I have owned Bessa L, Bessa R, Bessa R2, Bessa R2A, BessaR2M, Bessa R3A, Bessa R4A. All great camera's. I kept Bessa L and Bessa R. Both LTM, for my lenses: Heliar 12mm, Heliar 15mm, color-skopar 21mm, Nokton 50mm and other non-voigtländers
I've had my R3M since 2017 when I bought it new. It's my main camera body with a 1957 Jupiter-3 50mm f1.5 on an LTM to M adapter. I really like the 1:1 viewfinder and mechanical shutter.
I have the Bessa R which I shoot with the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 color-skopar and an old Jupiter 8 50mm f2. The Bessa R is a lovely, elegant camera to shoot with. In fact, build quality aside, I probably prefer it over my Leica M2 as a usable camera. Sadly I only take these cameras out occasionally now as, like most people, I've been seduced by the ease of digital for the everyday, but they're still great cameras to use as a special treat. The only problem I've had with mine has been the rubberised coating on the back turns sticky over time. From the forums it seems I'm not the only one to have this problem. I've had the same problem with other brands of camera from around the same era too so it's not just the Bessa. I found the coating can be removed with a little care and patience using an alcohol based solution. I used alcohol based sanitising wipes which are mild so don't damage the plastics. It took about an hour to do but once removed the plastic looks and feels as good as new.
Thanks Kevin, yes good camera and has the lightmeter verses say the M2. I saw sticky back issues with some of the later Nikons, F100 etc but not on the Bessa yet. Thanks for the info.
Thx Matt for this top video. You made simple what was not so simple : how not to be lost in 35mm Bessa series :). The fact that you lead the user to the best choice for a Bessa camera through his loved lenses or usage is great. Big thx for that and now as you I know my Bessa bible by heart… and I bought 2 of them by your fault ;).
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom No, Matt, It's you bragging on them.........seriously, folks are discovering 'film' photography and the good feeling one gets from processing a roll and looking at a real negative...
@@stuartmeador8993 yes they are lots of young (20s) shooting film now too it seems, I went to a camera shop in Brighton on vacation a few days ago and nearly died of shock to see a line of people waiting to go in. It looked more like a club queue with young cool looking people. I had to ask them why they were there I was so confused ha. Never seen that before!
Hi Matt! You fooled me! Your mention of Bessa made me recall my aunt's 1950s folder with the color scopar lens---magnificent camera. Where did all these silly little Rs come from? Although one of my proudest possessions is my M3 with the 35mm Summmicron, it's my old Zeiss folder that I pop into my backpack for rambles in the Balkans. Why? Because 1) I don't need to worry unduly about it getting damaged or stolen, and 2) in my ancient state I find a 6x6 negative far easier to work with in the darkroom (remember these?) than 35mm. Thus, Bessa for me conjurs up medium format although I'm sure these little R imposters are fine cameras..
Haha sorry Jeremy! I should change the title to "Cosina Voigtlanders" not proper Voigtlanders :) Yes I had a Bessa 1, see my 6x9 video I did. You may laugh but i've never been in a darkroom. :S I got into film later in life and have always used Paterson tanks. Yes negatives from the older folders can be amazing. On my Flickr I recently posted images with Perkeo II and Billy II cameras. (M3 is great of course!)
The background is wonderfully rendered, not distracting, and I love the circle rendering of the LEDs or point lights. It amazes me how many silly Zoom backgrounds I see or fake city views. Having a real background that has a calming effect shows you care about your content! That said, I might just have to add proper lighting to the nude mannequin I have in my background that is sporting an American Flag 😎
Hi Matt, I bought one of the last half-dozen R3M bodies directly from our distributer in America. As I intend to only own one rangefinder, I chose the mechanical one so as not to be dependent on the batteries. I find that the LED metering is useless in bright sun, so until I got a new external meter I used the sunny-16 rule that was my only choice when I started in photography in the '70s, so I'm rather good at it. My lens collection is currently this: Zeiss 35mm f/2, Zeiss 50mm f/2, a vintage Nippon Kogaku 50mm f/2 ltm, a vintage Yashica 50mm f/2.8 ltm, and the original Voigtlander 75mm, the f/2.5 ltm. As you can see, I've been sticking with lenses of f/2 or slower and my reasoning is that with the short base length of the Voigtlander rangefinder I'm not sure how accurately I can focus a lens of 1.5 or 1.4. Can you lend any insight into whether or not I'm overly-concerned about focusing accuracy with fast lenses?
