Help me decide: Bessa L or T ?

[BillBingham2]

Ondrej,

If pure size is an issue go with the L. The T was my favorite Bessa. As mentioned before the winder makes it perfect. Mine never left the bottom till I sold most of my RF equipment. You have the finders you need and the T gives you the longer EBL that will work with your 85. The LEDs are in the same spot as on the L so it's ready for street shooting with the 25 or 28. I picked up a 28mm finder on the classifieds here a few months back for a great price. Keep your eyes open, they pop up from time to time.

While the R is a fine camera, the T gives you a better rangefinder if you want to start using strange lenses (e.g. 105/2.5) up close.

B2 (;->

 

[Colman]

Bessa T. Mine just arrived, and it feels much nicer than the L. Though I could be influenced by the lovely metal finder that came with the 75mm!

 

[jwhitley]

maybe a Zeiss Ikon, a Bessa R2/3/4, a Leica M...😀

Too true, too true. However, my real danger right now lies in lenses. 😉

To the OP's question, I had been considering an L primarily as a vehicle for the CV 15/4.5 lens. I ended up with the Bessa T and the 21/4. The external meter common to both the L and the T is really quite nice when using an external viewfinder. As for size, I find the T to be quite compact. Camera, lens, viewfinder, and strap all fit nicely into a coat pocket. I haven't held an L, so I can't offer a direct comparison there.

 

[noimmunity]

Too true, too true. However, my real danger right now lies in lenses. 😉

absolutely. as things that take in a lot of light, they sure are a lot like black holes (monetarily speaking).

 

[raid]

I often use both cameras as a small and light pair of cameras. The L gets a wide angle lens, while the T gets everything else. The TTL meters are accurate. The shutter speeds are precise and accurate. The T magnified RF is very useful. What else do you need?

 

[ingobohn]

Got my Bessa T from Stephen Gandy today. Even the tollkeeper was pleased about that "fine old camera". 😀

 

[Spyderman]

:bang: just missed one boxed "T" on ebay.co.uk that went for 82 GBP :bang: :bang:

🙁

 

[noimmunity]

hard to believe the T has been discontinued...In marketing terms, it really ought to have been called a TM, since the shutter will still fire without batteries. Just wish they'd been able to keep the self timer (in the instructions but not iin the actual camera, a leftover from the L).
enjoy your new T!!!