Silver, or black?

[RML]

I'm about to buy a CV 15/4.5 and I'm wondering in which colour to buy it.

It'll be used mainly on the (black) R-D1 but might see action on my (silver) Bessa R or on my (black) CL.

A silver lens on a black body looks OK, I guess, but black on black looks better IMO.
Black lens on silver body is OK, but silver on silver looks better.

Seeing the photos on CameraQuest, I think the silver CV 15 looks better than the black.

From the above, I think I want a silver one but are there any reasons that can persuade me to go for a black one?

 

[taffer]

YES ! It's BLACK ! You need any more reason !?

😉

 

[berci]

Yes, go for the black.

I am glad that the hassy xpan is not silver.

 

[varjag]

Go with black, less flashy.

If all my gear was black, I wouldn't have to use black electric tape afterwards.

 

[wlewisiii]

I've always prefered the Silver/Chrome look. To me, black cameras are just dull.

William

 

[RML]

I've always prefered the Silver/Chrome look. To me, black cameras are just dull.

William

Anyone who's seen my Golden Dragon knows I like flashy. 😛

 

[J. Borger]

If the paint on the black CV lenses is as "good" as the paint on the R-D1 body .. you will end up with a chrome lens over time anyhow!

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I would almost always rather have black, but when you're as broke as I am you buy what's cheaper. 😛 I feel that black works well with chrome, and I'd rather have black lenses to go with my black bodies...so black it is.

 

[laptoprob]

I have a black one but would prefer a chrome one. All my other lenses are chrome and I prefer that. Looks better to me on both chrome and black bodies.

WTT?

Rob

 

[rbiemer]

Seeing the photos on CameraQuest, I think the silver CV 15 looks better than the black.

Remy,
I think you've answered your question. Unless there is a difference in cost or delivery time I would base this choice on looks.
Rob

 

[Goodyear]

I'm a chrome kinda guy. The only black RF lens I own is the CV 75 - and that's only becasue I wanted it in a hurry and Ffordes was out of chrome ones!

 

[allthumbs]

Practical arguments:

Black gives you a lower profile, if you want to be as unobtrusive as possible or if you just don't like shiny things hanging from your neck or wrist. Black also minimizes reflection and glare off the barrel, whether toward your subject or into your finder, other eye, accessory meter, etc.

On the other hand, silver wears much better, and is better protection for the guts of your lens from rapid heating and cooling, especially that induced by moving in and out of direct sun, but even a little from the kind due to rapid changes in ambient temperature.

And just to be an annoying pest: is it still the case that the finder only comes in black?

 

[Theo-Prof]

I have a silver 15/4.5 (got it used at a great price) that I use on my black Bessa-R. It looks totally out of place. I want to get a silver Bessa-L with a black 25/4 so I will have a silver camera onto which I can put the 15.

Kevin

 

[danielnorton]

Silver

Silver

I was thinking that I'd go with all black lenses since I have the black r3a, but I acquired 3 silver Russian 50's recently and actually like the look of the silver on black.
I also have a couple of zorkis with custom coverings (brown and red) and when I put my black 75 on them it looks silly.. so for me silver on black looks good, but black on "not black" does not.. thus I'd go with silver.
Oh, the other thing you could do is pick up a $69 bessa L in silver and make that the go to camera for your 15 😀

 

[RML]

Remy,
I think you've answered your question. Unless there is a difference in cost or delivery time I would base this choice on looks.
Rob

Wise words, Rob, wise words.
Time to think.

 

[RML]

I was thinking that I'd go with all black lenses since I have the black r3a, but I acquired 3 silver Russian 50's recently and actually like the look of the silver on black.
I also have a couple of zorkis with custom coverings (brown and red) and when I put my black 75 on them it looks silly.. so for me silver on black looks good, but black on "not black" does not.. thus I'd go with silver.

Same experience here with the R-D1 and my J8.

Oh, the other thing you could do is pick up a $69 bessa L in silver and make that the go to camera for your 15 😀

🙂 I already have an L. Was my first rf camera. Still love it as much as the R, but I love the R-D1 more. 😛

 

[RML]

Damn! Seems I killed off my own thread! 😛

 

[Frank Granovski]

Black for black, silver for silver. If you still can't decide, buy both. 😎

 

[pvdhaar]

I voted black, for no other reason than that the black 25 I have remains in perfect shape after a couple of years of regular use. No brassing visible on the barrel, sun shade, rings. There must be something good to the anodizing process that CV uses for them..

If it were merely a question of aesthetics, I'd say it doesn't matter as long as the finder has the same colour as the lens.

 

[RML]

If it were merely a question of aesthetics, I'd say it doesn't matter as long as the finder has the same colour as the lens.

Good question! Is the VF of the silver/chrome 15 also silver/chrome, or does CV only produce black VFs?