canon vt or bessa r?

[paulfish4570]

would a canon vt in excellent shape be a good buy at $225? i badly want a competent m39 body. better buy than bessa r at $275? i'm thinking the canon would appreciate, but the r's viewfinder/rangefinder would better suit my 58-year-old eyes ...

 

[payasam]

I had a VT for many years. My eyes were then younger, though they are now a year older than yours. It is a good camera, but the Bessa R has the better finder, it has a meter, and it has all shutter speeds on a single dial. I'd say you should buy the VT only if you need to do rapid fire work with a 50mm or 35mm lens.

 

[newspaperguy]

Older eyes yet agree... the R is a more practical choice.

 

[le vrai rdu]

would a canon vt in excellent shape be a good buy at $225? i badly want a competent m39 body. better buy than bessa r at $275? i'm thinking the canon would appreciate, but the r's viewfinder/rangefinder would better suit my 58-year-old eyes ...

go for the bessa R 😉

50$ is not so much if you really use the camera 😉

 

[Sonnar2]

buy both. One for using (Bessa R), the other (Canon) for looking at beautifully made things.

 

[ZeissFan]

I also would go for a Bessa-R. It's a newer camera, has a better viewfinder and has a very good meter.

Plus, it shouldn't require service, which a 50+-year-old camera might or might not need.

 

[raid]

This is interetsting! Everyone so far favors the Bessa R. Is this is the end of "low-end" RF cameras [not so expensive] of the past?

 

[paulfish4570]

i would love to take a chance on a classic canon RF, but my eyes demand an easier route. i am crazy about my minolta A5 and its wonderful rokkor lens, but it is a struggle with almost every focus to find that yellow patch ...

 

[BillBingham2]

While the VT is faster by design, you could move up to an R2 in the future with a winder if it's a real issue.

R would be my choice just of the world class finder. Built in meter is kind of handy too from time to time.

B2 (;->

 

[BillBingham2]

This is interetsting! Everyone so far favors the Bessa R. Is this is the end of "low-end" RF cameras [not so expensive] of the past?

I'm hoping that Pres K will come out with an L2x (M mount Bessa L with more robust body) but my guess is yes, unless 15 years from now he issues an anniversary issue of the R and L perhaps, the R has become it.

Keep in mind that the R only became really low priced due to having too many made and the R2 coming to market pretty quickly. Clearing out the old stock drove down the price considerably quicker than it should have. But we made out better so life was good on this one.

B2 (;->

 

[payasam]

paulfish4570, the VT is very good where focussing is concerned: it's the view-finder that's not bright nor large nor anywhere near accurate. Like any screw Leica barring the IIIg.

 

[BillBingham2]

paulfish4570, the VT is very good where focussing is concerned: it's the view-finder that's not bright nor large nor anywhere near accurate. Like any screw Leica barring the IIIg.

Great point payasam. Another option though not loved by all is using a bright line finder attached to the accessory shoe. Focus with the built in RF and then use the bright line to compose. I did this for years with my Bessa T and loved it. Bright line finders are often 1:1 viewing and as their name suggests BRIGHT and easy to see through.

B2 (;->

 

[paulfish4570]

thanks to all. very helpful. the brightline finder idea is intriguing but it would mean adding something to the camera ...

 

[payasam]

B2, with my IIIc I used a VIOOH, with my Zorki 1 I used a turret finder originally made for Argus, and now with my FED-2 I use a KMZ turret finder. None a bright-line finder, but all able to take care of parallax and all a good deal better than the built-in finders, which were also only for the 50mm focal length.

My reading, though, is that paulfish4570 has trouble with focussing, not with framing.

 

[wallace]

The best ever M39 camera is the Canon P. The 1:1 finder is perfect for shooting with a 50mm lens. The Bessa is the better choice if you want to use a 35.
The Canon is bullet proof like a Leica M3 or a Nikon F. This cannot be said about the Bessa....

wallace

 

[Sonnar2]

The best ever M39 camera is the Canon P.

Agreed, if meter is no concern (BTW the selenium "Canon Meter" isn't that bad)

 

[xayraa33]

If you want a super usable Canon LTM camera, the P is the way to go.
The extra weight of the built in Trigger winder makes the VT a bit of a pain to lug around.
The VF/RF on the VT is only slightly better than what is on a bottomloader Canon and a Barnack Leica with a replaced beamsplitter mirror is better than any bottomloader Canon in actual use IMHO.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I use the Bessa R2, Canon P, Canon VT, Canon VI-T, and Canon 7. I tend to favor the Canon P and the Bessa R2.

I think $275 is a bit high for the Bessa R. A little more will get a Bessa R2.

 

[paulfish4570]

the canon p is intriguing. i asked about the vt only because of the great shape it is in. and you guys are correct: it is the focusing that comes first for me, then the availability of fsu and other ltm lenses, then the viewfinder ...

 

[Bill58]

I haven't seen a VT, so I can't comment. If it the finder is equal to the P, get it rather than than the Bessa R. I luv the quality build, solid feel, and classic looks of all the vintage Canons. The Bessa feels cheap to me, but never used one.

The P is one, fine machine and w/ a CLA will serve you well for a long time.