K
kneedropper
Guest
My first post, hello all. Today I got my new R3A and 40mm Nokton (MC). It's my first RF and therefore I didn't really know what to expect – I've never handled any other RFs either.
I started photographing some 20 years ago with Nikon SLR's, changing to a rather complete Canon EOS-1N set with a lens range from 17 to 200mm (no true need for longer) 5 years ago. Since then, less and less of shooting and good pics. I thought that was because of starting my own business and becoming a dad (which certainly increased digital snapshotting and videography!). But on my last vacation in Italy I got tired of towing the Canon around (even with just one lens). Also its bulk never went unnoticed and the corteous italians always stopped in their tracks as not to ruin my images. Which led to the opposite. And since my best shots ever were taken a decade ago with a Nikon F3 I had to conclude that auto this and that just doesn't become me.
So I sold everything, also my G2 as digital images suck, I just cant stand all that purple fringing, my wife's ixus i can manage that just as well...
So wanting to loose the bulk and get control of things, what else could I choose but an RF? And since we moved in a bigger flat this fall, I couldn't use all I got from the old gear to pay for the new. It was rather a coincidence I stumbled over CQ's pages just when Mr Gandy was at Photokina, offering the R3A at $499 and free worldwide shipping. With the dollar sucking dirt it was a no-brainer. But still, admittedly, a bit of a leap.
So today, handling the Bessa for the very first time, I didn't have any RF-experience for reference. Thus my findings are "unfiltered":
– Not pretty, but looks very solid in every aspect
– The shutter release feels good
– The dial is too stiff
– The AE lock is well placed
– The thumb support is not, for me
– The shutter sound: Someone wrote it sounded like "Thonk". Please – at best it's a "Thrak" with speeds above 1/250, from 1/125 down to 1/60 it's a "Thrarak" and slower than that a "Thra-Tak". Anything but solid. But I have no comparison, no clue of what a R, R2 or a Leica M sounds like.
– I have a face carved with an axe – a huge nose and strong brows, eyes somewhat deep. No glasses, perfect sight, but still I can't see the 40mm lines unless I look straight in the middle, which I guess is what you're supposed to be doing... The viewfinder is also quite far from the left side of the camera (compared to Leica), so my nose has me turning my head left a bit to get the (right) eye in position. Can't blame the camera for my lazy right eye, which makes shooting with both eyes open quite impossible as the left eye walks over it and I can hardly see the finder at all, even less the RF area. I do manage with effort, but then I could just as well close the left eye.
– The worst part of the finder is that the RF area view is vertically parallel only at the close end – at 0.7 meters. At just over 1 meter lines on a postcard are clearly on top of each other. And it only gets worse the further I focus. Is this typical? It's really hard to focus fast when you never get a sharp image in the finder, even if the shot was.
And the the 40mm Nokton. It looks like a killer, but the focusing – good grief! It's a real pain for me. Smooth is everything it isn't and the noise is annoying. And how should I place my hand and fingers to operate it? The best I've found is to have my palm towards the camera, my thumb on the left (rear view) "knob" (not in the "groove") and index finger on the barrel (why is it smooth all around?). Turning would be easier with palm facing right, thumb in groove and index finger on top, but then I block the viewfinder... If the action was smooth, then I guess all would work, but now it "jumps" if I don't pinch it for better control.
Tomorrow I will start shooting. Last week I also bought a S/H 15mm/4.5 Heliar, an interesting piece of glass. I've also had a Nikon V ED on my desk for 2 weeks now, but haven't had the time to get it operating. Have to find the time next week.
Well, if anyone endured this far, good news, just a few lines left. I'd be very happy to read your views and especially your opinion on the RF disalignement and the focusing action of the Nokton. Sorry for any/all spelling errors and a peacefull New Year. I also would like to encourage all to make a donation to help the victims of the Tsunami catastrophe.
Best Regards,
Johan
I started photographing some 20 years ago with Nikon SLR's, changing to a rather complete Canon EOS-1N set with a lens range from 17 to 200mm (no true need for longer) 5 years ago. Since then, less and less of shooting and good pics. I thought that was because of starting my own business and becoming a dad (which certainly increased digital snapshotting and videography!). But on my last vacation in Italy I got tired of towing the Canon around (even with just one lens). Also its bulk never went unnoticed and the corteous italians always stopped in their tracks as not to ruin my images. Which led to the opposite. And since my best shots ever were taken a decade ago with a Nikon F3 I had to conclude that auto this and that just doesn't become me.
So I sold everything, also my G2 as digital images suck, I just cant stand all that purple fringing, my wife's ixus i can manage that just as well...
So wanting to loose the bulk and get control of things, what else could I choose but an RF? And since we moved in a bigger flat this fall, I couldn't use all I got from the old gear to pay for the new. It was rather a coincidence I stumbled over CQ's pages just when Mr Gandy was at Photokina, offering the R3A at $499 and free worldwide shipping. With the dollar sucking dirt it was a no-brainer. But still, admittedly, a bit of a leap.
So today, handling the Bessa for the very first time, I didn't have any RF-experience for reference. Thus my findings are "unfiltered":
– Not pretty, but looks very solid in every aspect
– The shutter release feels good
– The dial is too stiff
– The AE lock is well placed
– The thumb support is not, for me
– The shutter sound: Someone wrote it sounded like "Thonk". Please – at best it's a "Thrak" with speeds above 1/250, from 1/125 down to 1/60 it's a "Thrarak" and slower than that a "Thra-Tak". Anything but solid. But I have no comparison, no clue of what a R, R2 or a Leica M sounds like.
– I have a face carved with an axe – a huge nose and strong brows, eyes somewhat deep. No glasses, perfect sight, but still I can't see the 40mm lines unless I look straight in the middle, which I guess is what you're supposed to be doing... The viewfinder is also quite far from the left side of the camera (compared to Leica), so my nose has me turning my head left a bit to get the (right) eye in position. Can't blame the camera for my lazy right eye, which makes shooting with both eyes open quite impossible as the left eye walks over it and I can hardly see the finder at all, even less the RF area. I do manage with effort, but then I could just as well close the left eye.
– The worst part of the finder is that the RF area view is vertically parallel only at the close end – at 0.7 meters. At just over 1 meter lines on a postcard are clearly on top of each other. And it only gets worse the further I focus. Is this typical? It's really hard to focus fast when you never get a sharp image in the finder, even if the shot was.
And the the 40mm Nokton. It looks like a killer, but the focusing – good grief! It's a real pain for me. Smooth is everything it isn't and the noise is annoying. And how should I place my hand and fingers to operate it? The best I've found is to have my palm towards the camera, my thumb on the left (rear view) "knob" (not in the "groove") and index finger on the barrel (why is it smooth all around?). Turning would be easier with palm facing right, thumb in groove and index finger on top, but then I block the viewfinder... If the action was smooth, then I guess all would work, but now it "jumps" if I don't pinch it for better control.
Tomorrow I will start shooting. Last week I also bought a S/H 15mm/4.5 Heliar, an interesting piece of glass. I've also had a Nikon V ED on my desk for 2 weeks now, but haven't had the time to get it operating. Have to find the time next week.
Well, if anyone endured this far, good news, just a few lines left. I'd be very happy to read your views and especially your opinion on the RF disalignement and the focusing action of the Nokton. Sorry for any/all spelling errors and a peacefull New Year. I also would like to encourage all to make a donation to help the victims of the Tsunami catastrophe.
Best Regards,
Johan
