A love affair
This is a
modern incarnation of a classic design, harking back to a simpler time. I could
talk at length about the Voigtländer
name as a brand. I could talk about the Japanese company Corsina who bought the license enabling them to use the old German
company’s name, and distribute their own cameras. I could, but I won’t. I want
to tell you how this camera feels when using it. Moreover, I want to tell you
how this camera makes me feel when
using it. As everyone probably knows by now, I am almost 95% totally film
these days. I almost instantly feel in love with the rangefinder design as soon
as I picked up my first Yashica Electro
35 (the classic GT model – black
of course)
So with the eagerness of a golden retriever puppy, I ripped
into the wrapping of my package delivered from Japan. I had bought a used
body-only for around £170 including
postage. With a serial number of under 400 (meaning it was virtually brand ‘new’),
I was hoping that I did in fact receive a good example of this classic. Thusly
follows my tale…
The Ticket (part 2) @ 2015
I am absolutely smitten with this camera. Just like the word
smitten having a few strikingly different meanings, this camera too has many
sides (some good, and some not so good). So after just over a month of owning the Bessa-R, firstly,
what are my negatives?
For starters, the frame counter is tiny, and on a black
background. This might not sound like a big thing, but as I use reading
glasses, it certainly makes life a bit more challenging when you’re losing the
light or in deep shadows. Not a deal breaker, but an inconvenience. It is easy enough
to work around... just keep a few brains cells reserved for tracking the frame
count.
The next issue is a bit more than just an irritation though.
This is a medium sized camera and feels very good in my hand. I tend to grip
the body in the classic 3 fingers in front, thumb cocked behind the film
advance, and the forefinger poised above the shutter release. However I have fairly large hands and I find
my middle finger keeps on tripping the self-timer lever on the front face of
the camera. I had noticed that every now and again the shutter speed would be
wildly out, by seconds. I thought it might have something to do with the meter,
or maybe the batteries were losing juice and dragging the shutter. But soon I
discovered that it was me that was tripping the self-timer with my fingers
around the front and so close to the lever. As said, it's a bit annoying, but
with care, I get by just fine thank you.
The Surprise @ 2015
My last issue is just a bit of a nag! It is annoying,
irritating and (I feel) is the weak link in this great system. But like
everything in life, you work around the challenges. I own a Leica iii(a)
which has the worst rewind knob ever (or
so I thought). I just accepted the fact that I would lose some skin on my
thumb each time I needed to rewind and load more film. This flip/lever system of
the BESSA-R has now surpassed the
Leica iii system, and is without a doubt the worse I have ever come across. It
feels flimsy in your grip, and occasionally it slips a gear as it kind of
‘floats’ now and again. Also, it is sometimes a struggle to actually lift the
flip/lever to start rewinding. All in all, it is the most annoying thing about
this camera.
All other issues are just down to preferences, and I will not
labor you with those. There are many good reviews regarding this camera on the
interwebs if you’re interested. Now, finally, why do I love this camera?
For starters this is a surprisingly light-weight camera. This
is a good thing as I use a neck strap and can be out and about for 4 – 6 hours
average per walk-about. So, the lighter the better I feel. I usually have it
stung over one shoulder and keep it at the ready across my chest. This means I
can swing it down to my side when I feel nothings to be had. With a quick
swing, it is at the ready. As I've mentioned I use the classic camera grip, and
this camera is just about the most comfortable I have ever used. And it
doesn’t hurt that it’s ever so pretty…
Then there's the smooth film advance. It's not as smooth as a
Leica-M series camera, but buttery will not be an issue when describing
this advance. Then there’s the mechanical shutter. Again not as quiet as the fabled
cloth-shutter of the M and it's older siblings, but, to me, it has a very reassuring action and sound
(much like an early Olympus OM series
camera – but not quite as mechanical). This makes it a real asset when shooting
as close as I sometimes do. Add to this a 1/2000th of a
second max shutter speed, it has all the specifications that I need.
I am not sure why Corsina decided to use the Leica
L39 (screw) mount for their first foray into making a more 'serious'
camera. Yes, Corsina did make a couple of SLR's before setting out in the
rangefinder arena. I own some old Leica glass, with my favorite being a 50mm
Summarit 1.5, so this camera was a logical choice (outside forking out a
small fortune for a Leica-M series camera). Of course the glass does not have
any impact on the body (other than feel), but I feel it's a match made in
heaven. This brings me to the framelines. Yes, the framelines for 35, 50, 75 and 90mm glass. The selector is
situated on the top plate, and constantly gives me a warm fussy feeling inside
when I look down at it.
But the biggest surprise of me is the viewfinder. Or more
correctly the view through the viewfinder. It is as bright as any
M camera I have ever looked through. It might even be a bit brighter than a few
out there. These framelines are bright
and clear. There is plenty of room outside the framelines making the world look
much bigger, and makes composing a real pleasure. It gives me more time
to compose as I can see so much coming into frame. Combine this with an equally
bright and clear focusing patch, and I have an extremely capable tool to make
my vision a reality.
Then, there is the price! At £170, compared to about a grand
(pounds) for a good working-order Leica-M, this is the bargain of the century.
A flash sync speed of 1/125th is plenty enough for me thanks. Lastly
I learned that the rangefinder alignment screws are situated just under the
hot-shoe. I can confirm this is so, and very easy to adjust if need be. All in
all, this camera suites my needs perfectly.
Of course the camera you have is the right camera for you.
But you have to feel comfortable when using this tool. And, of course it is
just a tool. But this is a great tool for what I feel I can produce. I have a
couple of other cameras that also fit me like a glove – my RICOH GR1 and
NIKON FM (and I will be doing a review on these soon as well). If the
camera gets you out shooting, then that can only be a good thing I believe.
Some might find this interesting, some might be tempted, and some will laugh
this off as silly nostalgia. However, we should all never forget the history of
classic design and where that brand new micro four thirds body has its
origins... rangefinders made it all possible. This Bessa-R is one of the best
value-for-money and ease of use out there... And I am smitten with mine.
Happy shooting everyone. And thanks for reading. A
