sweet little Bessa R

[daveozzz]

I have a Bessa R and have just bought a 2nd backup body which was ex-demo... when I got it I noticed they were metering a full stop differently for the same scene with the same lens!
My local camera repair guy tested them both and confirm the ex-demo was out my a stop... so it does happen.

 

[Bertram2]

I find the metering on the R extremely reliable -- as it was on the R2 I owned. I think the built-in meters are one of the Bessa strong points. Bearing in mind that it's centre weighted and can be influenced by bright sky. Outdoors I tend to point it down a bit or meter off my hand and adjust. Indoors it has been a treasure.

Gene

After 3 years and about 3500 frames i can confirm that ! Beeing always as reliable as the sophisticated meter of my F80 I ask myself what all these processor based and software supported systems are good for.
If Paul's R gives "terrible readings" with a gap of two stops the meter is simply kaputt !!.
I cannot understand how one can consider this to be a problem of sloppy quality or tolerance ? A gap of two stops is tolerated in NO camera and in no meter either, excepted at a 50yo selenium meter but even then it must be offered as "broken". So best would have been to send the R back to the shop immediately, reason enuff to get another sample., without any discussions. 😕
Regards,
Bertram

 

[kuvvy]

Bertram I can't send it back to the shop as I bought it from a member of the forum. When i got it I started using it with a handheld meter so didn't really notice a problem.
It was only when i noticed the odd shot where I had in fact used the built-in meter I saw it was over-exposing.
I saw postings on the forum about how you all raved about the metering but I was disapointed when I gave it a try. Even my old Canonet and 35rc were better.

I have been in touch with the distributors in the UK and they said it probably wouldn't be expensive to adjust but there could be a £25 inspection charge if I decided not to have the work done after the estimate is given.

I have been checking the Bessa against my OM-1 and my Digisix and find that the difference is only about 1 stop. I have been out today to shoot a roll today with adjustment made to the film speed setting on the camera, so I'll wait and see how that goes.

Paul

 

[Jan Rorive]

My Bessa-R

My Bessa-R

Hi

I own my Bessa-R now for almost two years, first with the Skoppar 35 2.5 recently extended with a Jupiter-8 50/2, which I love now! Comparing this camera with all the latest digital SLR's I am more happy every day. A recommendation!!

 

[rbiemer]

I know the Bessa R is not an old Leica/Canon/Nikon/Contax, but that's okay. I love the functionality of this camera.

Franks: it's certainly no classic but as you say it can happily live with most LTM glass available and IMHO the price/value ratio is wonderful! When I got mine, my expectations were never that the R would be the same experience as those classic beauties and so I was not dissapointed.

...but I find that the meter in the R gives terrible exposures and I just can't trust it. My OM-1 is better.
Paul

Did you put new batteries in it when you got it or are they possibly the originals? I bought my Bessa R new from CameraQuest in August of last year and just last Monday, replaced the batterise that it came with. The last roll, I was getting some odd readings(like 1/8 at f2 in daylighton 400 speed film) and then noticed that the VF leds were flickering when the meter was activated. Brief moment of paniced thought:"now what did I do?" til I recalled that the signal from the camera to replace the batts is the flickering. Two new batteries and I'm good to go again. Five months isn't a long time but: a) I use the camera a lot and b) even though the instructions reccommend taking the batts out when shooting long time exposures I decided not to so I wouldn't lose them. And accepted the shortened batt life.
hopefully your fix is that easy!

Once I get the "new" Canon IVsb CLAed, and get my Zorki 3m back, I will have my RF short list of cameras. Each of these has a place in my affections and compliment the others pretty well, I think.
Rob
Edit: I just noticed the date on these posts. Guess I'm a bit late with my helpful advice. 😱

 

[robert blu]

Congratulation FrankS ! I bought the Bessa R because was curious to work with the extreme wide angle (15mm which I later changed for the 12 , I like go to extreme, sometimes!). Than I noticed was a goos, small reliable camera so I add the VC 35 mm and started to use more and more ! It has been my approach to RF photography and now is the most used camera for me ! it s excellent, you'll like it !

 

[Uncle Bill]

Congratulations on the purchase Frank, sounds like you will be bonding with your new toy for the next little while.

Bill