Focusing on a Bessa-L...

[Valder]

Hey Guys,


Got my C/V 21/4 today and with it came a Bessa L that I didn't really want, but I took it out of the box loaded it with film and attached the 21/4 to it. Now I have not used a RF let alone one without somekind of focusable viewfinder. Now I know the 21 is pretty wide and the depth of field can be pretty darned big, but anyone have any links to stuff on the web that can help me understand this concept of guessing at focus?

Not sure if I am going to keep the Bessa L though. I am running a roll of film through it this week to test it out and make sure it runs good. Then I'll decide. I want to get a R4A next year so I know I would not use this cam.

Thanks


Darrin

 

[dazedgonebye]

Well, at least you won't have to figure out how to use the rangefinder!
Here's a little aid I have for wides...

 

[Valder]

You know I was using it around the house for a few snaps to burn through this roll ASAP and that little meter indicator is really handy where it is.

Thanks for the chart and the link!!


Darrin

 

[aad]

With a 21, set the aperture at f8 or better, and it will be very hard to go wrong. Does the 21 have a tab with detents, like the 25?

 

[cbass]

Not sure if I am going to keep the Bessa L though. I am running a roll of film through it this week to test it out and make sure it runs good.

Well, you'll be hooked for sure, then 😉 .

The L is a fun camera. You should keep it, especially if you enjoy shooting wides, if for no other reason than to have a spare body to which you can dedicate a single lens.

 

[oscroft]

I just use the DOF scale engraved on the lens when I'm using my 21 and Bessa-L - at f8 everything from about a meter to infinity is sharp.

 

[drewbarb]

Darrin- Alan is right. You don't need any more information than is printed on the lens barrel to be sure all your shots are correctly focused, except to have a rough idea of how far away from you things are. There's so much DOF room for user error, even wide open on this lens. I suggest doing a web search on hyper-focal length focusing.

In a nutshell, try this: look at your lens from above. Notice the aperture scale on the lens base, which features all the aperture setting numbers in two scales, one of the right side and one on the left? This is your depth of field scale. Look at the numbers that corospond to the aperture setting you are using, for instance f8. Now note that the next ring out is the focusing ring, which moves to the right as you focus closer, and left as you focus farther away. The distance setting you line up with the central dot will be your precise focus distance. For argument's sake, set this distance at 1 meter, or about 3.3 feet. Now look at the distances at the f8 marks on your D.O.F. scale. All the distances between these two numbers will be in sharp focus- in this case, everywhere from about 0.7 meters (or about 2.2 feet) to just under 2 meters, or about 7 feet. This is how to quickly scale focus. For hyper-focal work, set the infinty mark at the right-hand D.O.F. mark for your aperture setting, and forget focusing. At the f8 example we are using, everything from about 0.9 meters, or roughly 3 feet, to infinity should be in sharp focus, with your actual perfect focus point being about 6 feet.

You'll see how very easy it is to work like this in practice. Even wide open with this lens hyper-focused, you get about 1.5 meters to infinity, or very easily get 1 to 2 meters sharp by setting the distance to 1.3 meters. I use this lens a tremendous amount, and although I generally use it on an M3, I am just as likely to scale or hyper-focus this lens as actually use the RF. It's nice that this lens is coupled, though.

I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy this lens as much as I do. And for the record, get a 15mm for that Bessa L. It's a great little thing to have.

 

[Ash]

Don't sell the camera, you won't get too much for it, and you may as well keep it as a snapshot/carry-around camera. You won't mind it getting a bit beaten, and the lens is there for when you want it on a true RF. Scale focus is fun though, makes you think!

 

[kb244]

Hey if the camera annoys you, I'll take it *wink*

 

[Valder]

Thanks everyone and Drew thanks ALOT for that write-up. That is all I need and Ash, you're right, thinking is good. It is so easy to get lazy with my SLRs. I went back to some old DOF scales I forgot I linked and did some reading...jogged the memory back into place.

So far I have the 21, 40/1.4 and Rokkor 90/4....the 15 is next on the list and then I
should have all I need for my trips.

I used it a bit more tonight and am getting used to it so Karl you might be out of luck. 😉


Darrin