shooter, bessa R or Leica IIIf

[Gabriel M.A.]

The Bessa R is mechanical, but I can not characterize it as "fine".

But some people may still raise their pinky when they pick it up 😉 I characterize mine as a workhorse (it better last; I can't think of anybody that can repair it...does anybody know yet?)

 

[Kyle]

But some people may still raise their pinky when they pick it up 😉 I characterize mine as a workhorse (it better last; I can't think of anybody that can repair it...does anybody know yet?)

Provided there are parts available for the repair, I'd say CameraQuest should be able to do it.

 

[Periagoge]

thanks

thanks

Thanks to you all for your advices, this is really a wondeful site/forum. Even though I still didnt make my mind your advices will certainly make a more thoughful decision process. As for buying the two, lol, i'd like to but my graduate student pockets are not compatible with that level of rangefinder addiction 😉 .

 

[MCTuomey]

I'm not really qualified to respond, being comparatively new to RFs. Then maybe that fact does somehow qualify me since I've recently had to make a similar decision.

My path was: fixed-lens RF --> Bessa --> Leica

Would I do it the same way knowing what I do today?

I don't think it matters. It's a lot of fun to acquire and use these cameras. What you don't fancy can be sold at not too much loss, esp if you buy used in the first place.

FWIW, I've sold all but one of the fixed-lens RFs. Not being a collector, if I'm not using a piece of equipment I move it along. I've kept the Bessa because I like it, esp its bright finder. I use the Leica most of the time. Once we got acquainted, it became so pleasant to use. Practically speaking, it's nice to have a couple of bodies to be able to load up a fast and a slow film in each.

Enjoy your decision-making and the afterglow ...

 

[kmack]

I have both, and I would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. Both have advantages and disadvantages as an every day shooter. The Leica is smaller and quieter, with a collapsible lens it will easily fit into a jacket pocket. The Bessa has a great finder and good meter.

If I had to choose, personally, I would choose the bright finder of the Bessa. I find it easier to focus under available light conditions and the meter takes some of the guess work out of determining a correct exposure.

 

[dostacos]

Heck, most people don't know the difference between a Bessa R and a Leica anyway. While shooting with my black R at an event, a young PJ from the local paper came up to me saying, "Wow, I've never seen a Leica before!". And he was a photographer.

did you tell him "you still haven't"? 😀

 

[ZeissFan]

The Bessa is a great user camera. Outfitted with the Pancake 35 Color-Skopar, it's very compact. I carried this camera as my second camera on several trips, slipped into the pocket of my jacket.

The Leica also is a nice camera, but because it's in the "classic" and "collectable" category, you sometimes worry more about not damaging the camera, unless it's a beater to start.

But as a user, the Bessa might be the better choice for many photogs: easier to load, a vastly superior viewfinder, built-in meter, film advance lever and no need to trim the film leader.

 

[wlewisiii]

Overall, I'd agree with what Mike just said. However, I will add that if you decide you want the experiance of a Barnack with less worry and a couple of fewer hassles, the Canon bottom loaders are very good alternatives. Plenty of them out there so the prices are quite sane, a slightly better VF/RF system and a much better takeup spool make it something to consider. I carry my Canon 7 as my "everytime I'm out the door" camera, but I still use my Canon IVSb much more than I would have ever expected before trying one.

Edit: oh, and with an Industar-22, that is one really great pocket camera... 😀

William

 

[Film dino]

Another choice..

Another choice..

If you shoot by available light most of the time you might consider a IIIc- these are older & cheaper** than IIIfs but apart from not having flash synch, are equally functional. The postwar version is probably the best buy & you'd need to factor in a CLA.
Happy hunting

** Doesn't apply to certain wartime variants (& fakes)

 

[pcfranchina]

Just out of curiousity what would be the going price for a IIIf? More then the Bessa R? The Bessa is really light with a lot of plastic and the Leica will have much heft. When I went to go buy a Beasa R and I ended up with a R3a because of the way the R felt.

 

[danwilly]

I had both a Bessa R and a Leica IIIf. I found that I hadn't used the Leica in six months so I sold it and bought a second Bessa R body. Haven't regretted it for a minute. I kept all my Leica lenses of course. We sometimes forget that it is the image we are after, not the impression we are trying to make on other photographers. The Bessa R is a better shooter in my book. And if I drop it down the stairs I can easily afford to buy another one.

 

[simonankor]

I have a Bessa R & T and a really old pre-war NKVD-FED, which is pretty much a straight copy of a Leica II. The FED is beautiful in the hand and much more fun than the Bessa. I am still hankering after a Leica IIIx.

I have found that the FED is the most fun to shoot in daytime, and when it starts to get dark my Canon P comes out.

The Bessas are fun, but they just don't feel as nice in my hand.

 

[Solinar]

The Bessas are fun, but they just don't feel as nice in my hand.

Same here. I own both and will keep both, but it's butter versus margarine.

The Leica IIIf rangefinder is spot on the money, while the RF on the Bessa R requires careful attention. The shutter release on the IIIf is smooth and the snap of the curtain less distracting. I'm also addicted to separate 1:1 bright-line finders.

The Bessa R earns it's keep, as a vacation and concert shooter. With no separate meter and finders, there is less to carry. Plus, I know this sounds like heresy, should I lose or damage the camera, at least it wasn't the Leica.

 

[dostacos]

Hello, I'd very much like your advice on this,

I have entered a little while ago the wonderful rangefinder world with a Petri 7s and a Yashica GSN, now i want to move to a more flexible camera. I am tempted by both the bessa R and the leica IIIf. I know these are two very different cameras, one modern and the other not. Could you tell me if the old leica can be a good shooter or if I should not take any chance and go towards the bessa?

Thanks for your advices,

Andre

I would [did] go for the Bessa R and have been very happy, I am not ready to deal with a bottom loader. Read up on loading a Leica OR go with a Bessa and work your way up to the leica 🙂

 

[Bertram2]

Hello, I'd very much like your advice on this,

I have entered a little while ago the wonderful rangefinder world with a Petri 7s and a Yashica GSN, now i want to move to a more flexible camera. I am tempted by both the bessa R and the leica IIIf. I know these are two very different cameras, one modern and the other not. Could you tell me if the old leica can be a good shooter or if I should not take any chance and go towards the bessa?

Thanks for your advices,

Andre

You should simply think about what facts hide behind the word "modern" and what they mean for you and your intentions.

I looked thought a Leica LTM finder some years ago and was healed in a second from that Leica III virus.

This is probably a nice toy and one can even take photographs with it if the circumstances and the task aren't too complex for that camera but if you got one camera only and this shall be a "shooter" as you say then you will have more fun with the Bessa R.

Regards,

Bertram