I'm getting used to my Bessa R...

[fishtek]

I took a stroll around a local cemetary yesterday, getting used to my new Bessa R. Cloudy bright, flat light, muted colors. Metering seems fine, exposures OK (local C-41 machine), but maybe not quite as sharp as I'm looking for. Probably operator malfunction...

Here's a few shots...

 

[BJ Bignell]

Glad to hear that you're enjoying your Bessa.

It might just be me, but it looks like you're having some trouble with keeping the camera level. I had the same problem when I started with rangefinders, especially with the 21mm lens. Practice makes perfect!

 

[fishtek]

Hi, BJ!

Nah...it's me. Wandering over the hilly terrain, I wasn't paying too much attention to keeping stuff level....just shooting at the subject area. My composition needs improving along with everything else...

See ya!
Don

 

[popstar]

Hey Don - Don't beat yourself up too much. I had trouble with composition and horizons when I first got my Bessa R too. It really reiterated to me how important it was to gently squeeze the shutter instead of pressing it down.

I think learning on an SLR wasn't really good for me as I was used to pressing down halfway to focus, and all the way to take a picture. It is far different with these rangefinders. But as with many other things, practice makes perfect. Enjoy the practice!

 

[lZr]

I think you go out and do shots in suny condition to realize sharpness. Flat light needs special attention to film selection. B&W can be better for this light
Enjoy the R

 

[robertdfeinman]

I'm not sure how you are getting your images posted. If you are scanning the prints then there is a limit to how well they will look.
If you got the negatives put on a CDROM then the store probably scanned them at too low a resolution.
If you scanned the negatives yourself you need to use a high quality scanner (preferably a dedicated film scanner). In addition you need to use the right amount of unsharp mask after scanning with any technique.

The biggest causes of unsharpness are misfocusing and camera shake, not the lens or the camera. Film has little effect unless you are using a superspeed emulsion.

Personally I never shoot below 1/125 with 35mm without some sort of bracing.

If you are doing your own scanning look at some of the tips on my web site or those on scantips.com