Brian’s post the other day on The Pros and Cons of Each Camera Type reminded me that one of our original goals of this site was to produce reviews of cameras based from a user perspective. To date, this is one thing we’ve neglected. Until now.
Pre-Bessa
I started getting serious with film when I discovered “lomo”. I couldn’t afford a Lomo LC-A at the time, but I did have a Pentax SPII. I started doing some research on the internet and found that the Yashica Electro 35GSN had good recommendations, and was probably a better buy in terms of build quality. Cutting a long story short, I ended up winning a Yashica Electro 35MC on ebay, believing it was the camera I was after. Turns out it wasn’t, but it did spark an interest for me in rangefinders.
The MC is smaller than the GSN, with a fixed 40mm f2.8 lens. It is also a zone focus style camera meaning you guess the distance and dial it in on the lens. I later tracked down a well worn Electro 35GTN that served me well until I needed some funds. (In the meantime, a generous friend send me a mint GSN as a gift for my daughter when she was born).
But I was still after full manual control in a compact package. I stumbled across the Ricoh 500G, and the Sears equivalent, the Sears 35|RF. While this camera delivered some stunning results, it still lacked the speed in terms of aperture that I was used to with SLRs.
When I discovered that there was a 50/0.95 lens for Canon rangefinders, I thought I had found the perfect one for me. Until I discovered the price. But then I heard that Voigtlander had released the Nokton 50/1.1, I started looking into M mount cameras.
Decisions
I found that with my budget I could afford a M6 and a single lens (but not a Nokton), or I could buy a Bessa and afford a few lenses as well. At first I leaned more towards a M6 since I knew the build quality was high. Resell value wasn’t important since the money I was using was part of an inheritance and I wanted a camera that would last a lifetime to remind me of that person everytime I used it. Although, the M6s were starting to age and I didn’t want to have to deal with servicing before I could use the camera.
The Voigtlander Bessas on the other hand were available brand new with M mount compatible lenses. This meant that when I eventually could afford an M6, my existing lenses would be compatible. Aditionally, the 1:1 viewfinder appealed to me. However, the bodies were part plastic and the lastability wasn’t well known. But that Nokton was calling….
My Kit
I ended up with the Bessa R3M. This camera was most suited for the 40mm length in terms of finder and framelines, though it works fine with a 50mm. For wider focal lengths I have to use an external finder, but that doesn’t bother me so much. The “M” stands for mechanical. This means that the camera will work without batteries, but the meter won’t. The “A” version stands for aperture priority, and is battery dependant.
In addition to the R3M I also bought the Nokton 50/1.1, the slim version of the 35/2.5 and the 12/5.6 with filter adapter and external finder. In use I find the Nokton with the sun hood attached blocks a reasonable portion of the viewfinder. As a result of this I don’t use the hood much – I’ve found the lens is quite flare resistant anyway. The actual lens still obstructs a portion of the viewfinder, but if I was particularly hung up on immaculate framing I’d use my SLR on a tripod. In practice it’s easy enough the estimate what’s hidden in that lower portion of the frame, and at f1.1 as shown above left most things get thrown out of focus!
The 35/2.5 I haven’t used much, although it is a nice compact lens for the street. Because of the need for an external finder I tend to favour high speed film, middle aperture range (f5.6-11) and guesstimate focusing. My general shooting preference is portraits though, so I use the 50mm for most things.
When I want wide, the 12mm fills every requirement. A friend of mine, Jez Heywood had the 15mm for quite sometime before I looked into the Bessa kit so I knew that the wide angle Bessa lenses were quite nice. Although I wasn’t quite prepared for just how wide the 12mm is! Jez and I framed up two identical shots, and we found that in practice you can stand 1 meter closer to the subject with the 12mm and still capture the same composition as the 15mm.
