Bessa T a sweet thing

Yep, Stevew, I can relate to both wandering around with a film camera and also to feeling guilty about the latent images on the film waiting for three more exposures so that the roll can be developed.

Nice images from your 35/2.5. I see that you live in Lompoc, close to Bakersfield, but slightly more scenic!
 
I started taking photographs as a hobby recently with a DSLR but decided to get a Bessa-T when the DSLR was stolen on a trip. I really liked to get a Leica IIIf like my grandfather had but I wanted something a bit more modern with easier film loading. (I borrowed a IIIf from a colleague and it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to load the film properly.) Since getting the Bessa-T, it has provided me with the most fun I've ever had taking photographs. I don't mind the extra work involved with changing viewfinders when changing lenses or dealing with film and scanning. I find the whole process quite relaxing and rewarding actually. It slows me down but in a good way.
 
Bike Tourist said:
I guess this thread is tapped out. No comments.

Well, just to add to my prior post, I wanted something completely diametrically opposed to a digital SLR. What would qualify more than a film-based rangefinder with separate viewfinder?

I suppose T's are not numerous and not popular.

Good!
Click to expand...
If you're curious about the number of Bessa-T users and whether they're happy with it, you could of course set up a poll..

My impression is that the number of T users are indeed limited, but that there are very very few owners that aren't happy with their T.

I guess the biggest detractor is the separate RF/VF thing. It's an acquired taste and takes some perseverance to overcome. But once mastered, it's very intuitive. The only out of focus shots I've had were from before I realised that the RF only couples downto 0.9m, while my 50 has a close focus distance of 0.7m
 
"I have had a single lithium battery in mine since Sept 2001, still fine."

Could you be more specific? What brand and part number will replace the two alkiline batteries? Is the resultant voltage close enough?
 
Dick
Here are the battery numbers.
DL1/3N, 2L76, CR1/3N, CR-1/3N. The number depends on the make. Its the same diameter as the LR44 but twice the depth, and twice the voltage. that is it is 3 volts.
Being Lithium, it has a long shelf life. The advantage is that being only one battery, you eliminate one layer of possible bad contact!
I use them in my Bessa T, Bessa R2, Pentax MX and LX. Indeed Pentax recommends them in the instruction book.
The Duracel ones are the easiest to get here, CR1/3N.
 
Nando said:
I started taking photographs as a hobby recently with a DSLR but decided to get a Bessa-T when the DSLR was stolen on a trip. I really liked to get a Leica IIIf like my grandfather had but I wanted something a bit more modern with easier film loading. (I borrowed a IIIf from a colleague and it took me 30 minutes to figure out how to load the film properly.) Since getting the Bessa-T, it has provided me with the most fun I've ever had taking photographs. I don't mind the extra work involved with changing viewfinders when changing lenses or dealing with film and scanning. I find the whole process quite relaxing and rewarding actually. It slows me down but in a good way.
Click to expand...
All these dSLR users getting excited over Bessa Ts and waxing poetic about film and scanning...what's the matter with you people!? 😉

I, who neither shoots much digital nor with any RF without a combined VF/RF, never quite "got" the Bessa T thang until I came across someone who uses his with only an ultrawide (I think the 15mm). Then I "got it", more or less. 🙂


- Barrett
 
I had a lot of practical reasons for getting the T as my first rangefinder besides that I find DSLR's to be stress-inducing. My eyesight is not the best anymore and I like the 1.5x rangefinder and the big and bright vf's available. The T body was very heavily discounted when I purchased it. However, underlining all those practical things is that I find the camera to be very cool. I admit that I am guilty of finding the Bessa-T somewhat fashionable to carry around because of the way it looks but I'm sure that many people here are guilty of that too regardless of what camera they have.

In practise I find that I've developed a good rhythm in moving from the rf to the vf and its a non-issue. Of course, I have not used a rangefinder with a combined rf/vf extensively as of late. I used my father's Canonet a lot when I was a boy but that was a long time ago.

The only thing I don't like is that sometimes I brush up against the vf with my forehead when I'm looking through the rangefinder - when I move to look through the vf, its full of forehead oil. Yuk! Early on I also had trouble dealing with parallax error (I was just forgetting to take it into consideration ) but I got over that very quickly.
 
John: Thank you for your timely answer on the battery question. I think that is the way to go for me.

Nando: I am pursuing a parallel course with both digital SLRs and the Bessa T. I am gradually winding down any professional photography applications except for a couple of internet stock sites that provide me with a modest income. Unfortunately, these guys (probably very young and without a film background) absolutely hate grain! I have stopped submitting scanned negs and slides to them since they will be rejected while the digital work gets accepted.

I happen to like grain. I plan to become more atavistic as time goes by and sell off some of the digital equipment and add more CV or Leica stuff.

. . . . . unless the RD-1 drops to $1000.
 
For those few Bessa T shooters out there, an update:

I had shot three rolls of XP-2 with my new treasure, 35/2.5 attached, and was trying out my just-received Tele-Elmarit on the fourth roll. Mid-roll, the shutter release made a sick "tick" sound without actuating the shutter. No film advance and no shutter release.

Stephen Gandy said to ship it back for a replacement. Well, everyone here said it was a nice camera but no Leica. I think an attractive price probably carries with it the risk of no quality control.

Here's hoping the replacement goes a little longer!
 
Yikes!

While shooting my last roll, something strange happened to me too but not as catastrophic. When I advance the film, the light-meter wouldn't activate. I had to nudge the lever a second time about 1/4 or 1/3 of the way and then it came on. This happened quite a bit. Hopefully my camera won't get much more temperamental than this.

I hope that you have better luck with your replacement.
 
Bike Tourist said:
For those few Bessa T shooters out there, an update:

I had shot three rolls of XP-2 with my new treasure, 35/2.5 attached, and was trying out my just-received Tele-Elmarit on the fourth roll. Mid-roll, the shutter release made a sick "tick" sound without actuating the shutter. No film advance and no shutter release.

Stephen Gandy said to ship it back for a replacement. Well, everyone here said it was a nice camera but no Leica. I think an attractive price probably carries with it the risk of no quality control.

Here's hoping the replacement goes a little longer!
Click to expand...
Hope you have better luck with the replacement..

Sounds like the same thing that happened to mine, it was repaired and has worked flawless since..
 
The reason I stay with the T is because of it's long RF base. I like to know that I can focus my 85/2 or 105/2.5 wide open and close up and not have any issues.

I love my Ts

B2 (;->
 
maybe a dumb question, but is it possible to compose right without using a seperate viewfinder?
what focal lenght would be best for compsoing w/o a viewfinder?
 
According to Gandy's review, the view through the RF approximates a 300mm lens.
 
The view through the RF window is round, not rectangular, and with very fuzzy edges. I think it's pretty hard to put a number to the equivalent angle of view. It's significantly narrower than 90mm though, maybe around 150 or so comparing horizontal width.
 
thank you. i was just wondering because i read about someone using it with a 50mm lens without a viewfinder. he claims that composing is a bit difficult but it works for him.
 
Yes, Stephen Gandy is great. Being cheap, I have purchased things at various places to get the best price but Stephen Gandy has given the best service.

I just bought a TEWE 35-200mm zoom-finder for my T. I can confirm Doug's findings that the rangefinder is very close to the 200mm.
 
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