Stop Me From Tossing My Bessa R2 Off The Veranda

My advice is to grab yourself a cheap user m4-2/m4-p (if you can handle no internal light meter) or a user m6. The latter could be had for as cheap as $900aud if you really look around. Doesn't matter about cosmetic condition, the leica Ms are MUCH tougher than Bessas.
 
rxmd said:
Incidentally I ride the same model Peugeot, except mine is orange and has a carrier. Excellent choice, but it's been getting difficult to get spare parts. Did you have the frame modified to take a standard bottom bracket for the foot pedals? I still have the old ones mounted that are locked in place with wedges, and those are a pain in the rear. (This paragraph may be a terminological mess due to my limited knowledge of English bicycle terminology. 🙂)
Click to expand...
Phillipp,

Since this is a forum about cameras and not bikes, I will just say that I have made a lot of modifications to the my bike. Would be best if you contact by PM or use the E-mail address from my business web-site - ChainRing Transit Authority I just built another bike which is now my favorite, photos are here with many details.
thorirv said:
now where was that diy for a bessa adjustment.
Click to expand...
Here is the link to the site with instructions on adjusting the R2 that I use - http://www.textklick.demon.co.uk/r2align.html

sparrow said:
Me too, it was intended as a joke🙂
Click to expand...
Stewart, I knew you were writing in jest. 🙂

bill58 said:
I just never felt, from reading a lot here and there, that the bessas were up to traditional (high) Japanese quality, so I bought two Canon Model Ps and have never looked back.
Click to expand...
Camparing the Bessa to a Leica is like comparing the Nikon FM10(made by Cosina) to an F2. Something you simply do not do. Yes, I would love a S3-2000 or even a S2 would make me happy. I got to play with a pair of Canon 7's, and I really liked everything about the camera. Like the S2 & S3, very well built and rugged. I dream about a Canon 7 with a 50mm f0.95...

fdigital said:
My advice is to grab yourself a cheap user m4-2/m4-p (if you can handle no internal light meter) or a user m6. The latter could be had for as cheap as $900aud if you really look around. Doesn't matter about cosmetic condition, the leica Ms are MUCH tougher than Bessas.
Click to expand...
If you stumble a reasonalbly priced, user Leica M, let me know. I do not need a meter. My choice would probably be a M3 or M2. I am in no rush.

Thank to everyone all the discussion.
 
P. Lynn Miller said:
Good day to all,

I bought a Bessa R2 with 35mm f2.5, 50mm f2.5, and 90mm f3.5 about 6 months ago. After years of shooting Nikon SLR's, I wanted to try using a rangefinder and found the Bessa to be the answer. But I must say the Voigtlander Bessa R2 has been the biggest disappointment of my photography experience.

This is not a bash Voigtlander post, but rather a cry of frustration from someone who loves his Bessa but cannot trust it. In the 6 months of ownership I have had to have the rangefinder re-aligned 3 times. And the last 3 rolls of film I developed from the Bessa indicate there is trouble again.

I will readily admit I am hard on equipment, but I have been more careful with the Bessa than I have ever been with any of my Nikons. My Nikon F's, F2's and Nikkormats are treated mercilessly. And I have never had a lick of trouble with any of them. I really like the Bessa and it is incredibly well-built for the money. But I simply can no longer trust it, so I have gone back to my trusty Nikkormat FTn and Nikon F.

Anyone else have the same experience? Any suggestions on handling? Bags? Etc? Is the an exception the rule? Should I send the camera back to Cosina?

I want to love and use my Bessa, but...
Click to expand...

Hello Lynn,
If all advices here fail to convince you, I suggest that you mail me your R2 for a one year trial. 😀
 
have had a bessa r for more than 2 years now, tossed it around, dropped it, shot in the rain and it still works perfectly. the shutter button isn't as smooth as it used to be after having beer spilled on it. going to get my second one soon.

it's not all bad,
 
P. Lynn Miller said:
Is the an exception the rule? Should I send the camera back to Cosina?

I want to love and use my Bessa, but...
Click to expand...

