Considering a Regime Change; Advice Welcome

Creagerj

Creagerj

Incidental Artist
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Well thanks to everyone who had advice to offer. In the end I have reconsidered changing horses. Believe it or not but the other night I went ahead and fixed my L-1 myself. I couldn't tell you the name of the part that was jamming it up because I don't know what it is called, but all I had to do was pop it loose with a screw driver and everything worked fine after that.

Now that I know how to take it apart, how much more would I have to do to give it a CLA. (I will be buying a practice FSU camera or two first of course). It seems like a good thing to learn how to do. I do all my own repairs on my car, so why not my camera?

Hello,
Some time ago I bought myself a Canon L-1. In February my L-1 jammed up and quit working for me. I now find myself at a cross road, I can either fix the camera, or sell it and take the money I get from it, plus the money I would have spent on a CLA and buy something else. Thus I find myself looking for suggestions.

I have lenses, so I want to stick to an M39 body.

My budget will be about $200 plus what ever I can get for my busted L-1 (which is probably repairable).
-Any idea how much I could get for a broken L-1?

So, with those two things in mind, what should I do? Should I fix the camera and keep using it? Or should I sell the darn thing and buy myself a bessa R? Are there any other bodies in my budget range that I should consider? Or should I totally shift gears and sell my body and my lenses and move to a different system all together?

I am serious about RF photography and I need something will last, as well as something that I won't have to worry about reliability wise. With that in mind should I also consider selling my Bush Pressman Model D 4x5 kit (Culminar 135mm lens + 15 holders + 2 roll film backs) and upgrading even more? Just a thought.

I find myself struck with horrible GAS after just shooting SLRs since February.
 
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Dear Joe,

Unlike Frank, I'd go for a Bessa-R2 (which allows you to use both screw and bayonet lenses). Advantages: decades newer, built-in meter, brighter finder.

My wife would recommend a Bessa-T (easier to focus fast lenses).

None of us is right (or wrong). It's your call.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Thank you both for your advice. Truth be told, I don't really want to stick with the L-1. I am willing to sacrifice some build quality for a camera that is newer and more convenient to use. Namely I want a better finder, which is why the Bessa R appeals to me.

Frank,
Do you think I could pick up an R2 on my budget? I have always had a soft spot for an olive colored one. If I were to get a Bessa T wouldn't I also need to invest in accessory finders? How expensive would it be to get myself set up with a bessa T and a 50mm finder?

I guess what I should be asking is what is the best camera to get with my budget? The L-1 is a great camera, but I think that I would be happier with something else.
 
Creagerj said:
If I were to get a Bessa T wouldn't I also need to invest in accessory finders? How expensive would it be to get myself set up with a bessa T and a 50mm finder?
Click to expand...

I bought my Bessa T used recently with a CV21/4 P lens and VF for quite a good deal for the package. I see a few T's that have sold recently on eBay for about 200 USD. You will need accessory viewfinders for your focal lengths, which can be a non-trivial cost depending on how many you need. CameraQuest currently shows the CV metal 50 VF for $145. Various multi-finders are available, mostly used (??), for roughly similar prices.

For me, the T's pros are:
  • compact size and light weight (common to most 35mm RFs..)
  • External meter is great for wide-angle shooters using external VF's; possible to glance at the meter while composing through the VF.
  • High RF accuracy, as Roger mentions. Sadly, I don't have any lenses that this matters for yet. 😛
  • The ability to use both M-mount and LTM lenses (latter via an adapter).
  • The price was excellent.
Oh, and it's pretty. Decked out with a lens and viewfinder, I get compliments on it regularly. 😀 So much for stealth...

My "cons" are:
  • Separate RF/VF. I find it more challenging to focus and compose in active situations, but I've managed anyway. (I can hear folks now: "practice, grasshopper... practice!" 😉) This may or may not matter much for your shooting. With my wide-angle lenses (15 and 21) I mostly scale focus and/or use hyperfocal focusing, making this a non-issue.
  • Swapping lenses means also swapping viewfinders. Slows you down a little, if that matters.
My "cons" list really just means that I plan on complementing the T with another body in the future. At that time, the T will remain my primary wide-angle body and be useful as a secondary body for longer focal lengths.
 
Frances's favourite finder on the T is an FSU turret Zeiss copy, slightly modified to sit forward in the shoe and to be a really tight fit. This gives you 28-35-50-85-135 and rather more finder accuracy than any built-in finder (including Leicas) but parallax compensation is manual. Her second favourite is a Tewe 35-200 zoom; again, manual parallax xcompensation but you can even compensate field of view for closer shots.

Prices for these are all over the place from $25 (if you're lucky, in the right shop -- that's what we paid for two Tewes in one shop) to $200 (top dollar, can't wait).

Yes, the screw-to-M adapter is a non-trivial cost, but equally, an M-fit body gives you a LOT more choice when it comes to lenses.

Finally, yes, the olive R2 is very pretty indeed and is my wife's other M-mount...

