L
lars
Guest
FYI, I've been in Hawaii for about a week now, using my fully-featured uber-SLR and 24-105 and 70-210 lenses, and my Bessa R with 35, 50 and 75 lenses. Although I frequently find myself using my SLR because I must (telephoto, 24mm, polarizer), the small size of the Bessa makes me wish I could use it all the time. I can easily carry it in an inconspicuous army surplus medic bag and have it close at hand. The SLR gets carried in a camera back pack because I hate carrying that much weight and bulk in a shoulder bag. So far, the use has been half SLR, half RF. If I had the CV 21/4 that I lust after, I think I would be using the RF more than the SLR. The only filter I'm using a lot is a polarizer but I think I could handle using one with a rangefinder if I keep my old, beater polarizer in my pocket to figure out the correct alignment for the scene.
For people/urban photos, I think I could get by with a 100% RF travel kit. FWIW, I'm not trying to justify my preference for the RF. I actually enjoy using my SLR but the small size of the RF has made the weight and bulk of the SLR much more noticeable than before. The only downside with the RF is that it's screwmount which makes lens swapping more tedious than it needs to be. However, the Bessa R's super low price makes it unlikely that I'll upgrade to an R2 just to get a bayonet mount, unless I find a good deal on a used R2. Oh yeah, the R2 doesn't have a self-timer which, IMO, is a major shortcoming in a travel camera.
For people/urban photos, I think I could get by with a 100% RF travel kit. FWIW, I'm not trying to justify my preference for the RF. I actually enjoy using my SLR but the small size of the RF has made the weight and bulk of the SLR much more noticeable than before. The only downside with the RF is that it's screwmount which makes lens swapping more tedious than it needs to be. However, the Bessa R's super low price makes it unlikely that I'll upgrade to an R2 just to get a bayonet mount, unless I find a good deal on a used R2. Oh yeah, the R2 doesn't have a self-timer which, IMO, is a major shortcoming in a travel camera.