Focusing with Bessa

[manowar]

Im quite new to RF and just got my Bessa R2. I found it's abit difficult to focus with the VF of the R2, compared to my 35mm camera. Ofcourse i know it's a whole different aspect.
The central focusing area sometime dissapared when i look into the viewfinder, and it seems too difficult to distinguish whether the object is in or out of focus, specially when i do vertical shoot.
Can anyone shed a light or share your experiences for easier focusing with these beloved cameras.

 

[alecto]

Im quite new to RF and just got my Bessa R2. I found it's abit difficult to focus with the VF of the R2, compared to my 35mm camera. Ofcourse i know it's a whole different aspect.
The central focusing area sometime dissapared when i look into the viewfinder, and it seems too difficult to distinguish whether the object is in or out of focus, specially when i do vertical shoot.
Can anyone shed a light or share your experiences for easier focusing with these beloved cameras.

First thing that I do is place the patch over something with well defined lines or something which contrasts with your background, then as i'm sure you already know adjust the focussing ring until the two images superimpose. As for the rangefinder patch disappearing I have not had that issue with my R2a, do you wear glasses as they can sometimes cause problems.

 

[Peter_Jones]

It's just a case of making sure your eye is central to the VF. The RF patch should appear as bright as the framelines.

If you still have difficulty try taping a bit of coloured filter gel (or sweet wrapper) over the RF window or even the VF window to see if the increased contrast helps.

 

[ferider]

This might sound silly, please don't take it wrong:

make sure you do not cover the RF window in front of the camera (the small rectangle above the lens) with your finger, camera strap or other stuff, in particular when shooting vertical.

Roland.

 

[Merkin]

unless you are using a very shallow dof, i find it is easier to focus on people's ears or hair than their eyes, as it is a sharper line to distinguish. also, a lot of the time i will focus in landscape orientation and then turn the camera up. also, even though this is less likely with a bessa than a leica, contax, or nikon, make sure your finger isnt covering the rf window.

 

[manowar]

You guys are great. Thanks for the replies. Now i have alot of work to do. Praticing 😀

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have a Bessa R2 also, and I find it frustrating to focus too. I have no trouble with far off or medium distance subjects, but close up the photos are backfocused about 30% of the time. The head bartender had his techs check my camera and it was fine. One of my lenses backfocused all the time, no matter what, and he fixed it for me (I'm waiting for the lens to arrive now). The other one is good but I get backfocus occassionally just because the short base rangefinder simply isn't accurate close up at wide apertures.

 

[sweathog]

As somebody else mentioned, if you do not have your eye placed centrally on the VF, the RF patch can appear faint or even non-visible. This is a problem I had with my Bessa R.

 

[Spyderman]

As somebody else mentioned, if you do not have your eye placed centrally on the VF, the RF patch can appear faint or even non-visible. This is a problem I had with my Bessa R.

Agree with this. It's the same on my R2. I find it very frustrating and it slows me down significantly: I can't focus as soon as I put the camera to my eye, but I first have to position my eye to see the RF patch.

Moreover the correct position isn't the same when the camera is focussed at infinity and close up! So when focussing lens from infinity to close distance, the focus spot fades until it's not visible at all!

This is one of the reasons I can shoot faster with Leica. Even though the Leica VF is more like a tunnel, the RF patch is visible at all times.