Cheers,

Roger
 
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Hi:

I've got an L1, too but would like to have another. If you wanna sell, please PM me.

Thanks,
Bill


Creagerj said:
Hello,
Some time ago I bought myself a Canon L-1. In February my L-1 jammed up and quit working for me. I now find myself at a cross road, I can either fix the camera, or sell it and take the money I get from it, plus the money I would have spent on a CLA and buy something else. Thus I find myself looking for suggestions.

I have lenses, so I want to stick to an M39 body.

My budget will be about $200 plus what ever I can get for my busted L-1 (which is probably repairable).
-Any idea how much I could get for a broken L-1?

So, with those two things in mind, what should I do? Should I fix the camera and keep using it? Or should I sell the darn thing and buy myself a bessa R? Are there any other bodies in my budget range that I should consider? Or should I totally shift gears and sell my body and my lenses and move to a different system all together?

I am serious about RF photography and I need something will last, as well as something that I won't have to worry about reliability wise. With that in mind should I also consider selling my Bush Pressman Model D 4x5 kit (Culminar 135mm lens + 15 holders + 2 roll film backs) and upgrading even more? Just a thought.

I find myself struck with horrible GAS after just shooting SLRs since February.
Click to expand...
 
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Go for the Bessa R because of the light meter and viewfinder will Wow you. Make sure you get a case also. Lightweight and easy to load the film as you don't have to cut the leader. I got one off of Ebay and I am very pleased. Purchased a Nicca, Tower (Nicca), Canon IIF and a IVSB. The Canon 1.8's off the Canon RFs make fantastic prints for me. Don't give up on the screwmount lens as they are great.
Joe
 
You will need a longer EBL to be able to focus your 85/2. So Bessas are out, unless you get a T.

I would add just a little more money and get a P with its 1:1 finder.

Roland.
 
ferider said:
You will need a longer EBL to be able to focus your 85/2. So Bessas are out, unless you get a T.
Click to expand...
While it wouldn't fit in the OP's budget of $200, Bessa's aren't out generally; I guess a Bessa R3 would work, too, with 37mm rangefinder base. The P's 41mm are barely 10% wider, not much to accurately focus an 85/2 even if it's from the same manufacturer. And the Bessa's finder and collimated sharp-edge rangefinder patch is better for focusing IMHO, making up for the lower baselength.

Philipp
 
rxmd said:
While it wouldn't fit in the OP's budget of $200, Bessa's aren't out generally; I guess a Bessa R3 would work, too, with 37mm rangefinder base. The P's 41mm are barely 10% wider, not much to accurately focus an 85/2 even if it's from the same manufacturer. And the Bessa's finder and collimated sharp-edge rangefinder patch is better for focusing IMHO, making up for the lower baselength.

Philipp
Click to expand...

You are right, but there is the price thing.

Personally I used 85/2 on R3 and failed to focus it close and wide open. On the other hand I used a 105/2.5 on the P and it worked fine. Of course this is highly personal and camera dependent.

You might agree though that the P is easier to focus than the Bessa R, and roughly in the same price range (BGN used vs new of course).

Roland.
 
ferider said:
You might agree though that the P is easier to focus than the Bessa R, and roughly in the same price range (BGN used vs new of course).
Click to expand...
Most certainly‎! If you want to use long lenses a P is a better choice than a Bessa.

I still like the Bessa viewfinder better, but that is I guess a matter of personal taste - here: left-eyed shooter, so no use with both eyes; hardly any lenses >50, but extensive usage of 35 which are hard to see in the P; and I like metering 😉

Philipp
 
From recent prices in Classifieds here and on ebay, I'd say that $200 will get you a Canon 7 in good user condition, a Bessa R, or a Bessa T. Good user Canon Ps tend to run $250-$300, although there may be good buys (as Steve above notes). As for features, there are always trade-offs. The Bessa R vf is a thing of beauty; the Canon 7 is pretty decent though and it's a more rugged camera w/ a longer ebl; the Canon P is wonderful, but I find the 35mm framelines hard to use w/ glasses (it's a perfect shooter for a 50, though). What are the lenses you will use most often, and do you need to focus close w/ a fast lens (e.g. low-light portraits)?
 
Joe,

While the R is a fine camera, I do not think is it as robust as the L-1. The T ROCKS and is build a bit better than the R but not as good as the R3/4 series. For longer faster lenses it is the only Bessa in town. External finders are more expensive but you can find bargains in great shape from time to time.

As you've been shooting without an internal meter I'm not sure how much that will really give you. IMHO if you keep shooting without one you will be much better off in the long run.

I am not a canon lover, though the L and P are said to be great cameras. From what I can read on the L-1, I'd say get her fixed. Not sure where but she looks like a wonderful blend of functionality and flexibility.

Moving to an M mount camera while it's more money is a great way to go, but like built in metering I'm not sure what extra it will give you at this point vs the cost.

Get her fixed and start saving for a good M2!

B2 (;->
 
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