Which Bessa body or better, glass?

[ferider]

Hi Mike,

two comments:
- on your first post you mentioned RF misalignment. The reports that you usually read are about the R3*; most R and R2* users are very happy. (I have used R, R2, R3a and T and only had alignment issues with the R3a myself).
- if you don't mind external finders so much, consider the Bessa T as well. It is M mount, more robust and quiet than the R, and your 25 comes with an external finder and could be the primary lens. It usually costs about as much as a Bessa R, you will not need adapters, but you will need finders. Maybe the Helios 35/85 finder will work for the beginning. The T also has enough EBL to focus a faster 90mm.

Good luck,

Roland.

 

[tedwhite]

My friend just got his new R3a yesterday, and a peep inside my R and his R3a reveal identical vertical shutters, however the metering eye/sensor is on top in the R3a and on the bottom on my R. Otherwise couldn't see any internal difference.

As he has no lens yet, he borrowed my Jupiter 8 yesterday and now he's borrowed my 35/2.5 Color Skopar and rushed off again to take pictures. Thankfully, I've got Frank S.'s Canon 50/1.8 to fall back on.

I very much like my R and it has given me no trouble. As for quiet, after a lifetime with SLR cameras, these cameras are in comparison very quiet.

Then again, there's the Yashica GSN...

Ted

 

[mike goldberg]

Changing LTM lenses...

Changing LTM lenses...

Good morning all. I love the Networking and the input of new info.
Let's send Stephanie Brim Healing; she had a miscarriage.

Some months ago, I bought a Kiev 4a and J8m 53/2 from Fedka.
Both are excellent. I just checked his site, and he's got
LTM Jupiter 50/2's in the $60- range.

I'm totally unfamiliar with LTM, and I must say that a Bessa R appeals
to me more than the T.

That being said, is changing screw thread lenses a pain in the butt?

Here's how it could look with a Bessa R:
- Get a Jupiter 50/2...
- Use the new CV 25/4...

In my M2, BOTH the lenses above, can be used with the LTM to M Adapter,
also ordered from CQ... if I want to.
I'm kind of used to the M-2 with the 35 & 90. Further, a Bessa R with the
CV 25/4 and a J8M 50/2... gives me a new 'kit' so to speak, at relatively low cost.

You guys have been great.
Comments & feedback welcome.
mike

 

[no_doubt_kit]

CV Notkon Classic 40mm/f1.4 S.C. is the kit lens of my Bessa R2.
That's no point for you to step down from leica to voigtlander.

 

[mike goldberg]

One at home; one for the road...

One at home; one for the road...

Hi no_doubt_kit... are you in the far east?
The CV Notkon Classic 40mm/f1.4 S.C. is a great lens.

Having the CV 25/4 Skopar [ordered] and a J8M 50/2
with a Bessa R, will enable me to leave the M2 & two
Leitz lenses at home during my jaunts around town.

In the past few days, I've learned that the M2+35+90mm
are worth easily $2,000-.

Let's do some arithmetic for the new equation:

Bessa R+shipping... approx $240-
Jupiter 50/2+shipping approx 80-
CV 25/4+shipping+insurance... ordered and paid for... 280-
[CQ order includes LTM to M Adapter+soft release]
That's $600- TOTAL

Thus, except for special occasions the M2 stays at home!
Further, the excellent Jupiter 9, 85/2 LTM can be added later
for approx $100-.

Does this make sense? You will not be able to tell the difference
between the two kits, in the quality of the pix I post. Of great
importance: my comfort and how the camera & lenses feel
in my hands.
Let's keep the dialogue going; for sure it's useful to others.
Ciao, mike

 

[bobbytuck]

I've had an M6 TTL .72 as a street shooter for several years now. Three weeks ago -- on a whim -- I ordered a Bessa-L, a Bessa-R, a 25/4, and a 15/4.5.

Mainly, I wanted to add a couple of wide angles to my standard 35/50 kit -- but I decided to finally try out the Bessa-L and Bessa-R.

Very impressed with both the L and R. Are they Leicas? No, of course not. But I happen to like the fact that R is screw mount -- makes using the CV lenses a bit easier and is nice for all my Jup's -- and I like the fact that both the Bessa-R iand L are extremely light.

The M6 is great -- don't get me wrong -- but if I attach a 25 and a viewfinder to the R or 15 and finder to the L -- I've got a pair of easy to lug cameras.

If I'm lugging around gear, lightness matters more to me now than it once did. And frankly -- as someone alludes to above -- it's the lenses that matter, not the bodies for casual shooting. My R and L pix are indistinguishable form anything I've taken with the M6 -- and my back appreciates the difference in weight.

I plan to get a R4M when they're released in the spring. I'd still like to get either an M2 or an M4 -- but after trying the L and R (especially the wonderful L) the R4 seems pretty nifty.

I've never used any digital or electronic cameras -- so I figure it's pointless to tie myself to a pair of batteries. I've thought about it, but after using a Holga for many years -- and for two weeks lugging around a large format pinhole camera at times in downtown Chicago -- I realized I have no need for aperture priority or anything automated and want as light as I can possibly get.

 

[mike goldberg]

Hi bobbytuck & All...
Great to hear from you.

What is it about the L that you like?
Correct me if I'm wrong:
You've got, no RF, 2 little windows, and you need a viewer for each lens?!?
No-no-no... I'm not knocking your Bessa L; I'm just trying to understand.

The Bessa R appeals to me. I like the way it looks. The fact that it's LTM screw mount opens a whole range of low cost glass possibilities, such as the J8M 50/2.

VERY IMPORTANT:
Except for a Pentax long ago, I've never seen or handled an LTM camera+lens.
Per favore... please tell me what this feels like.
Super thanks,
mike

 

[bobbytuck]

What I like about the Bessa-L is that it's essentially a rear cap for a wide lens.

Plus, as I say, it's light -- super light. It's screwmount, has a shutter lock, and can be found as low as $69 online.

Can't beat that.

Sure, you need a viewfinder. And, yeah, you gotta scale focus. But once you "get" scale focusing, you'll realize that the Bessa-L is essentially a super-light point-and-shoot. I haven't used it for long, but right now it's my favorite camera. There's no rangefinder to knock of alignment, either.

If I end up getting the CV 21, I'll get a second Bessa-L (assuming they're still in stock and available!).

 

[kshapero]

Best place to answer these questions? www.cameraquest.com

 

[Hiyawaan]

Hi Mike,
I got a R3A a couple of months back w/ the 40 and I couldn't have been happier, that is until I got my 15mm then I was ecstatic. About the feel of the camera, it's not a brick/tank like the Leica's but is less expensive (new w/ warranty) and lighter (so while you camera is lighter your wallet is heavier). I don't know what kind of situation most people shoot in but I'm not worried about the build quality of the bessa R3. I treat it like any other camera I own and its doing fine: translation- "I toss it around carelessly". I haven't had any VF alignment problems. My only problem is that I have to work and can't spend my days walking around shooting as much as I'd like.
Alex