If your camera needs repairs, presumably you bought your camera new with a warranty from a Cosina aurthorized seller. They will handle the warranty situation. Cosina authorizes national distriutors, which in turn can authorize individual dealers. Used cameras are not covered by the Cosina new camera warranty.

Any dealer can import cameras gray market (not factory autthorized) without the Cosina backed warranty. Gray market sellers like B&H have no access to parts or repair manuals, so getting gray market repairs done right may not be quick or easy.

Cosina will not accept your Voigtlander gear for warranty repairs. That is the job of the authorized seller, if your seller was authorized. In any case, contact your seller to confirm the problem and get it corrected.

Stephen
 
fdigital said:
My advice is to grab yourself a cheap user m4-2/m4-p (if you can handle no internal light meter) or a user m6. The latter could be had for as cheap as $900aud if you really look around. Doesn't matter about cosmetic condition, the leica Ms are MUCH tougher than Bessas.
Click to expand...

Agree with Gavin. An M4-P is basically an M6 without the meter. Yes, the viewfinder is that good. The build quality is robust. Meters are overrated anyways 😉
 
P.,

Every so often you find a Bessa that is not as robust as others. Might be the owner, might be the chance blending of parts that are just in tolerance the wrong way to stay stable. The S2, S3, F, F2, even the Nikkormats are several steps up from any Bessa, but that does not make the Bessa a bad camera. Often you can get or four Bessas for the price of a new MP. I’m not sure any viewfinder/rangefinder combo will keep with the style of life you are describing.

You might try this. Get a Bessa L and a LTM (screw mount) CV 25/4 lens, leave them together. This is your wide angle kit. I has a built in meter and you look through the external brightline viewfinder as the L has no view finder of it’s own. Get either an S2 with a 50/1.4 and a 105/2.5 or a M4-P with a 40/1.4 and 105/2.5 as your normal to med-tel body.

If you want only one body, you can still get the 25 in a SC mount from Cameraquest (for a S2, S3 or SP) and there is a new M mount version from CV. You can use the outside of the finder in the M4-P for a 25, I’m starting to. Get the 40 modified to pull up the 35mm frame lines and look at the inside of the 90mm frame lines as 102% for the 105. You can find two good used Bessa Ls and lens for less than either the SC or M version.

Another option is to look at a Bessa T (low cost option). You will need to purchase external finders for your lenses (or a single zoom). This might work as I think the T's RF innerds might be more robust than the RX series. I've had a T for years and my sons have dropped and kicked my camera bag several time and not an issue.

B2 (;->
 
CameraQuest said:
If your camera needs repairs, presumably you bought your camera new with a warranty from a Cosina aurthorized seller. They will handle the warranty situation. Cosina authorizes national distriutors, which in turn can authorize individual dealers. Used cameras are not covered by the Cosina new camera warranty.

Any dealer can import cameras gray market (not factory autthorized) without the Cosina backed warranty. Gray market sellers like B&H have no access to parts or repair manuals, so getting gray market repairs done right may not be quick or easy.

Cosina will not accept your Voigtlander gear for warranty repairs. That is the job of the authorized seller, if your seller was authorized. In any case, contact your seller to confirm the problem and get it corrected.

Stephen
Click to expand...
Stephen,

Thanks for your reply.

The Bessa R2 and lenses were actually purchased from you by my friend(still my customer, but now close friend) and I have the original invoice.

I am sounding like a broken record, but I am not trying mar the Bessa reputation, I recommend the camera to friends and will continue to do so. The reason for this exercise was to learn if I am being too rough with the camera, which I have concluded is the case.

The Bessa operates perfectly, except for the need to re-align the rangefinder frequently. So I will re-align the rangefinder again, and put the Nikons back in service for the rough stuff and learn to be more careful with the Bessa.

One very good thing about the Bessa is that the realignment can be done, quickly and easily. Try doing any maintenance or repairs to the latest DSLR.
 
Thanks to everyone for the advice and comments, thoroughly enjoyed the discourse.

