Which Bessa is for you?

[Austerby]

Until recently I had six rangefinders, five of them Leicas. I decided to let go several of them and spent a long time selecting which to keep - my R3A was one of those I decided to retain along with an M3. I decided for what I wanted the M7, whilst a terrific camera, was superfluous as the R3A did everything it could do. Another consideration is that I would not be worried about rough-handling the R3A or taking it to parties or evenings out in town whereas I was always conscious of having the M7 with me and needing to protect it from aquisitive eyes or bumps and scrapes to its perfect condition.

So, I voted for the R3A, which I'm very fond of: I even like the shutter noise.

[ChrisPlatt]

I'm sure if Cosina brought back the original Bessa R it would sell in great numbers.
But they won't - it would cut into sales of the much more expensive later models.

Chris

[raid]

That's why I bought a used Bessa R a month ago. It needed some repair, but it was only $100. I keep the Bessa T for M mount lenses and I will use the R for the LTM lenses. The L will be not needed anymore.

[Gary E]

The R3a is for me as it has all the frame lines of my favorite focal lengths with a 1:1 VF to boot.

[MRohlfing]

R3A because of the 1:1 VF, AE, and the ability to use both M and LTM lenses. Also, it is my only grey camera - goes better with my clothes on some occasions

It has got a rival in my Zeiss Ikon recently.

I had L and R and liked them, too, and wouldn't say no, if an olive T came along.

[januaryman]

Originally Posted by ChrisPlatt

I'm sure if Cosina brought back the original Bessa R it would sell in great numbers.
But they won't - it would cut into sales of the much more expensive later models.

Chris

I think they'd sell a truckload immediately. Just upgrade the material the body is made of and they have a retro classic. And maybe make it a bit less noisy.

[Spider67]

It was the R in black, the upgrade to R2 happened simply because I like the R's lines and I wanted to have them in metal and....olive.
The only thing that makes me think of getting an M Leica that they both have an obnoxoius quirk: out of a sudden usaually in the middle of the film the transport lever can not be operated or only partly. The remedy was easy rewind the film and Lo and behold it works normally again. That's the thing that made rate the the Bessas 3.7 of 5 stars in my inofficial list.
The fact that I don't have torely on the old Canon RF's (rare as a hens teeth in Germany and Austria) to have a VF where FL's can be chosen instead of having to buy dedicated adapters is great! The R + 35mm/2,5 is a very good universal camera or second body to drag around the whole day. The fact that it was made out of plastic changed from a bug to an important feature. But still the paint comes off and makes this camera too dinky sometimes.
If they only could have used the same plastic they used for the Nikon D40!
The other cameras like R2a etc remind me too much of ......Zorki 4's or 4K's (bashing by others accepted) to please my eye.

[Juan Valdenebro]

Having already an R4M and a T, my Bessa right now is Bessa T, because these days I'm buying my third Bessa: my second Bessa T.

I enjoy that camera much more than I expected.

[david.elliott]

Originally Posted by januaryman

I think they'd sell a truckload immediately. Just upgrade the material the body is made of and they have a retro classic. And maybe make it a bit less noisy.

Agreed. I am sure that they would sell a ton. I picked up mine in near-mint condition on photo.net for only $140!! I consider myself very lucky; it was a good deal.

My bessa r sure is quite a bit noisier than my r3m though. That said, it is nowhere near as noisy as my spotmatmic ii.

[Bingley]

Originally Posted by januaryman

I think they'd sell a truckload immediately. Just upgrade the material the body is made of and they have a retro classic. And maybe make it a bit less noisy.

Agreed, Jim. I'd be first in line to get one. Kind of sorry I sold mine. I just returned from a week in the wilds w/ nothing but a Bessa T and several lenses. The T performed admirably, but there were times (fiddling w/ external vfs) when I missed that Bessa R!

[geejay]

I agree with Roger,
R2 olive green
Got it secondhand from ffordes photographic after reading Roger and Frances "RANGEFINDER" book.

[reala_fan]

I like the R3a

The AE feature, and the 1:1 finder. Best 50mm shooter out there.

The more you use it, the more you like it.

[Thardy]

I like the R2A for the AE, and 1/2000 shutter speed. It's functional and fun to use.

[jmooney]

R2A - I can't get along with an RF with a .9 MF distance I've found that I need a .7 and the AE would come in handy.

[gho]

I have voted for T. Why? The large diopter corrected rangefinder with its long base is just great and allows for very accurate focussing, even in low light situations. With practice, focussing and framing with an external viewfinder can be done very swiftly, at least en par with a Bessa R.

Parallax corrected framelines are a point for the R, but in low light, focussing can be a bit tricky and slower than with the T. At least for me. To be honest, I like and use both, but I voted for T, because I think it is a bit underestimated. The overall built quality also feels slightly better than the R and it potentially allows me to use M lenses. I have not tried any other models.

[silverliner]

I have R2A and R4A and I used to own an R3M.

I love them all since 35/2.5C is my favourite follow by 21/4 that's why

I vote for R2A !!!!!

[Bingley]

On this occasion, when Leica has just introduced another camera that costs a gazillion dollars, it is especially appropriate that we honor and celebrate the Bessas!

[januaryman]

If only they made silencers for the darn things!

[degruyl]

the R4s do something that no other camera I know of does: combine an M mount with a 21mm frameline. That said, right now I am using a MF rangefinder much more than 35mm. And it is much, much quieter than any other camera I have ever heard. Leaf shutters are truly quiet.

Now, using both the Leica and CV, I can say that the volume is not that big a deal in any case. You still have to wind the film any way you slice it.

[pstevenin]

Cannot answer , miss the Bessa III aka fuji 667 choice.

[Vincent.G]

Hopefully Tom or some gurus here can help me with this: is it advisable to pair a R4M with 35mm f/1.2? I love to shoot wide angles and the nokton is my favourite. Not sure whether the short EBL will make focusing a hit or miss affair with the nokton. Or should I get the R2M instead?

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Keith

I had an R3A and currently have an R4A but as much as I like the cameras they are lacking something for me ... not quite sure what it is though because they are truly great value!

Probably because they're not Leica's. I've played with a few, and just thought that they felt awful.

I'm sure that they're great though, especially for the money.

I do however always feel that the dudes with a Bessa and Leica or ZM lenses have got their priorities straight though, as opposed to the dudes with a brand new MP and a Jupiter 8.

I would still take the MP and Jupiter 8 over any Bessa however.

[TomBob]

Because my 1st interchangeable lens RF was a Fed3 i ended up witha good set of LTM lenses, so the Bessa R for me, with my Color-Skopar 35mm f2.5, and Jupiter 8 50mm in my jacket

[Pherdinand]

Ha! i'm a bit surprised to see that i'm with the majority.
I like the 1:1 vf mag, makes loinger lenses easier to compose with a decent frame size.
For wides i'd use the external finder anyway focusing is not so crucial.
And i like the aperture priority option.

[hotshoe]

I have a R2M and I like it. I used to shoot with aperture priority mode before I have my R2M, but I am getting familirar with pure manual mode. Mostly I use f=35mm lens, it is good enough for me.

One thing is that R2M doens't have a shutter release lock, so sometimes
I shoot when I put it in my bag.