A lens that wide isn’t without it’s limitations. When using the filter adapter (it takes 77mm filters!), normal filters show quite hard vignetting. I’m not sure if I switched to slim lines whether this would still be a problem, but since I bought the 12mm for use with IR film and filters, it is slightly irritating. Aditionally, if you don’t correctly attach the hood, then you get vignetting from that too. And since there is so much glass exposed on the front element, a hood really is required. Of course, with such a wide angle you can always crop slightly. In the photo on the left I was standing literally on the edge of the visible frame.
In Use
I’ve never used or even held a Leica, so I can’t make weight comparisons. I find the R3M about the same weight as a 70s SLR, or perhaps a little lighter. The 35mm hardly adds any weight at all, although with the 50/1.1 attached you really know you have a camera with you! The Bessa basically functions like you’d expect. All the controls (including the frameline) selector are neatly laid out and easily within reach in use. One handy feauture is the lock system to open the film door – you have to slide a lever before you can pull the rewind up to open the door. Makes you think twice.
I have rather large hands I suppose – part of being a guy – and the camera feels solid in my grip. It may feel rather large if you have a smaller grip, although as I mentioned, all the controls are within easy reach. If you’re after a long term alternative to the higher priced rangefinders, I can highly recommend a Bessa R3M.
Are you after a more hands on approach? Check out the video!
[For some reason there is a problem with the video. You can find the video here.]
This post is quite long, but I’ve probably overlooked some aspects. Just ask me about these in the comment section below.
May 31st, 2010 at 10:03 am
Hi guys i think there’s a problem with the bessa video, it goes white screen after the first 30 secs or so.
regards
Nigel
[Reply]
Brian Auer Reply:
May 31st, 2010 at 11:30 am
Yeah, I was curious if others were seeing the same thing. Tom will have to take a look at it (and maybe re-upload it) when he gets a chance.
[Reply]
Tomas Webb Reply:
May 31st, 2010 at 1:31 pm
That’s really quite odd. It isn’t there on the original so I will try reuploading it to see if that fixes things.
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June 2nd, 2010 at 11:26 am
I’ve been tempted but scared to go down the high end Rangefinder route. Since I’ve primarily used SLR’s aside from dabbling with an old Olympus 35RC. I do fear the Leicas and Bessas since it seems easy to get sucked into getting all the spendy lenses and viewfinders after you buy the crazily priced camera. I have to say, they are gorgeous cameras that seem to just get out of your way and let you focus on shooting. But for me, I can’t see spending that on a film camera that is about the same size and produces about the same image as any old nikon or canon SLR. Plus even the used market on older Leica stuff is insane because it has such a collector following driving the prices up.
[Reply]
Johnny Martyr Reply:
April 10th, 2011 at 12:57 am
Randy, I used to feel exactly the same way and while I had a number of issues with my Bessa, I found that tyme and tyme again, I was producing more interesting shots with my rangefinder and having more fun while doing it. That occassional amazing frame encouraged me to keep going. I was really sold when I got a reasonably sharp image while handholding a 75mm lens at 1/15th. That was when I realised the available light potential. I also used to have issues nailing the focus with RF’s compared to SLR’s but now that I’m shooting Leica, that has reversed (although I do need a little maintenance to really dial in my 90mm f2 at full aperture.) If you are still interested, don’t give up yet. RF’s can really change the way you shoot. I still use my Nikons for certain things but learning the Voigtlander and Leica has really helped my shooting abilities.
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April 10th, 2011 at 12:47 am
I’d be curious if you did a follow-up article on how your Voigt kit is holding up after a couple years of use. My Bessa R2 has given me various forms of trouble since I purchased it, the worse perhaps being an erratic light meter and random shutter lock-up. My Nokton 50/1.5 is a real performer but has lost serious paint over its relatively short life and my Heliar 75/2.5′s focus ring just fell apart one evening while sitting in my camera bag! I got tired of all this BS and bought a Leica M6 less than a year ago and recently a 90mm Summicron. My focus is much more accurate now and everything works exactly as it should and feels great in the process. There are things I enjoy and even prefer about my old Bessa that I wish Leica would adopt but they’re hardly worth that being my main RF anymore. There really is just something about a Leica! Glad you’re happy with your Voigtlander kit though. Very nice choices.
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