contax g2 or bessa r3a?

danielclift said:

I have not tried the G2 but generally I find that any dependency on batteries, or auto settings in a camera, really gets in the way of taking pictures for me.

I would probably do so with a Bessa body like the R3A, and add my lenses in the same incremental way.

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Just a heads up as these two notes are in contradiction as the R3A requires a battery to fully operate.

Jeremy Moore said:

Just a heads up as these two notes are in contradiction as the R3A requires a battery to fully operate.

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I stand corrected - the Bessa R3A does have an electric shutter - I had in mind the Bessa R2 which of course has a fully mechanical shutter, and only uses batteries for the metering.

I still stand by my comment about lens choice though - the Contax lenses might be nice and compact, but you are really lacking choice particularly with regard to large aperture glass.

In terms of useability - it is down to whatever floats your boat. I am not looking to start a holy war - in the end whichever camera you use, it is just a tool to make pictures.

BTW, the G2 (not the G1) has active IR. When using it at night, it will focus in complete darkness over a limited range. Kind of a weird experience sometimes if someone is walking toward you in the dark (or vice versa) and they cross over from >3m to <3m and SNAP the focus locks.

I have a G1, and I liked it at first, but the AF sucks in dim light, and I would trade it in a minute for a Bessa R or R2.