R3a - Have I made a big mistake?

[kuvvy]

Just got this camera, the grey version and the 40mm Nokton, and not sure I was wise to buy it. I had the Bessa R before but preferred the aperture priority mode, so took a chance. It’s six months old in pretty good order but from the start I became frustrated using it. I’ve only taken a couple of rolls so it is early days. I read as much as possible about it here and the opinions from other users.

My gripes are the… surprise, surprise…. the loss of the framelines. I knew about this (I’m a spectacle wearer and most cameras are slightly awkward to use) but I didn’t realise just how much of the viewfinder it actually affected. Also I knew about the disappearing shutter speed readout in the viewfinder (on sunny days) but I have difficulty reading them most of the time. The problem being that my eye is so far away and the readings go all the way along the bottom of the viewfinder that the only ones that are regularly clear are the slower end (upto about 60th). This is because they are more in front of my view. It would have been nice if there had been just a central readout.
It’s taking too long to get a picture by the time I’ve managed to read the shutter speed, focus and frame the picture best I can. But overall I'm still preferring my OM SLR than the R3a.
The lens quality is excellent of course. The RF patch is nice and easy to use and the metering is much better than my R used to be. Just maybe I should have gone for the R2a as some others here did.

Do you think I should persevere with this as I’m wishing now that I’d bought the 21mm lens for my Contax G instead, as I intended.

Paul

 

[billwheeler]

Paul,
It sounds as if you have answered your own question: sell the Bessa and lens and purchase a 21mm lens for your contax camera. If you feel truly unsure about whether or not to keep the bessa and lens, hang on to it for six months, use it, see how it goes. Happily, it is not a life and death matter.
Bill

 

[cbass]

As a fellow glasses wearer I can sympathize with your plight -- I have trouble with the 35mm framelines in my Bessa R.

There are lots of interface points on a camera that can be changed by the addtion of grips, covers, straps, focus screens, diopters and various other accessories. Unfortunately, the visibility problem you describe seems inherent to the camera's design and would be difficult if not impossible to correct.

Would you keep a shirt or a pair of shoes that did not fit? Don't feel bad about parting ways with the R3A.

 

[arky]

Is there same kind of difficulties with Bessa R2a's viewfinder? I'm wearing glasses and strongly thinking of buying one. Here in finland we don't have any local shop who has those new bessa models available so that I could test one.

 

[sockeyed]

I have an R3A and I think that it's a great camera, but I don't have glasses. Unfortunately you do and it might not quite the right tool for you. I can see the 40mm framelines and the shutter speed numbers clearly, but since you can't and this will probably lead to frustration for you, you shouldn't hesitate to sell it. Chances are, you should be able to sell it for what you got it for. If you like the R, you could always consider an R2A instead.

 

[ruben]

Dear Friend,
Take into account as well that the OMs are very hard to beat. We, OM owners live trapped in a very hard -no money saving- dilemma: very seldom another camera satisfyes us, unless we decide beforehand it will be a junior partner.

As for your "gripes" about the R3a, why not writing a kind and personal email to Mr Gandy, asking his authoritative remmarks ?

Regards,
Ruben

 

[Andrew Touchon]

I recommend you purchase a diopter correction lens. It will probably fix most of your problems.

 

[dgray]

It is very likely that you could find someone willing to trade you for an R3a. I've posted several WTT (Wanted To Trade) threads and always came out with something interesting. There might just be someone out there thinking, "I like this R2a, but the framelines are just too small for the 50mm I use all the time - maybe I should have bought the R3a instead?" It's worth a try, and that way you get to evaluate the other camera's framelines, it doesn't cost you anything (selling and then rebuying gets expensive), and you would STILL have the option of selling the R2a if you don't like it and getting the 21 G lens as a last resort. Just a thought.

 

[Gerry M]

arky,
I have an R2a and wear glasses. The 35mm framelines are somewhat difficult for me. I have to really press my glasses against the eyepiece to get full coverage, and then it is not always possible. Worst case seems to be cleaning smudges from my glasses more often. Still, I really like the camera. Good luck,
Gerry

 

[agoglanian]

i was thinking of getting an r3a myself, but now im leaning a bit more towards the r2a due to the fact that the 50mm would be the longest lens i would use. i prefer wides on RFs

 

[Aurelius]

Is there same kind of difficulties with Bessa R2a's viewfinder? I'm wearing glasses and strongly thinking of buying one. Here in finland we don't have any local shop who has those new bessa models available so that I could test one.

EP Kamera, Helsinki! I bought my Bessa R there in december or try the Zeiss Ikon ...!

 

[Peter Klein]

I wear glasses. From comparing my experience with others, I need a little more eye relief than some others. I've played with the R3a, and it doesn't work for me with glasses. Not only can I not see the 35mm frame, I can't see the entire 50mm frame either. This is the main reason why I didn't buy an R-D1, which has the same 1:1 viewfinder.

One solution is contact lenses 🙂 I wear them some of the time, but I don't like to wear them all the time. So I stay away from R3a and R-D1, and .85x Leica M finders. And when on vacation with my .72x Leica M's, I keep my glasses on a neck cord. That way when I'm using a 35mm lens, I can focus, take off the glasses easily, and compose with a full view.

