i did it!

[back alley]

i bought the bessa r and the 35/2.5 classic today.

got buttertflies in my stomach.

i don't regret selling the medium format stuff, not yet anyway, and am kinda excited to shoot this new toy.
can't wait to sell my 2 lenses to have some ready cash to pick up the 75/2.5 also. i'm pretty sure i will stay with a 2 lens outfit, for awhile anyway.
might try to pick up a canon p down the road.

first impressions?
first the negative - the strap sucks! and my instruction book was a mess. pages of different languages mixed together. the english portion had pages missing, not ripped out just not printed. wierd!

for the positive,
well, i like the feel, size and weight. the lens is sooo small!!
the meter seems easy to use and very easy to see. the finder is very bright and the framelines easy to see, although the 35 is harder to see the whole thing at once with my glasses on.
nothing i can't get used to.

the best news, it's stopped raining here and the weekend forcast is for sunshine and warmth. i will finally have time and weather on my side.
think i'll shoot some chromes and maybe get them scanned so i can 'show off' my new kit.

😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

joe

 

[Rich Silfver]

Congratulations on making the switch.

I could never leave Medium Format all together as for me 35mm and MF fulfill two different 'shooting styles' that I enjoy mixing.

Really looking forward to seeing some photos created by you and your new equipment!

 

[Taipei-metro]

Perfect.
$425 combo at Cameraquest.
See if any BIG difference with that 35mmF2.8 Olympus Stylus Epic of yours.
Please let us know.Thanks!

 

[Kris]

Joe, when you have your shots on chrome using the lens wide open, let me know whether or not the lens suffers from heavy vignetting.

I looked at samples of Pancake II taken by Alan Soon and to me vignetting is very heavy for a lens with 2.5 maximum aperture.

I'm interested in getting one of C/V 35mm 2.5 lenses since I have no wide angle lens at all. I can't make up my mind yet which one I will be getting. The price of Classic + M-adapter is more or less the same as the new Pancake II here Down Under.

Cheers,
Kris

 

[taffer]

Best of luck with your new gear Joe, hope the "magic" will come back 🙂

Also, as Kris said, don't forget to post some examples from the Skopar, I was seriously considering the 35/2.5 pancake I, but I think I'll wait a bit just in case some Canon 35/2 pops up at a reasonable price.

Meanwhile, just in case you run low on subjects, remember that saturday morning shots 😉

Oscar

 

[Huck Finn]

Congratulations on the bargain, Joe. Enjoy it in good health!

BTW, I didn't know it ever stopped raining on Canada's Pacific Coast.

 

[back alley]

huck,

i'm in edmonton, on the prairies.

joe

 

[Huck Finn]

Thank God. 😎

 

[back alley]

looking forward to posting those shots too!

i finally found a suitable strap from my box of photo 'gear' for the little r. tomorrow i have the day off and i plan to pick up some colour film (only have some b&w on hand) and maybe do some shooting after my dentist appointment.

i'm excited...

joe

 

[rover]

Oh, shoot during the dentist appointment. Think of the POV as the drill moves in. This may be one way of keeping the dentist from asking those silly questions that you cannot answer because your mouth is full.

Really though, good luck. Don't worry about the manual, there is nothing in there that you don't already know. And, I didn't think the strap was that bad, although it is on my Konica S3 and I did buy another for my Bessa. Happy shooting.

 

[back alley]

hey rover,

interesting idea, i wonder wht my dentist would think...

afa the strap, i didn't like the metal piece, it makes a hump with the strap that i didn't care for. i have similar straps with plastic pieces that make for a smoother line.
i know it's a small thing...

joe

 

[Doug]

Self-portrait with dentist having fun. 😀

 

[rover]

Hi Joe, I saw your post on the CVUG, it is much easier to respond here. When I am wearing my glasses the 35mm framelines on the R are right at the edge of the visible viewfinder for me (I don't know if my words make sense there, but you know what I mean). I just slow down and pay attention a little more to what I am doing. I find the meter diodes are also just below my view if I am going too fast. You can get a diopter to compensate for your vision, made by Nikon for the FM10 I believe which shares the Bessa R body. My problem with this set up is that I forget to take my glasses off, more of my user error issues. Or, I just wear my contacts.

 

[back alley]

hey rover,

i'm guessing that when i see some pics i will have a better idea if this will be a problem for me.
i generally do most things in 'slow' mode and using the bessa did not really present any problems yesterday or today.
as to the meter, i would occasionally check the reading while walking about and adjust if necessay. i usually shoot first and then re-meter and check focus if i have time for a second shot.

do you know if there is a felt protector made for the eyepiece?
i'm guessing i could make one if i found a 'sticky' adhesive that wasn't as strong as a glue.

joe

 

[rover]

I am not aware of one. You may be able to find a foam or felt mat at a craft store with a sticky backing and cut out what you want.

 

[back alley]

oh, good idea!
i'm off to shop tomorrow!

i'm guessing that scratched glasses have not been a problem for you?

joe

 

[rover]

No that hasn't been a problem. Of course, the diopter is nice smooth plastic so I wouldn't think that would scratch my glasses!!!
😉 😉 😉

 

[rover]

So, what are your impressions after a week or so?

 

[back alley]

i've only had the camera out once, last saturday morning.
so far so good!

i like the feel in my hands, the weight & balance.
the lens snaps into focus easily.
i prefer a manual set up so changing my own speeds and apertures is fine. the aperture ring is kinda small and it took a few tries to find it quickly at first. i had read that the metering leds were too bright but i have not found that to be the case so far.
i hope to shoot some more either this afternoon and/or tomorrow morning. as usual the weather is not cooperating at all, a bit cool and showers on and off.
i had hoped to have the 75/2.5 by now, but the sale on my mamiya lenses is going slow. the buyer sent a u.s. postal money order that my bank would not cash so i had to send it back and am now hapless and waiting on the canadian post office.
i am not so patient a person and this is 'killing' me.
i will report again and hope to have some slides soon.

joe

 

[rover]

Well, I was very pleased with the last results from my 75. I tend to want to shoot wider rather than tele, but I will keep mine close at hand.