is just too good.

 

[back alley]

the zm 25 intrudes too much for me.
my answer is to use the zm lens on the zi body and i have a zeiss 25/28 finder in the mail on it's way to me now.

and maybe a silly move but i plan to order the new cv m mount 25 at the end of the month also.

joe

 

[rover]

my answer was to buy the slow versions of the cv lenses. this works great for almost all of my shooting which is primarily outdoors on the street.

I think the 28mm Framelines are perfect for me in the R4a. R4a and CV 28/3.5 were with me today at Shea Stadium.

 

[back alley]

I think the 28mm Framelines are perfect for me in the R4a. R4a and CV 28/3.5 were with me today at Shea Stadium.

you were at that game today!!!?
i'm so jealous...

i watched it on t.v. though i was dozing off for awhile (more my meds than the game).

when i was a kid we went to quite a few mets games as they were a bus and train ride away and safer than the trip to yankee stadium - for kids anyway.

and i agree, the r4 is geat with the smaller cv 28.

 

[Doug]

I have not used the Zeiss 25 but the hood on the Leica 24 gets in the way quite a bit. Its acceptable to me but YMMV.

the zm 25 intrudes too much for me.

I did some research, and it seems the lengths of these two lenses from mounting flange to filter ring are very nearly the same at 46mm for the Elmarit and 46+ maybe 47mm for the Biogon, as I had to calculate from a scale drawing and its 60mm overall length. Is 47mm at infinity about right, Joe?

Earlier, I had the impression that the Biogon was longer than that. The 24 Elmarit appears to be built on the same barrel as the 21 Elmarit, as dimensions are the same. Both flare out at the front to take 55mm filters, whereas the Biogon takes 46mm filters.

Sounds like the Elmarit, with that larger front diameter, and the same length as the Biogon, should be more intrusive in the viewfinder. This really points up personal differences, doesn't it... as Peter finds the Elmarit ok and Joe thinks the biogon intrudes too much. 🙂

 

[back alley]

the biogon without hood is not so bad but with the hood i am guessing too much.
one of the attractions of the r4, for me, is using wides without finders and with framelines inside the camera's finder and when those framelines are compromised it bothers me.
i have the zi/zm combo for when i want the quality it can extract and impart to an image and with the incoming finder i wont be guessing as much as before without the finder.
my zeiss gear is upstairs but i will measure the 25 and report back later.

joe

 

[peter_n]

I think the 28mm Framelines are perfect for me in the R4a. R4a and CV 28/3.5 were with me today at Shea Stadium.

The National League game is so much better than the American League game. If the Red Sox were a National League team I'd be interested.