Great choice going for the M version Chris! I wish i'd done that at the time I got my R3A as I never use auto settings. Yes Bessas are not great with fast lenses and I did end up selling a few and keeping Leica as I need to be able to see to accurately focus or i'm not interested at all. The best Bessa RF is the T, by miles, and it's cheap, but no VF. You can use fast lenses on your camera if the RF is accurate. They get knocked out easily. Another niggle I had with them.
Hi Matt, I'm thinking about which Bessa would be the best for me.. I'm into photojournalism, mostly shoot digital but always had a Nikon F3 on my side too. I'd like something smaller and lighter, but as sturdy because I'm often in less-than-ideal situations. I'd probably put a fast-ish 35mm lens on it and never change it.. would you recommend the R or the R2? Also considering that the R2 basically costs double today.. Thanks!
I have a R4A and my favorit lens on that camera is 28mm Elmarit. As I'm an old, near sighted fart, the 21mm frame lines are almost impossible to see, 35mm is OK but 50mm is to small. Nice lightning on your video!
Hi Matt, for the bessa m mount cameras is their a specific budget friendly 50mm prime lens you recommend? Perhaps the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.2 Aspherical Lens?
I love your channel. Thank you for all the effort you put into it. Some years ago I bought a Bessa R2, but haven’t used it all that much. I don’t have any M mount lenses, but I do have a number of LTM lenses: Canon 50mm f1.4, Industar 21, Jupiter 8, FED 10, Leica 90mm f4, Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 and of course the necessary adapter. I’m interested in general documentary photography (think Walker Evans), landscape photography, and occasional street photography. Would you have any suggestion for which of these lenses I should use. Or am I missing an appropriate lens for what I want to do. If so what lens should I add. Thank you in advance.
Thank you Howard! Sorry for my late answer. LTM lenses are great, I enjoy quite a few different ones too. Everyone likes different FL for walking around. I enjoy 24mm in busy places. If you want very sharp images the Elmarit-M 28mm is excellent but not cheap. The Skopar you have is softer but a nice size. (The new Ultron 35mm f2 is said to be sharp and is compact).
Quite new to rangefinder topic. I have a modern DSLR and an old vintage OM-2n. Can I use any of my vintage lenses on a rangefinder ? (I have contax/zeiss, zuiko, some Russian lenses etc) thank you!
Hi JD, RF lenses yes, SLR lenses no. So if lens was designed for rangefinder 35mm camera with same mount yes it will work. If not it might still mount via adapter but have to guess focus.
Thanks Matt. As always great video. I would like to ask your advice. I just got Leica MP 0.58. What would be the best Voigtlander 35mm or 50mm to suit this camera. I would say I will be doing BW images. Thank you very much. Any advice would be appreciated. 🙏
May I ask...if a Bessa camera is set for a 50 mm M-Mount lens...but the actual lens attached to the body is a 40 mm M-mount lens....will there be problems with how the Rangefinder determines focus...how the viewfinder defines the rectangle of the image...and how the focusing on the 40 mm lens? Or, will the whole setup be "good enough" to shoot with the 40 mm M lens with the 50 mm camera setting?
Fantastic overview, thanks! As a 28mm shooter who wants to get a mechanical camera (no battery necessary to operate) with 28mm frame lines, what are the best Bessa and Leica camera options? Liking the background!
Thanks Alexander! I use the R body for 28mm LTM and would use the R2/R2M/A if used for M mount lenses. (Use 35mm framelines and use full viewfinder). Or.. use R4 bodies with actual 28mm framelines.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Hi Alex and Matt, I’m in the same boat and leaning toward purchasing an R2 to pair with my 28mm lens. I’m wondering how using the full viewfinder to estimate 28mm frame lines interacts with the parallax correction? What’s your experience been like? Thanks you!
Hi Matt! What would you recommend for glasses wearers? Looking at the R2 or R4M. Would like to shoot 28, 35, or 50mm. I want to shoot flash. Looking forward to what your thoughts are!
I think it's rather quiet, as long as you have a lens attached, Of course leaf-shutters are the way to go if you want the ultimate in quiet for film cameras. I'm sorry but I cannot compare it to how a Leica sounds. My quietest SLR by far is the Nikon N80/F80, and I would use either my R3A or the Nikon anywhere that I would want to be quiet, but I don't shoot during church services, so there's that.
