R3M + 50 "Classic Heliar" First Roll

[julianphotoart]

Attached are some regular snaps from first roll with R3M and 50mm f2 "Classic Heliar" collapsible lens, using Kodak Ultra Color 100 print film and a local commercial lab with Agfa processing equipment that might be in trouble maintenance-wise.

First shot is the obligatory shoot-into-the-sun-and-see-how-the-lens-reacts shot. Metered off the sky and took the meter reading as-is. Both the print and the on-line version show an awfully nice reaction to the sun. I've never had a lens do such pleasant things with the sun head-on. I am very very happy with how the lens handled the sun. That alone makes me happy to have bought the lens. I foresee many barrel marks in its future.

Second shot was metered off the sky as well. I think it was at 1/1000, f2.8. Camera on a mini-tripod on the boot. So-so. Too contrasy for my taste, but then again the film's too contrasty anyway.

Third shot metered directly from the scene, hand-held at something like 1/30. Just a weird old BBQ at the edge of a big agricultural field across the street from "California State University Channel Islands", housed in what was once Camarillo State Mental Hospital.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Julian,

Thanks for the photos.

Can you compare and contrast how the Heliar handles relative to other 50's you might have? A summicron maybe?

thanks

 

[raid]

I am also interested in the Heliar. The 50/3.5 too.

Raid

 

[triplefinger]

nice and punchy... i like it

 

[Trius]

Sharpness galore ... but we knew that. It will be interesting to see how it performs with films such as Reala 100, Portra NC, etc.

 

[julianphotoart]

Can you compare and contrast how the Heliar handles relative to other 50's you might have? A summicron maybe?

thanks

Well, so far I've got 5 50's (Nokton, Summitar, Summicron #4, Classic Heliar, ZI 50 f2). The ergonomics of the Classic Heliar seems to work with my brain the best of any of the five. The placement, feel and thickness for both focus and aperture seem just right for my hands. This is complemented by the way the exposure numbers work in the viewfinder. It is not often that I can feel sure enough of what I'm doing with a lens that I don't have to take my eye away from the viewfinder just to make sure I didn't screw up. For some reason that has not even been an issue with the Heliar. Strange.

Every lens I get I take one of those cheesy photos into the sun shots and I was honestly really surprised and almost blown away with what the original print looks like of the sun photo I attached. It not only handles the sun without any problem, it actually makes it look beautiful. That's certainly not something I am able to say with the Summicron, or the other lenses for that matter. I am not a fan of the aesthetic of collapsible lenses but for quality of result this could be great.

 

[jan normandale]

nice looking camera, the lens looks much nicer than I would have thought. The first shot into the sun was handled by the lens in amazing style. Impressive. All the collapsible lenses I've seen look strange to me, they almost look like toys. The lens I'm looking at looks nothing like collapsibles I've seen.

 

[Abbazz]

I just received my R3M from Cameraquest and I confirm that it looks gorgeous. The Heliar is a sweet lens, very well constructed.

Stephen threw in the VC-1 case for $1, but OMG this does look ugly! When I saw the cheap looking faux leather, with unattractive brown color (bad match for the nice black finished body) and boxy shape, I almost sent it back to Stephen to get my dollar back. The only good point is that this case is roomy, so you can still close it with an external viewfinder on top of the camera and the shade on the Heliar (collapsed).

Stay tuned for some pictures.

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[steve garza]

I understand the lens may not collapse into an M body w/o damaging the body interior. Can anyone confirm/deny this? I had considered purchasing the lens only as an alternative to the Elmar.

 

[Abbazz]

I understand the lens may not collapse into an M body w/o damaging the body interior.

Steve,

I know of a few Leica lenses capable of damaging a Bessa, but Voigtlander lenses are usable on all Leica Rangefinder cameras, as long as the mount is compatible.

I don't see how the f/2.0 Heliar could damage a camera anyway. The lens is collapsible, but it only retracts a very small amount. When collapsed, the rear element is flush with the lens mount and doesn't protrude at all inside the body.

