Silver vs black finish on Bessa R

[aterlecki]

I'm looking to buy a Bessa R but I won't be able to see one in person before purchasing. I know there are two finishes currently available for the Bessa R, black and silver. Is the silver the same cheap-looking plasticky silver that is on the L (is it just silver paint)? Is the black painted black which is likely to start coming off quickly (if so what's underneath?) or is it a solid black plastic?

Thanks, Tony

 

[mongo141]

I have a black R and it appears to be a solid piece of black polycarboninate.They are, however getting hard to find new. I have handled the "silver one" and they feel the same but the silver has a kind of plastic look to it but didn't seem to be painted that color. Stephen @ Camera Quest could probably tell you and at least one of our sponsers has the black ones still in stock (or had them) with the 35mm color Scopar lens as part of the deal. I really like the one I have..beautiful, bright viewfinder W nice frame lines and great metering. Dave

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

There's a green one on eBay that we've been discussing on another thread.

 

[markinlondon]

I had a black R and any dings tended to show whitish under the black, The finish did not rub off. I much preferred the black to the "plastichrome" look of the silver.

Mark

 

[RML]

I have a black L and a silver R. I like both. Keep the body section of the very-ready case on the camera always and you'll have very little problems with body scratches, dings and such.

 

[pesphoto]

I have a black R and really like the looks and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it felt in my hands. Its a pleasure to use.

 

[RogerinVegas]

Get the Black if you can find it. You won't be disappointed with this kit.

 

[wrenhunter]

I just went through this, too. I wanted the black R, but CQ only had the kit (with the 35 Skopar) in silver. Know what? The silver model looks good and doesn't appear or feel cheap to me.

It reminds me of buying my car. I wanted blue, but they had a red one on the lot for less money. Ah well, you spend 90% of your time inside the car, right? It's been the best car I've ever owned 🙂

 

[MP Guy]

I think its all personal taste. I have the MP in silver with all silver lenses. It just looks classic. Not to mention I prefer the heavier lenses 🙂

 

[DougK]

I got the black one for myself... and everyone who sees it looks and says "Oooh, a Leica?" I'm looking for a red dot sticker now. 😀

 

[pesphoto]

The only change I would have made to the R -I have the black model- is not having the rubber on the film door. Would prefer metal.

 

[Bobbo]

I got the black one for myself... and everyone who sees it looks and says "Oooh, a Leica?" I'm looking for a red dot sticker now. 😀

The Leica FAQ has a section on that...here it is, enjoy😀. http://www.nemeng.com/leica/017b.shtml

Happy New Year,
Bob Clark

 

[Kyle]

The Leica FAQ has a section on that...here it is, enjoy😀. http://www.nemeng.com/leica/017b.shtml

Happy New Year,
Bob Clark

Who wants to buy an M3? I bought this darned thing as a status symbol, when the whole time all I had to do was request a free red dot sticker and slap it on my Bessa R! I get the same effect at a fraction of the cost! 😀

 

[aterlecki]

Thanks everyone. I like to be as inconspicuous as possible when shooting and I actually go to the effort of covering the red dot and other bits on my Leica with electrical tape. A nice boring black Bessa R will probably suit me best!

 

[dostacos]

Stephen does not have any black Bessa Rs at this time. I ordered one and took the silver because it was all he had. [picked it up at the post office today yipeeeeeeeee]

Interesting side note the older R has a small round black crank knob on the film rewind lever, the new one does not. It has a silver oval crank knob

and I prefer all black cameras/lenes BUT I really like the silver lens/ silver camera on the Bessa's

Dan

 

[JimG]

I have a black Bessa R and I loves it. I read eleswhere on a Leica forum that the the black paint is painted over silver and when the black gets worn the silver shows through. I don't see how it would get worn though, the paint looks very thick to me, they must have used an industrial grinder to get it off. There were alot of petty things said about the Bessa R none of which I have found to be true. JimG

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

I have the silver R, it doesn't look cheap or plasticky at all to me. 6 months constant use, and not a mark. The deciding factor with me was, the silver body looks fine with either black or silver lenses, but stick a silver lens on that black body, and it looks like.... I was going to say something else, but I'll just leave it as "not good".
My apologies to those who have and like that combination, but really.... Have you ever seen a guy dressed in all black, head to toe, boots, hat and all, then he's wearing a silver belt buckle the size of a license plate? That's what it reminds me of.

 

[DougK]

The Leica FAQ has a section on that...here it is, enjoy😀. http://www.nemeng.com/leica/017b.shtml

Happy New Year,
Bob Clark

Thanks Bob, that was pretty funny. I just might have to order one to confuse people.

 

[BJ Bignell]

I much prefer the look of the black. The silver looks, as someone else pointed out, like "plastichrome". The finish does not seem to wear off, however it can be chipped off if you hit the camera hard enough to dent the plastic. Say, if you had a skateboard accident, or did one of the other dumb things that us photographers tend to do once in a while... 😱 If you dent it, it will show the white plastic underneath.

Now, although I like the black, I have pictures of myself using both cameras, and I have to say that the silver looks sexier in action, if that matters any. 😀

BJ

 

[Aurelius]

I recently bought a Bessa R silver finish (+3 silver lenses). I think it looks very nice. Everybody has a black camera anyway...? 🙂