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I don't understand what screw mount is the Bessa R ? M39 is ok ?
That must be the most comprehensive Bessa round-up anyone has ever attempted - well done, Matt. Love my R - a very under-rated camera.
Thanks Graham :)
Like the new soft background look with warm hair light. You're right, the recent ones were distracting. This one nails it.
Thanks Carl! Yes i'm finally happy with it too :)
I have owned Bessa L, Bessa R, Bessa R2, Bessa R2A, BessaR2M, Bessa R3A, Bessa R4A.
All great camera's.
I kept Bessa L and Bessa R. Both LTM, for my lenses: Heliar 12mm, Heliar 15mm, color-skopar 21mm, Nokton 50mm and other non-voigtländers
Great that you kept the L&R. Yes those are keepers for me too! :)
I've had my R3M since 2017 when I bought it new. It's my main camera body with a 1957 Jupiter-3 50mm f1.5 on an LTM to M adapter. I really like the 1:1 viewfinder and mechanical shutter.
Thanks, great combination! :) I have the J3 lens. Very nice.
I have the Bessa R which I shoot with the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 color-skopar and an old Jupiter 8 50mm f2. The Bessa R is a lovely, elegant camera to shoot with. In fact, build quality aside, I probably prefer it over my Leica M2 as a usable camera. Sadly I only take these cameras out occasionally now as, like most people, I've been seduced by the ease of digital for the everyday, but they're still great cameras to use as a special treat.
The only problem I've had with mine has been the rubberised coating on the back turns sticky over time. From the forums it seems I'm not the only one to have this problem. I've had the same problem with other brands of camera from around the same era too so it's not just the Bessa. I found the coating can be removed with a little care and patience using an alcohol based solution. I used alcohol based sanitising wipes which are mild so don't damage the plastics. It took about an hour to do but once removed the plastic looks and feels as good as new.
Thanks Kevin, yes good camera and has the lightmeter verses say the M2. I saw sticky back issues with some of the later Nikons, F100 etc but not on the Bessa yet. Thanks for the info.
Extra thumbs up for the 1:1 viewfinder on the R3 Bessas, it's refreshing to have both eyes open having the same field of view.
Thanks Edwin, yes good point!
Thx Matt for this top video. You made simple what was not so simple : how not to be lost in 35mm Bessa series :). The fact that you lead the user to the best choice for a Bessa camera through his loved lenses or usage is great. Big thx for that and now as you I know my Bessa bible by heart… and I bought 2 of them by your fault ;).
Thanks Phil! I’m glad you found this video. RUclips doesn’t seem to show it to all those looking for Bessa.
background is fine, focus seems fine... Bessa camera prices have gone nuts.....
Thanks Stuart! Yes agreed sadly, I think the lack of competition and rising Leica prices has pushed up these too.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom No, Matt, It's you bragging on them.........seriously, folks are
discovering 'film' photography and the good feeling one gets from processing a roll and looking at a real negative...
@@stuartmeador8993 yes they are lots of young (20s) shooting film now too it seems, I went to a camera shop in Brighton on vacation a few days ago and nearly died of shock to see a line of people waiting to go in. It looked more like a club queue with young cool looking people. I had to ask them why they were there I was so confused ha. Never seen that before!
Hi Matt! You fooled me! Your mention of Bessa made me recall my aunt's 1950s folder with the color scopar lens---magnificent camera. Where did all these silly little Rs come from? Although one of my proudest possessions is my M3 with the 35mm Summmicron, it's my old Zeiss folder that I pop into my backpack for rambles in the Balkans. Why? Because 1) I don't need to worry unduly about it getting damaged or stolen, and 2) in my ancient state I find a 6x6 negative far easier to work with in the darkroom (remember these?) than 35mm. Thus, Bessa for me conjurs up medium format although I'm sure these little R imposters are fine cameras..
Haha sorry Jeremy! I should change the title to "Cosina Voigtlanders" not proper Voigtlanders :) Yes I had a Bessa 1, see my 6x9 video I did. You may laugh but i've never been in a darkroom. :S I got into film later in life and have always used Paterson tanks. Yes negatives from the older folders can be amazing. On my Flickr I recently posted images with Perkeo II and Billy II cameras. (M3 is great of course!)
Love the new background Matt ! Very stylish !
Thanks David!