I am grabbing the tripod and tools to re-align the rangefinder now. Then I am will grab a few rolls of film and take some photos, which is what it is all about anyway. And I will be more gentle with the Bessa. And we should all live happily ever after, or at least for a few days.

Thanks,
 
Last edited:
P. Lynn Miller said:
Here are the details for the R2 - http://www.textklick.demon.co.uk/r2align.htm

Here is some info on the R3 - http://www.pbase.com/dlens/image/55572698/original

Hope that helps,
Click to expand...

it might not.

a sign that your camera is damaged is that you have to align it frequently.
someone may have damaged your camera"s rangefinder while attempting to realign it,
which is not all that uncommon.

some instructions on the web are not correct,
and some people just screw it up somehow.
others get it right,
so yes it can be a successful DYI project
but it is definitely not as easy to get it right as some instructions claim
that is why I have techs do it, not me.

Stephen
 
I've got a Rollei 35RF, which as most people will agree is for all intents and purposes an R2. The only time I had the RF go out was when I had it on a tripod in the middle of a stream in Vermont, and my foot slipped on a rock. I kicked over the tripod, the camera landed face-down on another rock, square on the front of the lens. There was crying and gnashing of teeth. $1000.00 just tossed away. The lens barrel was distorted, the tiny shade ring was bent, and the rangefinder was out of alignment. I called Rollei who advised me to send it to Nippon Photo Clinic in NYC. There they repaired it good as new and haven't had an alignment problem since. That was two years ago. Just lucky, I suppose...

BH
 
Hi Stephen,

CameraQuest said:
some instructions on the web are not correct
Click to expand...
Could you at least point out which ones are wrong? That way you could save the life of a lot of poor Bessa rangefinders.

I'm not asking you to publish any kind of classified Cosina information, you're probably under an NDA of some sorts anyway. Just a simple "Don't follow this" or "R rangefinders are different, don't use R3 repair instructions on an R2" would probably save a lot of cameras.

At least if the wrong ones are here on RFF that would be great.

Philipp
 
My two cents worth here....

Rangefinders and cycle touring just do not mix I know for years I travelled by bike foot, truck etc.. and carried a mini screw driver to adjust the rangefinder on my M2.... REGULARLY.
Then I got myself an evil SLR end and... of problem 🙂

It was a bit of wrong tool for the job.

Also our drink mixer is right get your Voigtlander rangefinder done professionally by a Cosina savy tech. It will be done right once. It is not just a matter of adjusting a screw or two with the naked eye on a far object. Tech's use a screw on magnifer on a columation machine and adjust vert/hor and infinity all in the correct sequence to end up with perfect alignment. It is kinda of like would you wheel align your car?

Chavo
 
Chavo said:
Also our drink mixer is right get your Voigtlander rangefinder done professionally by a Cosina savy tech. It will be done right once. It is not just a matter of adjusting a screw or two with the naked eye on a far object. Tech's use a screw on magnifer on a columation machine and adjust vert/hor and infinity all in the correct sequence to end up with perfect alignment. It is kinda of like would you wheel align your car?

Chavo
Click to expand...


with slooooooow international shipping (not to mention hideously expensive, at least where i live), - no thanks! i'd rather gamble with dodgy online diy's.. (not to mention after it jumped out of alignment on its way back..)

i agree with the poster who suggested that stephen (or even better, cosina) "guided" bessa users on their quest for a good/decent/useable diy adjustment process. mamiya did, i can see no reason why cosina shouldn't.
 
Last edited:
I purchased an R3M, from a Cosina authorized dealer, when they first came out. It arrived out of allignment. The dealer faxed me repair instructions and I fixed it quickly and easily after a little clarification of the instructions over the telephone. That particular dealer had no problem sharing that information. I have since purchased more CV gear from him.

FWIW: the R3M shutter broke after 6 rolls of film and the dealer took the camera back for a full refund. I have since purchased a R2 which has operated flawlessly since I acquired it last winter. I really haven't used it much since I very much prefer my M2 and I bought the R2 just to see if I could get used to using a meter in the camera.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom