Maybe I don't need a Bessa L?

[tedwhite]

I was on the point of buying a Bessa L so I could mount the 21/4 Color Skopar. However, after reading about the lens, and that it is rangefinder coupled like the 35/2.5 on my Bessa R, and that it comes with the clip-on viewfinder, why do I need the Bessa L?

Can't I just buy the 21/4 and use it with my Bessa R? Will there be any problems?

Ted

 

[luketrash]

I think the L is for people who don't want to spend more on a RF model camera.

Therefore, you don't need one 🙂

 

[rxmd]

I use a 21/4 on a Bessa R all the time. I guess the one nice thing about the Bessa L would be the LEDs on top, so you don't have to look through a squinty viewfinder for exposure information. But that wouldn't justify a Bessa L for me.

Philipp

 

[Dougg]

Ted, it should work just fine on your R. 🙂 There is only one slight advantage for the L in that it puts the accessory viewfinder a leeetle bit lower for less parallax error. Probably not enough benefit to justify even its low cost, though if you had use for an inexpensive additional body mostly for wide lenses, the L is it. Also worth considering that the T is an even better choice... and they're both rather odd ducks. Having both, I should probably sell my L.

 

[GeneW]

Ted, I recently purchased Joe's Bessa L with CV 21/4 on it. Not trying to influence you but will say that it's terrific if you want to leave the 21 on a body permanently, as I do. The L is small and lightweight and even with lens attached slips easily into my bag as a second cam. You could think of it as a not-very-expensive accessory 🙂

Gene

 

[rover]

No, I didn't need an L either, but like Gene I ended up getting a little body to hold my 21CV too. In my case it was a T, but if I could have found a black L I would have been happy with that too. Just like Gene says, it is small and easy to slip in my bag. I think my 21 will get much more use now.

 

[Ash]

I've been contemplating getting one. But for me there's no point until I can afford the lens as well. I think I'll wait for a super-wide lens in my price bracket (or when my budget increases) and get a body cheap with the lens.

 

[anabasis]

I love my 21 on my T. Great little camera setup, especially after so many years of using SLR's. That being said, i've used the 21 on my R2M and other then having to really look in the regular viewfinder for exposure info which i do while focusing, it works well enough.

JCA

 

[Stephanie Brim]

Think of the L as a more expensive rear cap for the 21 that has much more use than a normal one would. 😀

 

[dexdog]

I acquired a Bessa L from a denizen of Nelsonfoto because it was attached to a 25/4 Snapshot Skopar. The camera, lens and finder all together were cheaper than I had seen the lens and finder on the used market. Didn't really need the L body, but it is a small, very lightweight camera, and I will keep either the 25/4 or the 15/4.5 attached to it all the time. Small frame, onboard light meter, and much smaller and lighter than a Canon P or 7s (which would otherwise be the default body for these lenses). I am planning to take it on vacation next year, along with my 20D and possibly a Contax RF.

The light meter display on the back of the body takes a little getting used to, but is usable w/o taking my eye away from the finder. I probably would not go out of my way to purchase one otherwise, but nice to have as long as I got it more or less free.

 

[flashover]

the L can be had pretty cheaply. I got mine for 45 bucks in the classified. It's an easy to use very light camera. The zone focus was easy to use with the 25/4 so I would think just as easy with a wider lens. The metering was real easy to use, that's one plus.

 

[BillBingham2]

Do you need an L, no, but they are handy.

The built in meter is fine. I adjust the exposure as the camera comes up to my eye. I also can adjust the exposure and shoot from the hip. It is very light weight. Will it last as long as an M3, no, but for the price, does it need to? For me it does not. I went to Bessas as I did not want to carry my Leicas with very young kids and the potential of a mistake costing $500 to fix.

I got my first one for free with a great deal. I got a 15mm, 25mm and black L for slightly more than the average price of a 15mm several years ago. From that point I purchased a new one with a lens ($69) and traded two Kievs that even after CLA did not hold magic for me.

I agree that the T is a better choice, but these days almost twice the price. As your first camera is an R, you will need to add LTM to M adapters to work with the T. I might be changing over to a T, but my primary camera is again an M mount camera and it’s handy to have all bodies on the same mount. The L and the R feel very close to the same in your hand.

As it does not have a rangefinder built in, there is less to break if the camera gets bumped. While my L has not been dropped, it has found some very hard items from time to time and come back fine. I do not have to treat it the same as I would a camera with a rangefinder.

IMHO, the Bessa L is the perfect PS camera body for the rest of us who want control and interchangeable lenses.

B2 (;->

 

[Sparrow]

and the fact you are carrying a wide angle already mounted you're more likely to shoot a few frames just on the off chance, I found I’m was taking far more WA shots now simply because it's easier

 

[marknyc]

I have the R with the 35/2.5 as my primary camera shooting only Tri-X, and just got the Bessa L with the 21/4 for use with color film. Of course, I can also switch the 21 to the R and use it there, but I got the second set up to have color if I need it. I am going to Japan next year for cherry blossom season (weather, the Gods and global warming permitting), so figured I need something to shoot color (good excuse huh?).

 

[back alley]

another reason not mentioned, for me anyway, was being able to leave the finder on the body all the time. i had this fear of breaking the foot on the finder with taking it off and putting it on all the time. the l is cheaper than a replacement finder.

 

[Scarpia]

Taken with one of my three L's last month using a 1962 39mm LTM Helios 44 58mm F2 for a Zenit SLR with a spacer allowing it to focus properly on a RF.
Kurt M.
PS I love my L's.
PPS Shows you don't have to be confined to wide angles if you can judge distance or measure.

 

[Trius]

Scarpia: After handling Gene's L (formerly joe's ... most gear here IS formerly joe's) I have contemplated getting an L and acquiring an adapter to allow me to mount my Zuiko 21/2; I already have a 21mm finder. I havent' been able to find a commercially made OM-LTM adapter, though Stephen sells the OM-M adapter. But I do have an OM-M42 adapter, so how hard could it be to make or cobble together an OM-LTM?

The advantage of Stephen's OM-M adapter is that it is RF coupled allows the OM lenses to focus through all distances. So, I've considered a Bessa T, but the cost of that right is much higher.

 

[wrenhunter]

I use a 21/4 on both my L and my R. Works just great on the latter, but the former is a very fun camera.