I'm making the move (in my head) toward placing an order. But as eager as I am I also have a (mostly irrational) cautious side, which in this case forces me to wait until after photokina before making the decision (why? just in case. Just in case what? I have no clue.). It's difficult to wait, but oh well, more research never hurt anybody. Unless we're talking about, like, research into electric shock treatment. That stuff probably hurt somebody. Or at least a monkey. And a monkey, I believe, constitutes a somebody...
In any case, I need to use my ordering through the internet skills to place the order after Stephen Cameraquest has liveblogged photokina (do it, man), but before he gets back. Only then can I order in full conscience and also still snag that no shipping costs deal.
On another personal note:
I'm new to these boards. But the last few days of searching the archives has taught me a lot. At the moment I'm aiming toward a r2m with the heliar. 2 - because I'd like to eventually go wider than 40mm, and because I wear glasses. M - because lately I've been doing "street photography" with a bronica sq-ai with an handheld incident meter, and I feel comfortable, and very much enjoy, managing all those little aperture/time details on my own. My next step is to have a potentially unpleasant conversation with my bank account.
Oh man, I feel like I have a million things to do once I get my bessa.
I'll put aside that bronica for when I'm doing landscapes and such, and I'll dive deep into the bizarre mining towns that are surrounding me. An unassuming rangefinder will work so much better at these places.
-RyanG.