I think you would be much happier with an R2a.

--Peter

 

[CJP6008]

I have an R3A and glasses - yep the 40 mm frames are hard to see. One way is to unscrew the round nikon style eyepeice, that brings the eye a good 1mm closer, removing the whole plate that surrounds the VF works really well but exposes the guts of the camera. Neither are great solutions. I keep the the eyepeice off but the plate on. Works well enough.

R3A is great for 50, 75 and 90 as the frames are pretty big. Nether the R2A or R3A seem idea for wide angle lenses (not if you want to look throught the main VF that is.) The Zeiss Ikon probably has the best eye relief around.

Visibility of VF info is always an issue with rangefinders.

if you want a great 40mm lens, try the Zuiko 40mm f2 - its a craker. Much better bokeh than the CV 40 (which is pretty horrid in that department - although otherwise a good little lens). olympus USA had one recently for sale. They may also have a 50mm f2 macro - now that is one special lens. Not just for macro. A bit of magic about it. OMs are just great!
Other than that, Robert White still have some of the Rollei RFs - these have 40, 50 and 80 frames and a 0.7 VF. Should be able to see those 40mm lines all right.

Aologies for the stream of conciousness...

Chris

 

[arky]

EP Kamera, Helsinki! I bought my Bessa R there in december or try the Zeiss Ikon ...!

Already went there couple of days a go. They only have one used R2 left. They have just sold all the stock what was left from disributor (fotoring) which no longer import Voigtländers.

I'm just wondering am I able to see the LED Shutter Speed readout from R2a which is different kind the one on R2?

Zeiss is definitely out of my price range. So my options are to buy the used R2 from EP kamera or order R2a from Germany without seeing it live first. I really prefer the AE & AE lock and the prices are on a same level.

 

[Fred]

About 15 months ago when looking into getting an RF I visited Robert White (RFF sponsor) on the UK South coast just after the R3a came out.

I tried the R3 against the Leica M7 (.72) an the R2 (used). Being a glasses wearer I could see the 35 lines of the R2 and the M7 with little struggle, however the 28 lines of the M7 and the 40 lines of the R3a were more of a problem. I decided to wait for the R2a. I was sold on the build and features of the R3a and the vf for 50mm lenses and above.

If RW had the R2a in stock, I'd have left with it happilly. Unfortunately it was not in the UK at the time and my money went to an M7 last February. Not looked back since. Lots more cash yes but I'd just got my bonus and coupled with some savings I got it. Regrets definitely not. My RF is easilly the most used of my cameras.

In summary, I'd have to have the camera that fits. For my money given you already have the R3a, I'd consider getting an external VF or spend that cash on an R2A (same mag as the R). For me using longer fast lenses made my choice. 'd still consider a R2a as another body without hesitation but the R3a is a tad too restrictive for my eyes.

 

[DCourter]

I've been struggling w/the same issues since I got my R3A/40 rig a few months back. I tried using a corrective diopter, but having to take my glasses on and off got very tiresome. My next solution was to just use the 50mm framelines and crop very tightly. This seems to work pretty well. I think the best solution for me however, is to trade my 40 for a good 50. The 50 framelines on the R3A seem just about perfect. Nice large well defined frame w/space outside, something I've missed w/the 40. Hope this helps, Dan

 

[agoglanian]

sounds like the R3A is very restrictive when it comes to the VF... now i dont wear glasses and i have pretty good vision. but even i am leaning more towards the R2A with some aux. finders for wides

 

[sf]

If you don't like it, get rid of it. It's not like you married it. I got rid of my R3A because it just wasn't worth the thousand bucks I spent on it - and I only had mine for a month or so. But, I never had any trouble seeing the framelines - but i don't wear glasses either.

 

[Frank Granovski]

I find the 40mm frame-lines difficult unless I press my eyeball against the glass, but with the 50mm frame-lines there is no problem, except that I don't have a 50mm lens. Nevertheless, my R3A's a keeper, that's for sure. 😎

 

[billwheeler]

Like many others, I wear eyeglasses. For years I framed shots carefully, down to the very edges of the viewfinder. View cameras certainly lend themselves to careful composition, as do slr cameras, like the Olympus OM series: What you see is what you get. Rangefinders feel diffrent to me.

With small-format cameras, it's important to make good use of the film, to use as much of the frame in each composition as possibe, particularly if you plan to enlarge the neg significantly. But framing carefully, closely, is not absolutely important; it is not the only consideration in taking pictures. Because the framelines of a rangefinder camera only approximate what appears on the film when you take a picture, I feel more free when using my rangefinder to frame the shots without worrying about knowing exactly what will appear in the pictures. I find this approach to picture-taking with a rangefinder camera liberating after years of checking and double-checking everything--rocks, trees, blades of grass--on the groundglass or in the viewfinder.

To tell the truth, I don't think I can see the entire viewfinder, without moving my head, with either my slr camera or rangefinder camera. The circle in the center of my slr camera and the patch in the center of my rangefinder window provide a reference point. The rest, for me, is all about trusting the force. Perhaps you could try framing "generally," without trying to see everything in the viewfinder of your bessa r3a for a week or two, Paul, and see how it goes. What do you think?

Bill