Voigtlander Bessa R2 opinions

[Fugazi]

Hi folks. I'm new to this forum and new to rangefinders. Basically I have always used SLRs and lately digital cameras. I have been shooting film less and less because of the inconvenience of my bulky EOS Elan. I want to jump head first into the rangefinder world, but I don't feel like spending $$$$$ to do it. That said, I came across a mint condition Bessa R2 (olive) here in Seattle. I like the look of it, but I am looking for opinions. I'm concerned about the light meter. Is it accurate enough to at least be able to bracket photos? Is it easy to use? My second concern is the lens. I think I'd like to go with a Voigtlander lens for now. I'm looking for a a decent wide angle lens--no bigger than a 25. Do you have any suggestions? Will a wide angle create shots that are significantly different than what I composed?

Any help will be much appreciated. Great forum.
-bob

 

[aizan]

Yes, yes, how about the 28/3.5? and yes. You'll want an accessory viewfinder for anything wider than 35mm, and Voigtlander makes the best.

 

[Biber]

The meter is as accurate as the one in my Eos3, you shouldn't have any trouble there. It's a normal center weighted model which is very easy to use once you get used to it.

 

[Fugazi]

Lens and viewfinder (bessa r2)

Lens and viewfinder (bessa r2)

Ok, thank you for the information so far. So, if I want a wide angle lens, I need a view finder accessory? What size lenses can I go with to avoid needing a view finder add-on? How low can I go before running into problems?

 

[Biber]

It has frame lines for 35,50,75 and 90mm. If you want a wider lens than 35 you need either a separate viewfinder or be able to estimate the frame manually.

 

[Marc Jutras]

Some say the R2 VF frame (outsides the 35mm marks) is close to 28mm fov. I would use an external VF though.

The meter is simply perfect (to me, at least). I trust it compettely, except when I shoot in extremeley dark situations like the nightclub I've ben shooting at lately. I even use it as a pseudo spot meter, pointing at different things to get an idea of the zones. It's a half science half guessing method and it works well for me.

Check here for an illustration of the meter pattern.

You can't go wrong with the R2.

 

[Roman]

BTW, if you want to use the camera ONLY with a wideangele lens (where you'll need an external viewfinder anyway for anything wider than a 35mm lens), you might just as well get the really inexpensive Bessa L body (69 USD from CameraQuest!) - makes a great combo with the 25mm Snapshot-Skopar.

Of course, the Bessa R2 is a much more verastile combo if you would also like to get a 35, 50 or longer lens, eventually!

Roman

 

[Richard Black]

I use the 28mm f3.5 on my R without an aux v/f. I use it for scenic photos mainly and parallux is not a problem with that kind of shot. Compact and well built!

 

[aizan]

using a 28 without an accessory viewfinder requires a bit of "previsualization" (a la ansel adams). it's the first wide angle that significantly affects the apparant distance between objects.

 

[chug]

I almost got a mint R2 on Olive myself, but I missed out. So get it while you can 🙂 It looks very good with chrome/sliver VC lenses on it! Oh and the CV 15mm lens is grand, but I find the R looks funny with the view finder on top. Looks much better on a Bessa L 🙂