Which Bessa is for you?

Which Bessa is for you?

  • L

    Votes: 43 4.2%

  • T

    Votes: 59 5.8%

  • R

    Votes: 142 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
    1,017
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.
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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.
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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.
 
Currently I own the R2S so that I can use my Nikkors with the only SC mount camera body. Also, I have added a trigger winder together with a Nikon Zoom Varifocal Type 1B.
 
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5xFn4lC.jpg


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.
 
xasthur said:
G8H3Dei.jpg


5xFn4lC.jpg


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.
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I love how it’s aged. Well used not abused. One of my favorite Bessa cameras that I’d like to own someday.
 
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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