First roll with Bessa R3A

[dandelion8]

Hello!

I've been a regular RFF reader for some time and I wanted a smallish camera (my dad's Yashica Mat LM is great, but too big and heavy).

I saw R3A in 2010 for the first time and really liked it and finally two weeks ago I found almost mint one in a shop for a reasonable price and I already had a lens from FED 3 (bought online for approx. EUR 6 and which supposed to be working, but wasn't) so I took it 🙂

The Industar 61 is heavily scratched, looks like somebody was cleaning the front element with sandpaper, but the result is quite OK, though the handling is horrible. I'm already saving money for Nokton 50mm f1.5 (probably).

I usually take more "people photos", but I'm getting used to the focusing 🙂

Film: ILFORD FP4+, self-developed, scanned


Last Monday in Prague by dandelion_8, on Flickr


Last Monday in Prague by dandelion_8, on Flickr


Water reflection by dandelion_8, on Flickr


____ by dandelion_8, on Flickr

 

[d7250]

I am interesting in No.2,No.3 and No.4.

Wonderful!

 

[Lss]

I like the last three, too. Congrats on the camera!

 

[thegman]

I like the last one, nice lines.

 

[daveywaugh]

Really like the pics - great work.

 

[Mr_Toad]

Hi, Dandelion8,

It looks like this is your Number 1 Post, so welcome to the posters!

Robt.

 

[dandelion8]

Thank you all!

 

[MaxElmar]

Number two is super. Love how the diagonal line of the buildings draw the eye to the people.

 

[traveler_101]

All are fine sots. # 2 embodies a specific sense of the place and # 4 is a very good composition. Congratulations on the camera. What developing agent do you use?

 

[rjbuzzclick]

I really like #2. I have a few lenses with severe cleaning marks that perform wonderfully as well.

 

[paulfish4570]

you are making really nice use of line in your compositions ...

 

[Anthony Harvey]

Great pictures. The camera position in the second image is perfect for the content.

My guess is Rodinal as the developer. Anyway, whatever it is it doesn't allow the lens to show any weaknesses, at least not on these web images, and it gives both contrast and shadow detail. To use Don Cardwell's phrase, it's both soft and hard at the same time.

 

[dandelion8]

All are fine sots. # 2 embodies a specific sense of the place and # 4 is a very good composition. Congratulations on the camera. What developing agent do you use?

I have always been using Fomadon LQN with the Fomapans, which are very easy to get here... (I basically live 60km far from the factory where it is made). I recently switched to Ilford films (FP4, HP5), because they are better, especially the 400.
But the results are too grainy (still better than Foma) in my opinion, so week ago I bought Ilfosol S and will try that soon. Or what would you recommend? Thanks!