Bessa T

[Peter]

I am curious to know whether we have any Bessa T owners here in RFF? What are your perceptions to Bessa T? Cameraquest has really attractive price for the last few Bessa Ts on the market and I am sure there are collectors/users here that are tempted. 😛

 

[taffer]

Hmm, don't own a T but now that you mention/tempt ... 😀

One thing may be true, if you're looking for an inexpensive backup for your R2s... The T may be the solution. Just add a cheap FSU 35mm finder and that's it, both your Ultron and your PII would have a backup body !

Oscar
Graduated tempter.

 

[rover]

The T is a temptation, but now that I have the R3a with 1:1 finder it is less of one. It looks cool, but the functionality is the ability to focus long fast lenses, which I think I have covered.

 

[Scarpia]

I have a black one. It is more solidly built than my Bessa R and two Bessa L's. The rangefinder is clearer and generally superior to that of the R IMO. The meter and shutter is the same as the other two models and they all take great pictures.
Kurt M.

 

[l.mar]

... is best used with a rapidwinder

... is best used with a rapidwinder

I have a black one also. They really seem to be designed to work best with the V/C rapidwinder. With the rapidwinder, the whole camera is more comfortable to hold, plus the vertical strap lug option solves the main design problem with the V/C Bessa-series camera --- terrible placement of the strap lugs! (too far forward ---using the standard horizontal strap lugs makes the camera droop forward, even without a telephoto or long-focus lens!) The camera body itself is light and rugged enough (a good hiking/cycling companion) and the meter is simple and decently accurate. I've used the Bessa-T in very low light situations, and have not found the separate viewfinder/rangefinder to be a problem. All in all, it's a very nice, decently-priced little camera.

 

[doubs43]

Re: Bessa T

I am curious to know whether we have any Bessa T owners here in RFF? What are your perceptions to Bessa T?

I like mine very much. The meter seems accurate and my impression is that the camera is well-built. It's one of the best buys in a RF camera on the market, IMO. I struggled for days with whether to purchase an R or the T. The R is an excellent camera in it's own right but I elected to go with the T for several reasons..... not least of which was the $65 difference in cost. I already had several universal viewfinders and Leica screw-mount lenses. One M-mount adapter and you can swap thread-mount lenses easily enough. The T doesn't have a brightline finder to activate so any M-mount adapter will work just fine.

Below is a picture of my Bessa-T with a 35mm f/3.5 Elmar and an Imarect finder.

Walker

 

[RML]

Re: ... is best used with a rapidwinder

Re: ... is best used with a rapidwinder

..., plus the vertical strap lug option solves the main design problem with the V/C Bessa-series camera --- terrible placement of the strap lugs! (too far forward ---using the standard horizontal strap lugs makes the camera droop forward, even without a telephoto or long-focus lens!)

I must say I've not experienced this. My R usually holds my J-8 and this lens makes the camera drop backwards, letting the lens point upwards.

When I screw my J-9 on the R, the whole set is nicely balanced; the lens points straight ahead.

I must admit that hanging a camera vertical is a nice touch. The (Leica/ Leitz Minolta) CL hangs vertical and I simply love that; shooting from the hip is extremely easy this way. But being a bad aim (or premature shooter), I need to stick the CV 25 on it. 🙂

 

[l.mar]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by l.mar
..., plus the vertical strap lug option solves the main design problem with the V/C Bessa-series camera --- terrible placement of the strap lugs! (too far forward ---using the standard horizontal strap lugs makes the camera droop forward, even without a telephoto or long-focus lens!)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I must say I've not experienced this. My R usually holds my J-8 and this lens makes the camera drop backwards, letting the lens point upwards."

RML

RML, you're right, of course. 😱 Backwards or forwards, the way the camera hangs from the too-far forward standard horizontal strap lugs just feels weird (to me)...