The background is wonderfully rendered, not distracting, and I love the circle rendering of the LEDs or point lights. It amazes me how many silly Zoom backgrounds I see or fake city views. Having a real background that has a calming effect shows you care about your content! That said, I might just have to add proper lighting to the nude mannequin I have in my background that is sporting an American Flag 😎
Thanks Steve! :)
Hi Matt, I bought one of the last half-dozen R3M bodies directly from our distributer in America. As I intend to only own one rangefinder, I chose the mechanical one so as not to be dependent on the batteries. I find that the LED metering is useless in bright sun, so until I got a new external meter I used the sunny-16 rule that was my only choice when I started in photography in the '70s, so I'm rather good at it. My lens collection is currently this: Zeiss 35mm f/2, Zeiss 50mm f/2, a vintage Nippon Kogaku 50mm f/2 ltm, a vintage Yashica 50mm f/2.8 ltm, and the original Voigtlander 75mm, the f/2.5 ltm. As you can see, I've been sticking with lenses of f/2 or slower and my reasoning is that with the short base length of the Voigtlander rangefinder I'm not sure how accurately I can focus a lens of 1.5 or 1.4. Can you lend any insight into whether or not I'm overly-concerned about focusing accuracy with fast lenses?
Great choice going for the M version Chris! I wish i'd done that at the time I got my R3A as I never use auto settings. Yes Bessas are not great with fast lenses and I did end up selling a few and keeping Leica as I need to be able to see to accurately focus or i'm not interested at all. The best Bessa RF is the T, by miles, and it's cheap, but no VF. You can use fast lenses on your camera if the RF is accurate. They get knocked out easily. Another niggle I had with them.
Like the new background! Leica R lenses are wonderful for video :-)
Thanks! Yes agreed.. I now see! :)
Love the new background! And great video brother
Thanks John! :) Me too!
Oh yeah the lens you used for this video makes it look like you’re in front of a green screen. Super nice.
Thanks for confirming! :) Yes very happy with the look.. AND it's a Leica lens so fits the bill :)
Background looks awesome! Def like it more
Thanks Kurt! It was difficult to set up for each video so I keep trying different ideas!
Bessa R2 and Bessa R are my favorites. I shoot mainly 35mm and 50mm
Nice combo Bart!
New background is great.
Thanks Joseph! It's an old video so is likely to be different again on the next one you watch :)
I am dreaming for years of having a camera like these
Some are cheaper - Bessa L > R > T
Hi Matt, I'm thinking about which Bessa would be the best for me.. I'm into photojournalism, mostly shoot digital but always had a Nikon F3 on my side too. I'd like something smaller and lighter, but as sturdy because I'm often in less-than-ideal situations. I'd probably put a fast-ish 35mm lens on it and never change it.. would you recommend the R or the R2? Also considering that the R2 basically costs double today.. Thanks!
R2 if you want to use modern fast lenses. The R is LTM
I have a R4A and my favorit lens on that camera is 28mm Elmarit. As I'm an old, near sighted fart, the 21mm frame lines are almost impossible to see, 35mm is OK but 50mm is to small. Nice lightning on your video!
Thanks Bjarni! R4A nice! Yes perfect for 28mm with glasses. Very good lens too! Thanks about lighting. I try to keep it for future videos.
Hi Matt, for the bessa m mount cameras is their a specific budget friendly 50mm prime lens you recommend? Perhaps the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.2 Aspherical Lens?
Hi! I like the AP0 50 f2 so bought instead of the 1.2. Smaller and lighter but for film the 1.2 might be a better all rounder lens. Both sharp at f2.
Another superb video / Ulf
Thanks Ulf! :) More videos soon
That's another 10% on Voigtlander prices!
Sorry, I wanted to do a round up of all bodies and now I will keep quiet!
Thanks Matt, you answered all my questions. I'm wondering what could I achieve by actually going to Japan with cash-in hand?
No problem and I’m not sure but I think you’d get some amazing deals! Fill a suitcase! :)
great.... but how I recognize the R2A or R2M model? any seller specify that... and my lenses are M39 mount and M42 mount
Hmm good question, I forget, it’s been some years since I use these. Maybe it’s written on them. You can only use m39/l39 RF lenses
I love your channel. Thank you for all the effort you put into it. Some years ago I bought a Bessa R2, but haven’t used it all that much. I don’t have any M mount lenses, but I do have a number of LTM lenses: Canon 50mm f1.4, Industar 21, Jupiter 8, FED 10, Leica 90mm f4, Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 and of course the necessary adapter. I’m interested in general documentary photography (think Walker Evans), landscape photography, and occasional street photography. Would you have any suggestion for which of these lenses I should use. Or am I missing an appropriate lens for what I want to do. If so what lens should I add. Thank you in advance.
