Those strange Bessa strap lugs

Jamie Pillers

Jamie Pillers

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I'm curious why Cosina located the strap lugs on their Bessa cameras where they did. Was it done to force us to buy either the accessory grips or the heavier (more expensive) CV lenses? Anyone know why they did it?
 
I quite like it for smaller lenses (all the ones I own). I wear my camera over a shoulder and the placement of the lugs makes the camera balance in a way that the lens is tilted back towards my body. Because of this I find I am less likely to bang my lens on something than say, when I am carrying another rangefinder that hangs more "normally".
 
My guess is that the bessa frame, is a standard one, that was used to build many cameras before the bessa existence.
Most of these cameras were SRL which needs the lugs in that position, to counterbalance the thicker body and longer lens.

BesFlexSilv5.jpg


Voigt2AG35P2.jpg


source: Cameraquest: http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtrwhich.htm

Ernesto
 
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ernesto said:
My guess is that the bessa frame, is a standard one, that was used to build many cameras before the bessa existence.
Most of these cameras were SRL which needs the lugs in that position, to counterbalance the thicker body and longer lens.

BesFlexSilv5.jpg


Ernesto
Click to expand...

Well, that's the only explanation that has made any sense to me!

Thanks.
 
Yeah... that makes sense to me as well. Thanks, Ernesto.

But still... couldn't Cosina modify the rangefinder bodies just that little bit?? I mean, I guess its OK if the body leans back A LITTLE, but when it turns completely perpendicular to my body, its truly annoying! So Cosina succeeded... I bought the side grips to alleviate the problem. :-(
 
I'd love another strap lug at the base of the viewfinder side of the body to hang the camera vertically. Would take care of the weird angle it hangs at and as a bonus move the strap away from the grip - that lug always puts the strap in the way when holding my r3a.
 
The strap lugs on the Bessas are where they are, so that you can have longer and heavier lenses balance well. It seems optimised for the 50mm/f2 kind of stuf. With my 50mm M-Hexanon (and likewise with a 50 Summicron) it's completely balanced. With longer focal lengths (e.g. 90/3.5) it even tilts forward.
 
They used to drive me mental. My camera always ended up upside down, or worse, horizontal with the accessory finder against my side. I didn't notice once for quite some time until my 25mm viewfinder slipped out of the shoe and hit the concrete.

The impact loosened the rear element up enough that it was always spinning (with my framelines on it). I ended up taking it apart and supergluing (not much else available in Cambodia) it in place, did wonders for the coating. It's never been the same since that fall.
 
Its funny then that we don't hear the Leica folk complaining about their cameras leaning too far FORWARD! :)

And Paul C: I agree... putting another lug on the viewfinder side (similar to the Leica M5 arrangement) would have solved things. I wonder if there's anyone out there that knows how to install another lug? And remove the unnecessary one on the other side! :)
 
the 1st sticky thread by the head bartender in CV Bessa is more suitable for this post. Personally I have no trouble with the strap while using a Nokton 50mm.
 
For me, the mystery of the weird position of the strap lugs on the Bessa-T was solved when I mounted the big 35f1.2 Nokton to it. That lens and camera combo is perfectly balanced on those strap lugs. And I mean perfectly! I understand that the lugs on the other Bessa may be at a different position than those of my Bessa-T???
 
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Nando: they are in the same location on all Bessa models. And yes, it's a heritage from the cosina built SLR cameras from the past...


By the way - I'm looking for a Bessa side grip :D Anyone ?
 
my 35 Skopar and sometimes a Jupiter 8 live on my Bessa R, so I found a used side grip to solve the balance problem. It was inexpensive enough. It's nicely balanced on its strap now :). As a bonus, the grip really helps with handling too.

--Warren
 
sorry I realize this is an old thread, but is there any way to use the grip with the case? I have the cheap voigtlander case because the rubber grip is coming off the back of my Bessa R, but I'll need to take the case off to put the grip on yes?

Any other solutions to the strap lug issue?
 
I don't have the equipment or the skills to carry this out properly, but I've been thinking of trying to make/get a short (<1/2 inch) rod, curved if possible, that can be inserted and fixed through the eye of the existing lugs. At the forward end there would have to be a swaging or enlargement to prevent the rod from moving and on the other end, possibly a drilled hole that the strap clips or rings could be attached through. That would move the balance point rearwards by about a half inch and overcome most of the problem. Then there's the problem of modifying the cases to fit around the extra hardware!
If people can develop, manufacture and sell such a simple and small thing as a soft release button it must be possible for someone to start making these and sell them as an accessory item. A couple of other examples of accessories come from Leica Goodies - a "shade" to place on the rangefinder window to eliminate the glare problem on some models, and a velcro holder for two LR44 or SR44 batteries that fixes on the camera strap so you've always got batteries with you if you need them. Small, simple and inexpensive.
 
OK. Here goes.
Machine a small threaded bolt or stud, about 2mm diameter and roughly 10mm long overall, with a round head of about 3.5 mm diameter and 3mm high. The threaded part is fed through the hole in the existing camera strap lugs from the rear and a small knurled round threaded 'nut' is attached to the projecting thread to tighten the bolt head up against the rear face of the lugs. This nut needs to be made not to look too 'agricultural' as it will be visible from the front of the camera.
Welded or brazed to the head of this bolt at an angle to match the camera body is a small plate that fits close to the body. It is not so wide that it interferes with the hinged camera back opening. The plate projects upwards from the centreline of the bolt and the top part is angled outwards and with a hole drilled through it. The normal strap split rings are fixed through this hole.
With the smaller. lighter CV lenses fitted the camera hangs with only a slight rearwards tilt. With the heavier lenses it will tilt slightly forwards.
So who wants to make them? Tom A?
 
Resurrecting this thread to see if there are any elegant and inexpensive solutions to this problem.

I just received a lovely Bessa R from u/pesphoto--I had read about the lug issue before purchasing, and it is real! I'm enjoying the camera though so I wanted to explore fixes.

The Voigtlander grip has gotten pretty pricey, and I can't find good evidence it solves the problem.

The two best options seem to be

A) 3D printing a grip with new lugs/strap slots on the side of the body,
or B) finding/making a half case with strap attachments.

I'm a 3D design novice and no expert with the leather tools, but either seem feasible. Any reason they are bad ideas? Other solutions out there?
 
I used Mr. Zhou half-case which came with Bessa R2M as bonus. Stitched triangle shaped neck strap rings on to it.
 
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