Any Love for the Voightlander Bessa?

ColColt · Jul 30, 2015

Well, I ran across a super nice M2 and agonized over it for three days. Time to pee or get off the pot so, I bought it. Now I'll have back what I lost int the 80's. I think the chrome Nokton 50 f1.5 lens will look good on it. Plus, it's been given a CLA by DAG.

M2Top by David Fincher, on Flickr

M2 by David Fincher, on Flickr

Pioneer · Jul 30, 2015

Very nice camera. Now buy the chrome Nokton 50/1.5 and you will know immediately why it was produced instead of just the black one. It is heavier but I can think of no other modern lens that looks better on an M3/M2 that the chrome Nokton. They literally seem to have been made for each other though the Nokton came along over 60 years later.

Ko.Fe. · Jul 30, 2015

Congratulations! You are back to normal now and this one looks marvelous!

cuthbert · Jul 30, 2015

ColColt said:
Well, I ran across a super nice M2 and agonized over it for three days. Time to pee or get off the pot so, I bought it. Now I'll have back what I lost int the 80's. I think the chrome Nokton 50 f1.5 lens will look good on it. Plus, it's been given a CLA by DAG.

M2Top by David Fincher, on Flickr

M2 by David Fincher, on Flickr

Nice camera... my M3 is better though!

ColColt · Jul 30, 2015

I'm still debating between the Nokton and the Zeiss Plannar T* in the same focal length. I tried to find a decent 50 f2 Cron but most have their aging problems as dust, fungus, haze or operator error trying to clean the lens.

Xmas · Jul 30, 2015

The M2 is the close in your face 35mm or 40mm personal up close camera.

The /1.5 is the available darkness lens.

ColColt · Jul 30, 2015

I know, I was talking about the quality difference/sharpness between the Voightlander Nokton 50 f1.5 and the 50 f2 Zeiss Plannar T*ZM lens. I'll need a lens for when the M2 gets here and was tossing these two around as alternatives.

gliderbee · Aug 1, 2015

film_man said:
Had an R3A I just sold. I only sold it because I want a R2A.

The R3A is great, the build is good, it is a solid camera and works just fine. The finder is fantastic for 50mm. The shutter sound is a bit clunky, actually more like a slap but still much quieter than any modern electronic SLR. The operation is just fine and it works just fine with any M lens you can throw at it (I had a 50/2 Zeiss).

I've only fondled a Leica and yes it did feel nicer but in the end I got my R3A for £250 which is nothing compared to Leica prices plus you can change film without dismantling the camera. The meter worked just fine too. Overall a great little camera and the only reason I sold my R3A is because I want a 35mm lens and the R3A goes only to 40mm (which is actually a bit of a stretch to see). If I was shooting primarly a 50mm shooter I can't think of anything better than the R3A based purely on the viewfinder (maybe the M3 is better but I wouldn't know, never had one).

I had an M3 and still have several Bessa RxA and RxM. The R3M and R3A viewfinder are 100%, not so the M3, so I prefere the Bessas.

Stefan

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Xmas · Aug 1, 2015

ColColt said:
I know, I was talking about the quality difference/sharpness between the Voightlander Nokton 50 f1.5 and the 50 f2 Zeiss Plannar T*ZM lens. I'll need a lens for when the M2 gets here and was tossing these two around as alternatives.

Unless you are going to use

PanF
Delta 100 or
TMAX 100

Exclusively off a solid tripod I'd make choice on size, weight and wallet hand size and lens ergonomics need to match.

Budget for the optional hoods as well they are not really optional.

Note I had the LTM /1.5 and there were two hoods dont no about an M mount one.

blockend · Aug 1, 2015

I went for a Bessa L, Voigtlander Kontur finder, a new Industar 61 and a metal hood. Looks funky and cost £100 total.

ColColt · Aug 1, 2015

I went with the Zeiss lens. I don't know about the hood as to whether it would intrude into the finder or not.

Xmas · Aug 1, 2015

The hood does not appear in the picture the flare does. It depends on your style of shooting. It is a inverted cone with slats which don't help much and identical with the Cosina Voightlander 40mm /1.4 hood crept for name plate.

Some people can use both eyes even with the M2's 0.7x magnification. So they don't mind obstruction apparently if your ambidextrous it is easy.

film_man · Aug 3, 2015

ColColt said:
I went with the Zeiss lens. I don't know about the hood as to whether it would intrude into the finder or not.

Considering the ridiculous cost of the hood I'd say shoot a couple of rolls and see if you need it. I had a ZM 50/2, didn't get the hood, never got any flare. Those coatings it has are pretty good.

Pioneer · Aug 4, 2015

The hood goes on and stays on. Who cares about flare? I have a tendency to drop things.

ColColt · Aug 9, 2015

I put a roll of Tri-X in the M2 to try out the 50 f2 Planar lens. I'll be getting a 90 f2.8 Tele-Elmarit delivered tomorrow and want to try the last ten pictures with it and then develop the roll to see how I did. I knew if I shot slides it would be at least a week before I could find out so, I can shoot the Tri-X, develop it myself and see within an hour.

I know I screwed up at least 3-4 shots as I forgot to take the lens cap off!! In an SLR you look through the viewfinder and can readily see if the cap's on or not-not so with a rangefinder...lessons learned.

cuthbert · Aug 9, 2015

ColColt said:
I know I screwed up at least 3-4 shots as I forgot to take the lens cap off!! In an SLR you look through the viewfinder and can readily see if the cap's on or not-not so with a rangefinder...lessons learned.

Ahahahaha! The Original Sin of the SLR shooter!

ColColt · Aug 9, 2015

Yes, albeit, a repentant sinner.

Pioneer · Aug 9, 2015

cuthbert said:
Ahahahaha! The Original Sin of the SLR shooter!

Sheeze, I must be the original sinner cause I find a blank frame or two on every other roll I shoot in M-A. At least the ZI winks at me in the viewfinder to try and remind me.

Clive Bennett · Aug 29, 2015

I have the Bessa R2S and am more inclined to take it out in place of the Nikon rangefinders as it is lighter, has light meter built in and is easier to load. You will find rangefinders a bit more fiddly than an SLR but just work at your own pace and don`t forget to take the lens cap off.

Clive:confused:

ColColt · Aug 29, 2015

and don`t forget to take the lens cap off.

Therein lies the problem. I'll bet I lost 3-4 shots out of the first three rolls of film by forgetting to take the cap off. If you can see to focus all is well, right? Wrong-not with a rangefinder.

Xmas · Aug 29, 2015

It a uv filter & Ch generic hood on and frisbee the cap.

ColColt · Aug 30, 2015

I have an original Leica metal cap...totally useless other than looks. It doesn't stay on if you turn the camera down-falls right off. I think the frisbee is a good idea.

Pioneer · Aug 30, 2015

ColColt said:
I have an original Leica metal cap...totally useless other than looks. It doesn't stay on if you turn the camera down-falls right off. I think the frisbee is a good idea.

The old slip on lens caps stay in place better if you replace the felt. I have done that with a few of mine and it worked wonders for mine.

ColColt · Aug 30, 2015

The felt is nearly gone on this one-good idea. The cap is as new, no dings, scratches or dents like many of them. I'm still trying to get out of an SLR frame of mind and take that cap off when shooting.

Xmas · Aug 30, 2015

The frisbee was a figure of speech you need to put it in the wall safe.
In the gbag on the camera or in seperator it needs to wear a uv and hood.

Don't ask how I know this. The generic Ch clones are cheap and can be straightened with a mandrel don't try that with the filter ring.

Any Love for the Voightlander Bessa?

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