WOW !!! I'm impressed !!

[dcsang]

Mainly because I just got back my first roll of colour chromes from the Bessa R3A. I've been shooting nothing but high speed Tmax 3200 @ 1600 and often times in the bright sunshiney day and I really didn't particularly like the results but was doing so just to get accustomed to the camera (and I had a stock of Tmax laying around) 😉

Well, I'm certainly impressed by the way the R3A handles exposure in Aperture Priority mode. Everything looks the way I WANT it to look. Now that I can see it in colour the feel/mood is just what I expected and hoped for. The photos are not earth shattering nor are they "art" but it does show me what this camera is capable of.

This only adds to the joy I've come to experience in shooting this camera !! And the Nokton is very sharp !! I'm very impressed 🙂

Happy to have my Bessa..
Dave

 

[T_om]

This is certainly not a cheap shot, but I think that the bokeh in those two examples is pretty grim. 🙁

Great sharpness for the main subject, but very gnarly bokeh. Of course, bokeh is an EXTREMELY subjective effect and the next poster might think it the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. 😀

Do you have any other shots that may show this to better effect? Perhaps it is just these two...?

Tom

 

[JoeFriday]

the color is excellent, but I kind of agree with Tom.. the bokeh (particularly in the first shot) isn't doing it for me.. but as far as the R3a goes, it definitely nailed the exposure

do you like the viewfinder? I'm wondering how well it would work with longer lenses, such as 90mm

 

[dcsang]

the color is excellent, but I kind of agree with Tom.. the bokeh (particularly in the first shot) isn't doing it for me.. but as far as the R3a goes, it definitely nailed the exposure

do you like the viewfinder? I'm wondering how well it would work with longer lenses, such as 90mm

ya.. bokeh is subjective 🙂
A Canon 85 f1.2 L the Nokton ain't - but then again it isn't priced like a piece of M glass either so I am willing to live with the bokeh for now.

I'll see if I can locate a B&W wide open or f2 shot with the Nokton and put it up there.

As for the viewfinder; I don't see the big deal - I can see the framelines with the 40mm fine and it took me about 5 minutes (literally) to get used to shooting with both eyes open 😀

Cheers
Dave

P.S. Found it - this is wide open f1.4 on the 40mm - Kodak Tmax 3200 @ 1600 - maybe it's the B&W that makes the bokeh not look "as bad" ? 🙂

Edited to add another photo

 

[sockeyed]

I've had the 40/1.4 for a couple of months now. One of the first shots I got back from it showed harsh bokeh and I was a little disappointed. Since then, however, I've found that the bokeh really smooths out at 2.8 and smaller. This doesn't imply that the lens is unusable wider than 2.8, it just means that you have to be a bit careful of your backgrounds when wide open. Otherwise, the lens is incredibly sharp and renders colour beautifully. It's also very compact for such a fast lens. I've also come to love the very natural 40mm focal length.

I've attached a few samples of what I think is nicer bokeh.

 

[dcsang]

I've had the 40/1.4 for a couple of months now. One of the first shots I got back from it showed harsh bokeh and I was a little disappointed. Since then, however, I've found that the bokeh really smooths out at 2.8 and smaller. This doesn't imply that the lens is unusable wider than 2.8, it just means that you have to be a bit careful of your backgrounds when wide open. Otherwise, the lens is incredibly sharp and renders colour beautifully. It's also very compact for such a fast lens. I've also come to love the very natural 40mm focal length.

That's exactly what I was thinking (except I wasn't thinking when I shot the photos) 😀

I'm very happy with it.

If I ever decide to get/own a piece of Leica glass, or, if the new Contax Ikon glass can mount on the Bessa, then I'm sure I'll sing different praises but for the money I thought the 40mm was decent.

If, however, I had paid $1,500 CDN for the 40mm and was getting wide open nasty bokeh then I think I would be a bit perturbed.

Cheers
Dave