Fed up with Russian cameras and ready to buy a Bessa!

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csisfun

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Hi,

As much as I love the looks of the Zorki 4 that I have, I'm fed up with it as it cannot do it's job - take pictures! Apparently the film to mount distance is off, and removing the shims do not help! So I'm ready to dump all my cash into getting a quality camera!

I can't afford any Leicas right now, except the really old ones, which I don't find really good, as they do not have a meter, which isn't that important to me, but I like to have it when I can get it for the same price.

What has interested me is the Bessa T and Bessa R. The lack of a viewfinder is worrying with the Bessa T, as I have two LTM lenses. Both are Russian lenses. The Bessa R is signficantly more expensive (to me), around $150 Singaporean. I see the Bessa R as a investment, though.

The more important thing here is whether I can use my Russian lenses on the Bessa. I've heard that they are not so compatible and require some tuning to get them going. I'm not good at messing with camera, unfortunately.

Any advice? 😱
 
The FSU 35mm f2.8 J12 lens (usually) will not fit on a Bessa because the large protruding rear element hits a light baffle inside the camera.
 
Go for Bessa R that way you won't have to buy ext. VF for T. Russian lenses work fine assuming they are in good working condition. which lenses do you have? J-12 might work but will definitely block the light meter.
 
HAve to agree about FSU's and old Leica's. Fun to look at and such, but not too practicle on the street when you want, and need, to shoot quickly. I love my Bessa R for just that reason. I have a skopar 35 that is great and also use a J8 at times.
 
One more vote for the Bessa R. External Viewfinders are no problem with wide-angel lenses, but with 50mm or more it will be harder to frame correctly, as external VFs have no parallax-correction.

I got a nice J9 which focuses correctly even at f2 / 1,5m on my Bessa R3a, as does my J3 wide open. It's a shame the J12 doesn't mount on the Bessas!
 
I heard the J12 doesn't mount!

AND I HAVE ONE J-12!!!

I also have an Industar-26

Well good to hear that the Russian lenses work fine, as I have heard that the Russian lenses are made for the Leica standard. Something around there...
 
Russian lenses are made for the CONTAX standard focal length of 52.3mm (Leica uses 51.6mm).

J-12 will mount, but:
- it WILL block the meter cell
- it might not focus to infinity (sometimes it hits the light baffle before reaching inf.) Mine focuses to about 3m. You can stop it down to f/11 for DOF and use it that way to get sharp infinity...

I-26 will work just fine. I have I-61 (a newer version, but basically the same optical design - 4 element "Tessar").

Even if you buy the Bessa R, you won't regret it a you'll never look back. I got mine last summer, and I'm happy I did even though I had to borrow money and get a job to pay it back.
 
Never had a focusing problem with: I61 LD, Jupiter3, Jupiter8, Jupiter9, or Jupiter11 on my bessa r. Maybe I'm just lucky. If you have a collapsible lens, do not try to collapse it while it's on the bessa. It will damage the shutter.
 
csisfun said:
Hi,

As much as I love the looks of the Zorki 4 that I have, I'm fed up with it as it cannot do it's job - take pictures! Apparently the film to mount distance is off, and removing the shims do not help! So I'm ready to dump all my cash into getting a quality camera!

I can't afford any Leicas right now, except the really old ones, which I don't find really good, as they do not have a meter, which isn't that important to me, but I like to have it when I can get it for the same price.

What has interested me is the Bessa T and Bessa R. The lack of a viewfinder is worrying with the Bessa T, as I have two LTM lenses. Both are Russian lenses. The Bessa R is signficantly more expensive (to me), around $150 Singaporean. I see the Bessa R as a investment, though.

The more important thing here is whether I can use my Russian lenses on the Bessa. I've heard that they are not so compatible and require some tuning to get them going. I'm not good at messing with camera, unfortunately.

Any advice? 😱
Click to expand...

You won't regret your choice of an R. If you need an economical really good 50 for it try the black Canon 50/1.8. The Russian Industar's are another option that is super cheap, although I've heard they may be mildly radioactive.
 
Go for the Bessa R! As mentioned above, the R/35 combo is terrific! I anc also vouch for the Canon 50/1.8 as being a keeper.

Regards!
Don
 
Another vote for the Canon 50/1.8 - beautifully constructed and good optical performance. The Voigtlander 35/2.8 Skopar is also a good choice.
 
Go for the Bessa R....

I just did. I had a Kiev 4a with a J12, J8m, J9. All super Len's. But I hated the loading system. I sold and traded some stuff to buy a Bessa R2. I will not look back!. Love the Bessa handling. I have the CV25 with mine. my next will be a 50 F/2 or so. The Canon 1.8 looks good, so does a Leitz Summatar (F/2 old designation ?)
 
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Do not be messed by Industar's radioactivity -- it has nothing in common with Chernobyl disaster. The radioactivity is caused by the Lanthane in the glass and is negligible -- about a half of the average natural radiation backgroud. Furthermore, the camera body material is able to shield it off completely. If you wear classic watch with luminiscent hands, it is much more "dangerous" 🙂
 
You'll love the Bessa, the best thing will be the viewfinder - it is gorgeous.

I have a I-61, and if I didn't already have newer lenses I would be happy just having that after the J-8.
 
Im with everyone else here. Go for the R, I was toying around with the russinan cameras and like you my frustration got the better of me. I have an R with a cv35mm, but also use a Russian J8.
 
I actually enjoy my Feds more, now that I have a R3A.
When the Feds were all I had, I found them to be frustrating. Now that I have something modern and reliable, I can shoot the Feds when the situation allows for the extra effort.
 
The Bessa R is my only film camera with a built-in meter. The parallax corrected frame lines and bright RF patch are as good as it gets in this price range. So, why do I still use my FED 2 more often than the Bessa ?
 
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