 

[Doug]

Agree with L.Mar, even on the direction of the droop, as corrected! 😉 Mine is silver, and I too like the trigger winder on the T. I'd be tempted to get a second one now that the price is so attractive, but then I have the other oddball Bessa too, the L, so probably hard to justify. The drawback of them both is the greater parallax error of the high eyepoint, but the good side is the gloriously big bright view seen through the accessory finders. Wonder if there'll ever be a Bessa-Ta?

 

[sychan]

I've got a Bessa-T and think it is an excellent deal. The meter is accurate, shutter speeds go from 1sec to 1/2000, it is more solid than the Bessa R (but maybe not as solid as the R2).
It is slower to handle because you focus and frame through different viewfinders, but I'm pretty slow with my RF camera anyway (I'll use a modern AF camera if I want speed).

 

[thmk]

I just shot a Bessa-T with 25mm and 50mm viewfinder for 250 Euro on *bay. I simply could not resist because it is a black one which is hard to find in Germany for such a low price. The silver version goes for 444 Euro (new but without finders). There is also a 101 years Heliar edition around for 1099 Euro but that is a bit much even if it has more metal parts. For that amount of money I would rather buy a second R3a and another lens.

 

[RML]

...There is also a 101 years Heliar edition around for 1099 Euro but that is a bit much even if it has more metal parts. For that amount of money I would rather buy a second R3a and another lens.

Or a used Leica M2 or M3 with a (add-on) light meter and one or two fine Lieca/Leitz lenses.

 

[taffer]

Curious to revisit this thread, to see that the T was Temting me last december and that 5 months later I got one 🙂

And I'm loving it !

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Curious to revisit this thread, to see that the T was Temting me last december and that 5 months later I got one 🙂

And I'm loving it !

...and you seem to handle it well!

Todd

 

[Benjamin Marks]

It will focus the 75/1.4 and the 50/1 and other fast lenses with great accuracy. I think that they are the best deals going in rangefinders. An updated Leica IIIa. They are not without their compromises, but as a dark box to hold your film until light passes through a lens, it is all you need.

 

[gabrielelopez]

Waiting from Cameraquest my silver one....can't wait to get my hands on that istinctive, simple and funny camera!!

 

[laptoprob]

I have a black one since a few weeks, picking up the first roll of slides monday. Then I will know about the meter accuracy. The camera disagrees with my interpretation of sunny 16. This may - ofcourse - be the everlasting problem of reflective light meters.
I like it a lot. For a lot of circumstances I don't need the rangefinder. Hyperfocal does the job. In that case I have a superior viewfinder, with unlimited brightness (50mm VC brightline) and the Canon viewfinders for 35 and 85mm. If I need the rangefinder it has the best one you can imagine.
Because the rangefinder is closer to the lens it has less parralax than the viewfinder. You can roughly imagine the whole view looking through the rangefinder, after you check the viewfinder.

Very nice oddball!

Rob.

 

[captainslack]

Just got my T today! I've taken a grand total of one photo with it, but I like it so far. Wish all viewfinders were as bright as the Voigtlander 50mm!

 

[pvdhaar]

Yes, that viewfinder is a true gem! It's brighter than any other viewfinder I've ever looked through, and it's got this very nice retro-look on my Bessa-T.

 

[DaveSee]

Just got my T today! I've taken a grand total of one photo with it, but I like it so far. Wish all viewfinders were as bright as the Voigtlander 50mm!

I don't have the CV 50mm VF, but the CV 40mm + Nokton 40 on my Bessa-T has been a true joy! CV 40mm VF is not metal--like the 75 and 50--more like the 25mm(also nice).

Glad you're enjoying the B-T! I posted a "warning" about the little plastic window on the camera back/film door: it's *very* poorly attached. On a more positive note, I carry the B-T with 25/4 Skopar every day... great light-weight photo kit. Recently added a RRS "generic" L-mounting plate--for tripod--and leave it on even when hand-held... sorta like the B-T grip, but on the other side and no vertical strap lugs. This adds slight weight, but also better balance over all.

rgds,
Dave