Thank you Howard! Sorry for my late answer. LTM lenses are great, I enjoy quite a few different ones too. Everyone likes different FL for walking around. I enjoy 24mm in busy places. If you want very sharp images the Elmarit-M 28mm is excellent but not cheap. The Skopar you have is softer but a nice size. (The new Ultron 35mm f2 is said to be sharp and is compact).
Quite new to rangefinder topic. I have a modern DSLR and an old vintage OM-2n. Can I use any of my vintage lenses on a rangefinder ? (I have contax/zeiss, zuiko, some Russian lenses etc) thank you!
Hi JD, RF lenses yes, SLR lenses no. So if lens was designed for rangefinder 35mm camera with same mount yes it will work. If not it might still mount via adapter but have to guess focus.
Thanks Matt. As always great video. I would like to ask your advice. I just got Leica MP 0.58. What would be the best Voigtlander 35mm or 50mm to suit this camera. I would say I will be doing BW images. Thank you very much. Any advice would be appreciated. 🙏
Thank you! People often recommend Voigtlander SC (single coated) lenses for B&W but I tend to use MC lenses with more contrast.
May I ask...if a Bessa camera is set for a 50 mm M-Mount lens...but the actual lens attached to the body is a 40 mm M-mount lens....will there be problems with how the Rangefinder determines focus...how the viewfinder defines the rectangle of the image...and how the focusing on the 40 mm lens? Or, will the whole setup be "good enough" to shoot with the 40 mm M lens with the 50 mm camera setting?
Hi see my last reply. The same applies here too.
Hey Matt, isn't the base R2 (like the olive one you had) mechanical too, since the battery works only for the light meter? Thanks
Hey Marco, yes, the same mechanical shutter as the L and R cameras so you only need a battery for the lightmeter.
I have to use a Leica Leica Summicron-M 35. Which Bessa camera do you recommend me to take? Thank you
Hi Luca, Any R2 bodies will work for you - R2 / R2M / R2A (A&M focus closer), M is mechanical so should last longer.
Hey Matt
They’re great cameras but they have become quite expensive eg a good clean copy of the 2A is almost $2,000AUD (£1,100)
Thanks Ronald, yes agreed, it's almost worth paying more and getting a Leica now instead of some models.
Fantastic overview, thanks! As a 28mm shooter who wants to get a mechanical camera (no battery necessary to operate) with 28mm frame lines, what are the best Bessa and Leica camera options? Liking the background!
Thanks Alexander! I use the R body for 28mm LTM and would use the R2/R2M/A if used for M mount lenses. (Use 35mm framelines and use full viewfinder). Or.. use R4 bodies with actual 28mm framelines.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom thank you!
@@AlexanderJBerg no problem! :)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Hi Alex and Matt, I’m in the same boat and leaning toward purchasing an R2 to pair with my 28mm lens. I’m wondering how using the full viewfinder to estimate 28mm frame lines interacts with the parallax correction? What’s your experience been like? Thanks you!
I like the look of this video
Thanks James!
Hi Matt! What would you recommend for glasses wearers? Looking at the R2 or R4M. Would like to shoot 28, 35, or 50mm. I want to shoot flash. Looking forward to what your thoughts are!
R4M 100% if you want to see 28mm with glasses
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom okay! And what about a 35 or 50? R2 ?
So the minimum focus on a R2 is .9 and not .7?
Correct. Not good! (for me anyway)
Background Good.
Thanks Chris!
How loud is that metal shutter?
Louder than a new Leica M10 shutter.
@@barthonhoff5547 Sigh.... An interesting note is that the digital Leica shutters are actually metal. There's metal and metal, I guess.
Different models vary, some are louder than others. Later ones are quieter.
Thanks Bart
I think it's rather quiet, as long as you have a lens attached, Of course leaf-shutters are the way to go if you want the ultimate in quiet for film cameras. I'm sorry but I cannot compare it to how a Leica sounds. My quietest SLR by far is the Nikon N80/F80, and I would use either my R3A or the Nikon anywhere that I would want to be quiet, but I don't shoot during church services, so there's that.
This is like Dr. Sheldon Cooper but instead of physics he does film cameras...
Thanks Gualbert! :) Hopefully a good thing :)