Someone Talk Me Into / Out of a Bessa R2S or Nikon SP.

das said:
Some time ago, I acquired a 2000 edition of the S3. I did it 95% for the new MC Olympic 50mm f/1.4, which is an outstanding lens btw. I use it often on Leica Ms with the Amedeo adapter. A++.

However, I also acquired a 35mm f/1.8 W Nikkor for a good price. The bad news is that I cannot use it on the S3. As glasses wearer not eligible for lasik or contacts, I simply can't see the 35mm framelines in the cluttered, non parallax corrected S3 viewfinder. And obviously no available, non cripplingly expensive tech exists to mount it on a Leica. So the W Nikkor just sits.

I am kicking myself for not getting an R2S when they were half the price they are now. I prefer a metered platform but the SP is an interesting alternative, albeit just as expensive in good condition.

Is anyone in love with their R2S? Certainly it can't be worth 1k. What do you think?

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I like my R2S, but actually find the S3 2000's viewfinder & framelines to be ideal for 35mm--my eyes naturally go to the widest framelines & I can ignore the rest. I prefer an SP for 50mm & longer & the R2S for 28 (using the entire viewfinder) & 35. I generally keep the 50/1.4 from the S3 2000 on my SP 2005 & the 35/1.8 from the SP 2005 on the S3 2000. ;)

The SP is a great camera & still a great shooter (if you can find a vintage one w/a useable RF patch or an SP 2005), but its wide-angle viewfinder isn't great & I would agree w/others who have suggested just getting a dedicated 35mm VF for your S3. Another alternative, if you don't normally shoot w/both eyes open, is to try that on your S3, which may allow you to see outside the framelines (or the entire VF in your case); the full magnification VFs on the Nikon RFs makes it easier to shoot w/both eyes than the typically demagnified view you get in most RF viewfinders.

As far as the R2S, it is good if you like/need TTL metering (& I've never had a problem using it on city streets, it's just like any other meter that reads off a Copal shutter) & I've had no issues w/the build quality. The shutter sound is louder & more metallic/clanky than most RFs, but isn't nearly as bad as an SLR.
 
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WJJ3 has the answer. I've owned a few SBL00 and tiny Voigtlander 28/35 accessory finders and the metal one is as good as any.

29767050907_a9ef21435a_c.jpg
 
I have shot with many different Nikon rangefinder cameras since the 1970's
I've always liked the s2 - pretty simple & use with accessory finders
most of my photos for years were with a black dial s2 28mm f3.5 nikkor & a leitz 28mm bright line finder
the s3 - I had a black olympic with the titanium curtains - I had dag clean the finder - so as good as you get
I wear glasses - and just putting your eye back that distance makes the frame line 35 very difficult to see -
its 3 reflected bright lines & the rf spot seems not as good as the sp or s2
the sp has a very complicated finder - the 28/35 finder is nice - but most have some haze or black spots -
no one in the us wants to clean the wide angle finder now
all these are 60-70 years old now --
so you deal with some of these issues
a bright line 35 finder is a great choice / and reasonable in cost for some
I like the 3.5 mini finder with the s2 - but the pupil is small & they are very expensive
 
enasniearth said:
I have shot with many different Nikon rangefinder cameras since the 1970's
I've always liked the s2 - pretty simple & use with accessory finders
most of my photos for years were with a black dial s2 28mm f3.5 nikkor & a leitz 28mm bright line finder
the s3 - I had a black olympic with the titanium curtains - I had dag clean the finder - so as good as you get
I wear glasses - and just putting your eye back that distance makes the frame line 35 very difficult to see -
its 3 reflected bright lines & the rf spot seems not as good as the sp or s2
the sp has a very complicated finder - the 28/35 finder is nice - but most have some haze or black spots -
no one in the us wants to clean the wide angle finder now
all these are 60-70 years old now --
so you deal with some of these issues
a bright line 35 finder is a great choice / and reasonable in cost for some
I like the 3.5 mini finder with the s2 - but the pupil is small & they are very expensive
Click to expand...
They're also going for $700 USD +. I had several... the rubber insert in the exit pupil is prone to falling out.... and is very small.

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I've also got the VC mini-finder:

Leica Ic (small).jpg

Honestly, it's a lovely little thing, but I gave up using it with a 35mm lens long ago. I don't know whether this is just because I wear glasses, but I've always found the framelines near-impossible to see unless the light is perfect - a little bit of weird side-light is all it takes to make them disappear. With 28mm I can just use the whole finder (there's no space around the 28mm framelines when viewing it through glasses), so I don't need to worry about it as much. For the rare occasions I use a 35mm lens, I stick with a VIOOH - it's not as pretty, but it's cheap, sturdy, and accurate.

I just checked, too - I paid £125 for that mini-finder back in 2012. Seems like a bargain now!
 
Someone just sold a BL 35mm Nikon finder on the classifieds. Up and gone in the same day, I think. I didn't see it before it sold.

Those Nikon BL finders are beautiful though. I have the parallax corrected 105mm and it is just gorgeous. The same if not better than any external VF marketed as today.
 
If ya choose a SP, look for those with the titanium shutter.
I confess, I also considered whether it should be one of the Bessa cameras or a Nikon. I decided in favor of the Nikon and I have no regrets.
 
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