Which Bessa is for you?

Which Bessa is for you?

  • L

    Votes: 43 4.2%

  • T

    Votes: 59 5.8%

  • R

    Votes: 143 14.0%

  • R2

    Votes: 73 7.2%

  • R2M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 16 1.6%

  • R2M

    Votes: 53 5.2%

  • R2A

    Votes: 112 11.0%

  • R3M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 40 3.9%

  • R3M

    Votes: 91 8.9%

  • R3A

    Votes: 157 15.4%

  • R4M

    Votes: 118 11.6%

  • R4A

    Votes: 113 11.1%
  • Total voters
    1,018
unixrevolution said:
Manufacturing is a complicated business. I bet they were faced with the same problem a lot of companies are: there's still a demand for the product, but perhaps not enough demand to sell enough units to pay for new tooling. When the tools wear out, you have to make the hard decisions.
Click to expand...

Right, well can you say what would be involved in retooling? You need machine tools for that, right? Is that something Cosina would have hire out?
mpaniagua said:
I think Cosina made the Bessa's as a way to promote their main products, lenses. Once they fullfil that task, they focused again on their leness. Maybe thats why they stopped making them: People started looking for VC lenses and buying them.

Regards.
Click to expand...

Well it seemed to have worked!
 
I'd have voted in the Poll, but there is no choice for the R2S or R2C. 🙁

BTW, I bought an R2S yesterday. Came with the SC Scopar 35/2.5 and grip. I'm not convinced the extra little bump is going to improve the handling, but I'll give it a shot. And I think the winder would be a better choice so that the bottom is the same depth all the way across. We'll see.

PF
 
As a follow-up to #248 above, I can report that the Bessa R2A I purchased in 2015 has worked out exceptionally well. Very happy with the camera after using it extensively last summer during a two week trip to Italy. I appreciate the 75 framelines too, since I subsequently picked up the Color Heliar 75/2.5. A 35/75 lens combo works brilliantly with this camera body. And I've had none of the rangefinder mis-alignment problems I experienced with the R3A I once owned.
 
I have owned a Bessa R with 35/2.5 Skopar for several years now.
I recently added a beautiful Bessa L with 25mm Snapshot Skopar.
Both fun-to-use combinations have given me excellent results.

Chris
 
I just voted, because yesterday I bought a used L to use with my 15mm ltm Heliar. I was wanting a Leica MD-2 as it would match my M4-P, but now my camera and lens will both say Voigtlander. I'll post a picture in the 'what have you bought' thread when it arrives next week.
 
".......AE + AE lock gets me the quickest best exposure results".

I agree 100%, but still have a fondness for the old Bessa R cameras. Yes, cheesy plastic, loudish shutter, the cameras dig into your back (like all the Bessas) on a strap, but such a great meter. Putting them in a half case sorta muffles the shutter noise. Fun camera to shoot all sorts of lenses with, and mine never broke. I think one had a rewind crank issue, that's it.

My first AE Bessa was an R3a, which I thought was a better camera than a Leica M7 except for the build quality. Then I went to an R2a for the eye relief w/ my glasses. Nice cameras for the price point, and as I said, dead reliable w/ excellent meters.
 
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I love this with the 21mm! I got rid of my M2 for this and I love it way more! Way easier for me to see framelines while wearing my glasses.
 
summicron04.jpg

Bessa R w. last series Coll. Summicron 2/50, 548 USD in American ebay in Jan. 2010
- still have the camera.
- lens was very sharp, but too low in contrast and flare-prone for my taste. In digital world (and with lifeview) this could be controlled in a better way.
 
I have a CV Bessa R2C and R4A. I finished up a roll of Fujicolor 400 today in the R4A and will load some Kodak 100 B&W tomorrow in the R2C. Choosing between these 2 cameras, I would have to lean toward the R4A because I can mount so many of my lenses on this camera. I prefer wide angle lenses, my "normal" lens is 35mm, so the R4 fits the bill
 
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