Which Bessa is for you?

Which Bessa is for you?

  • L

    Votes: 43 4.2%

  • T

    Votes: 59 5.8%

  • R

    Votes: 141 13.9%

  • R2

    Votes: 73 7.2%

  • R2M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 16 1.6%

  • R2M

    Votes: 53 5.2%

  • R2A

    Votes: 112 11.0%

  • R3M (Jahre 250)

    Votes: 40 3.9%

  • R3M

    Votes: 91 9.0%

  • R3A

    Votes: 157 15.5%

  • R4M

    Votes: 118 11.6%

  • R4A

    Votes: 113 11.1%
  • Total voters
    1,016
I really liked the R. However, I sold it.

I have an L and find it to be adequate. Constructed of cheap materials, and I doubt it would stand up to heavy use.

I also have the Rollei 35 RF (R2 clone). It's a very nice camera. Being a Cosina Voigtlander, of course the rangefinder is slightly out vertically. Man, I wish they would put some R&D into that part of the camera and fix once and for all.

I don't have any of the newer cameras, as I find them to be unattractive.
 
Only one?

My favourite is the R4A, because of its wide angle frames - I hate external viewfinders. And my other favourite is the R3A, because of the 1:1 viewfinder.
 
I bought an R2A and thought I'd like to get an R4M to compliment it but then I found out I would have to sacrifice the on/off button and the LED shutter speed numbers in the viewfinder.

So I think an R4A.
 
No Bessa III in this poll? That's the one I would currently like to own.

I had an R3A and currently have an R4A but as much as I like the cameras they are lacking something for me ... not quite sure what it is though because they are truly great value!
 
I would like to get a grey R3A one day. I want the AE feature. The reason to choose it over the R2A is more focusing accuracy and bigger frame lines for longer lenses (and R2A does not have 20mm frame lines anyhow). 40/75 would be a nice combo for me as I got used to this focal lengths with my DSLR (28mm & 50mm with 1.5 crop factor). Wider lenses would follow later (28/25/21/15 - some of those)
 
Up 'til a month ago it was an R3A - a fine camera with a great finder, it's only shortcoming being that it wasn't a Leica.

The M3 stayed, the R3A went, and a Rolleiflex SLX took its place. So... once it was an R3A, now it's none of 'em.
 
Only one choice??? Cureently own A BESSA R3a, R4m, and L. The R3 is for my 50 and 75, the R4 is used for my 35, 28, 21 and my 15 lives on the L.

Mike
 
ruby.monkey said:
Up 'til a month ago it was an R3A - a fine camera with a great finder, it's only shortcoming being that it wasn't a Leica.

The M3 stayed, the R3A went, and a Rolleiflex SLX took its place. So... once it was an R3A, now it's none of 'em.
Click to expand...


When I first got my R3A I used it constantly and was amazed at just how good it was ... fifteen or so rolls of film later I got bored with it, sold it, and went back to using my M2 or Zeiss Ikon.

I still haven't quite worked out why this happened yet? :confused:
 
I loved my R2a, specialy with the 35 PII lens... I sold it when I was buying one M6 Classic. I miss that camera a lot.
 
Keith said:
When I first got my R3A I used it constantly and was amazed at just how good it was ... fifteen or so rolls of film later I got bored with it, sold it, and went back to using my M2 or Zeiss Ikon.

I still haven't quite worked out why this happened yet? :confused:
Click to expand...
In my case it's because I now shoot mainly medium format. The few 35mm cameras I've kept have to be a little bit special in order to stay, both in terms of how they handle and perform, and of their feeling of quality. The Leicas are, so is the OM-2N, the Pentax MX, the Konica IIIA, the then Nikon F2 (now F3HP)... the R3A was a very competent camera, but it never really wormed its way into my heart. The SLX that replaced it makes me smile every time I pick it up.

Let me put it this way - had I broken the R3A, I'd have just bought another one; if I broke the M3, I'd cry.
 
I currently have an R4M. I like that it is mechanical and has the wide angle viewfinder. I haven't been using much since I got an M2.
 
I currently have three; L, R, and, R2A. If I had to pick one? Likely the R.
Thankfully I don't have to!
Rob
 
Currently, a L, two T's (1 grey/1 black), Bessa R, Bessa R2. Bessa R2M,Bessa R2A (green), Bessa R3M, Bessa R3A (green), Bessa R4M (two) and awaiting a Bessa III
My Bessa R is now getting on in age - looks beaten up, but never missed a beat. The only Bessa that ever gave me a problem was the Bessa R2 - the meter diodes started acting up a while ago - at the moment I use it as a meterless body (took the batteries out) - one day I will get around to fix it - but everything else works so it is not a big deal.
Obviously I like the Bessa's!
ooops, forgot my R2S - it was not in my camera cabinet, but in my shoulder bag with the Heliar 50f3.5 on it.
 
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Actually ... aside from the new Bessa III folder (special camera and exempt from any type of scorn) the only camera I hold in any real esteem from Voigtlander now is my R4A ... and that's purely because no one else makes anything like it!
 
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