Comment on having both Bessa T and R?

[derekphan]

Hi, I just want to know if Bessa T and R can be a pair in our daily shooting or one will be used and the other sitting in the dry cabinet? Anyone have experience in these two cameras can give me some comment please. Thank you so much.

 

[kully]

I don't have the T but I do use a R2a with a iiia (which is pretty much a very old T). I use the iiia with my J-9 as I can't focus as accurately with the R2a as the iiia.

 

[GeneW]

I have a Bessa L and keep a CV 21/4 on it permanently. It goes into my bag alongside my other cams and gets used a fair bit. I tend to use the 21 much more when it's on a body and ready to go.

Gene

 

[Terao]

Don't have an R but I do have its close relative the R-D1. I use both it and a T - the T gets a longish lens dedicated to it (normally my 75mm Heliar) plus my turret finder, and the R-D1 a wide-angle of some form. Works very well for me when out and about landscape shooting as the T gives me a chance to focus on detail I might have spotted in a scene...

 

[clintock]

I have the R and the T, and use each about equally. With the Leitz Imarect finder on the T, the framing is quite accurate, assuming I remember to set the distance lever on the Imarect. I usually keep different types of film in each- BW in the r and slide in the T for example.
Each body has it's strengths, R obvoiusly has the viewfinder built in with the parallax compensated automatically, but the M mount on the T is nice, as is the rangefinder, and i really like the location of the meter indicator on the T, I wish the R had the meter out of the finder like that.

 

[derekphan]

Hi, thank for all comments. I think in most opinions, the bessa T serves more like a "fix-focal length" rangefinder albeit more expensive one. 😀

 

[BillBingham2]

I use a M6 as my main body and a T as a backup/25mm camera. While I have no reason to think my M6 will go south, my T (by virtue of it's great range finder and M mount) acts as a back for her. I use a RASAL as the finder should I ever need it (packs flat and covers a wide range of focal lenghts). As my 25 needs an external finder, it works great.

I was using the T and an L as my working set, but figured it was time to pull the M6 out of storage.

B2 (;->

 

[mjflory]

Following Tom Abrahamsson's suggestion (in his comments on the T on Cameraquest), I bought a T principally to use with my CV 21/4. I spent too much time while traveling this summer switching between the 21 and the 40/2 on my CL, sometimes putting the viewfinder on and taking it off again, sometimes leaving it there with the 40 on the camera just to confuse myself. I think it's going to be a good combination, and I know that if I'm going to be shooting for detail I can switch the 21/4 for a 90 or longer with sufficiently accurate focusing.
-- Michael

 

[Dougg]

I have an L that has the 15mm assigned to it. The T is more versatile, but would make a good replacement for the L, and had it been available then I'd have chosen it over the L. Well, but I only got the L because it was so cheap... 🙂

One problem in an R+T partnership is if you have any bayonet lenses they'd fit only the T. And you'd be taking the adaptor off each lens to use it on the R, unless you just left an adaptor on the T body... but that would block use of bayonet lenses.

I don't like switching viewfinders along with the lenses, so on the T I tend to pick a lens and viewfinder and just leave them on longer than I would on a Leica M for instance. Fortunately, I tend to go out shooting with just one lens anyway. The T is really quite nice, and I have the trigger winder on it too, liking the vertical hang.