New to RFs and my new to me Bessa-L

[adriankeith]

Hi all,

Hope you folks are doing well. I recently purchased a used Bessa-L with what looks like a Soviet 28mm lens and an aftermarket viewfinder. I'm completely new to RFs and this type of mount but after looking at potential lenses (15mm Heliar, 25mm color skopar) I feel I may have purchased the wrong beginner RF, haha. These lenses are pricey! Are there lenses you fine folks could recommend that would give good results without costing $375+? I'll be saving up for a little bit to purchase the 25mm as I've heard good things about it and also potentially the 15mm if it makes sense with this camera.

Would love to hear your thoughts on any other lenses you could recommend to a beginner looking to learn on the Bessa-L 🙂

Thanks!

 

[seany65]

Hello and welcome to the forum adriankeith.

I can't help you with info about Bessas, their lenses nor anything of that level, I have enough trouble getting the bits together for my various camera kits, all of which are second-hand from ebay and none of which cost more than £90, (although that was an agfa ambi silette with erc. and 50mm and 90mm lenses, lens hood with two filters and leather case, metraphot 3 light meter and 'proximeter 1'), and not counting any costs for getting the cameras CLA'd.

But there are a lot of members here who will be able to tell you the "ins and outs of the cat's backside" of every bit of equipment you'll ever want.

 

[Corran]

Bessa L is a good camera for ultrawide lenses. The 15mm Voigtlander is an excellent lens and is comparable to lenses that are way, way more expensive than $400. I mean, it's a real bargain of a lens, if you want a 15mm.

Pretty much the only lens I use on my L is a 15mm Voigtlander. Here's an example from the L + 15:

For me, anything longer than a 15mm, 21mm, or maybe a 25mm, is too long for the L, and I'm more likely to use an actual RF camera with, well, an RF 🙂.