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[Jacob]

I don't see how the f/2.0 Heliar could damage a camera anyway. The lens is collapsible, but it only retracts a very small amount. When collapsed, the rear element is flush with the lens mount and doesn't protrude at all inside the body.
Abbazz

...so this means it might work well on a Leica CL, that would be a nice small set!
Jacob

 

[Abbazz]

Here are some quick pictures from the first roll with my new R3M. Nothing fancy, Konica Centuria 100 ISO scanned by my local photo finishing service.

All these pictures were taken full open at f/2.0, some with contre-jour lighting. Out of focus areas rendering is full of character, as expected: it won't please everybody.

According to the first testers, the rendering changes dramatically when the lens is closed a little as half a stop to f/2.4. I will try to confirm that ASAP by shooting another roll with the lens stopped down.

Cheers,

Abbazz

 

[Sonnar2]

Nice pictures. I'm still awaiting my R3M here in Germany, home of old Voigtlander... From what you've write, I'm quite sure that it's not a bad choice for my first M-mount lens and body... 🙂

Abazz, are these full-formats or cropped? I would expect more light-falloff to the edges, considered that the 5-elements-design is somewhat stressed for speed. But they look very harmonically. Anyway bokeh reminds be to my 5-elements Takumar 2.4/58mm but a bit nicer!

cheers, Frank

 

[kshapero]

I just received my R3M from Cameraquest and I confirm that it looks gorgeous. The Heliar is a sweet lens, very well constructed.

Stephen threw in the VC-1 case for $1, but OMG this does look ugly! When I saw the cheap looking faux leather, with unattractive brown color (bad match for the nice black finished body) and boxy shape, I almost sent it back to Stephen to get my dollar back. The only good point is that this case is roomy, so you can still close it with an external viewfinder on top of the camera and the shade on the Heliar (collapsed).

Stay tuned for some pictures.

Cheers,

Abbazz

Spill the beans and get a case from Luigi and you will never look back. Come on down to Florida and I will give away to anyone my original case from Cameraquest.😀

 

[Abbazz]

Nice pictures.

Thanks Frank.

I'm still awaiting my R3M here in Germany, home of old Voigtlander...

Mine was faster, even though it has (almost) circumnavigated the globe: from Japan to California and then to Brunei...

are these full-formats or cropped? I would expect more light-falloff to the edges, considered that the 5-elements-design is somewhat stressed for speed. But they look very harmonically. Anyway bokeh reminds be to my 5-elements Takumar 2.4/58mm but a bit nicer!

The pictures are all full format with no cropping at all. To me also, the bokeh of this lens looks very much alike the Takumar's. But the Classic Heliar is a lot sharper than the old Japanese glass.

Abbazz

 

[pato]

Classic Heliar 50/2 & MP

Classic Heliar 50/2 & MP

Balderdash!

Have put mine on and taken it off an MP numerous times since it arrived 3 weeks ago & haven't noticed any stiffness when collapsing the lens (carefully) nor fine metal shavings on the inside.

The shots came out nicely, too.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=41977&cat=500&ppuser=573

 

[PetarDima]

I hope that Santa Claus knows that one child wants Bessa R3M.🙄

 

[Trius]

Not to hijack/go OT, but isn't anyone getting the R2M? Is .7 viewfinder magnification that much less desirable? I am more interested in wide angle than long.

BTW, I really, really like the way this lens renders!

 

[Silva Lining]

I understand the lens may not collapse into an M body w/o damaging the body interior. Can anyone confirm/deny this? I had considered purchasing the lens only as an alternative to the Elmar.

It works fine on my M3. 🙂

 

[Socke]

Looks more than nice, and since I'm planning an entry into the M-Mount world with nearly no money to spend this combo looks like a 1st class entry system.

But like Trius, I'm more interested in the R2M and a 35 as second lens.