New to RF photography - Bessa or what?

[rover]

1x viewfinder is very nice, and I would say that using a 40 is doable when wearing glasses, but you will not see all the framelines. If you compose seeing the area outside the framelines, that can't be done. I wanted to have one camera to use all my lenses on, so I sold my R3a, but not because I couldn't see the 40mm framelines when wearing my glasses.

 

[Wiechel]

so if i like shooting either 40mm or 35mm, and wear glasses, is it better to go for the R2a or the R3a? people seem to have differ on whether or not you can see the 40mm frame lines with glasses or not. i think that the R2a would be more logical for me, since i wear glasses, but as karl was saying feels bad to give up the 1x magnification.

--cpj

Like I said, I ended up going for the R2 because I wanted something that had no automation.

I have had no problems whatsoever with the fact the the magnification is not 1x. After all, most RFs don't have 1x magnification.

 

[aizan]

try it and see. could even try it with diopters for the nikon fm3a. only one eye will see sharply, but then again, it'd be the eye that matters more.

lookin good, wiechel!

 

[GeneW]

i think that the R2a would be more logical for me, since i wear glasses, but as karl was saying feels bad to give up the 1x magnification.

If you don't have it, you won't miss it. More important, IMO, to be able to see the framlines well while wearing glasses. I had an R2 and now have an R and can see the 35mm framelines easily with my glasses on.

Gene

 

[Skinny McGee]

From the looks of it he has already had a case of the F.A.R.T. (found at rangefinder thread).
Now he has a lust for Leica M2 so he now must B.M. ( Buy more)


Oh god, potty humor I love it... HeeHee

 

[peter_n]

I think the body of opinion is that if you wear glasses you cannot see the framelines on an R3A. Depends on your need for accurate framelines - some people apparently really need them and some don't seem to care so much (like me).

 

[Doug]

Maybe worth mentioning I've never been able to see the entire 35mm framelines on my M2. Have to move my eye around to see 'em, especially with glassses. Without glasses, and with the eye mashed as close to the eyepiece as possible, the left and right framelines are both just barely visible at the same time. It's workable, but not ideal.

If I ever get a newer M body, I'll go for the .58 magnification. Maybe 1.0 magnification is overrated, certainly less important than easily seeing the framelines.

 

[peijin]

thanks for the various opinions. i tend to agree tha tseeing framelines is more impt than having 1x magnification. that said, i've never actually experienced 1x magnification, so i don't know how great the benefits are. i think, for much of the reasons stated by various peopel above, i will go for R2. i have 2 contax G2's and i find that kind of repetitive. i would rather have many different types of cameras that are not interchangeable, so i think i will go for a R2 and if i find a good deal in hong kong, perhaps one of the ZM lenses.

 

[Doug]

That seems a reasonable choice, peijin! For some reason my cameras seem to come in pairs; not sure just why that is, though the pairs may not be identical. My most recent camera is a Contax G2 and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Might consider a second one, especially if black in contrast to the first. And I'm looking to "fill out" the system a little, so if you have in mind disposing of Contax G gear I might be interested.

Did you notice that RFF member Meleica is offering a ZM Planar 50mm here for $775? Tempting, but 50mm is longer than I usually use. Indeed, I just got a 45mm Planar (actually 47mm) brand-new for $189 and find I keep having to back up to get the framing I had in mind!

 

[tedwhite]

Pairs here, too. Toward the end of last month I bought a FED-2, and just last night I got a Kiev 4A off ebay. Now I'm studying up on FSU cameras.

 

[vsolanoy]

New to RF Photography as well - picked up an R3A

New to RF Photography as well - picked up an R3A

I too am new to RF photography. I purchased the R3A not realizing the problems with the 40mm frame lines, particularly if wearing glasses (which I do) and after reading the some of the complaints, I was somewhat alarmed. I then realized that the viewfiender of my Canon 10D doesn't show the whole picture (literally) and I can't see the framline on that camera either, so I dismissed the concern. I'm finding that as long as I can see the split image, 40mm appears to be roughly my field of view. While framing, I use the 90mm lines to help compose the image, and like I have to do on my 10D, I have to move my head around to see anything, including the exposure LEDs.

So far, I'm very happy with the camera with the Nokton 40mm lens. I am extremely impressed with the camera and lens. The shutter is loud though... louder than the mirrorslap on my 10D.

Victor