Bright viewfinder, attractive retro style.

rangfinder misaligned, unreliable

It''s a good looking, seductive camera and I would be happy to own it if the rangefinder wasn''t misaligned. I read a lot about this problem but unfortunately I bought it against all warnings. I think the camera has proven its unrealiability and I recommend to everyone not to buy one. My Olympus 35 SP is now 30 years old, has a lot of dints and scratches - but the rangefinder matches.

Customer Service

have to test it

Similar Products Used:

Olympus 35 SP, Olympus Pen FT

Lenses are reasonably well made, although I did have trouble with the focusing ring on the 50mm Nok developing approximately ¼ turn of dead travel.

The camera has some serious QC problems, not to mention that it is being flogged to the wrong market.

I purchased this camera complete with 35, 50, and 90mm lenses. I found that the lenses, for the most part, provided reasonable service. The camera, on the other hand, became disabled with a shutter jam on the first roll of film. I should have taken this as a portent of things to come, but hindsight is always 20/20. After waiting almost two months for the repair, it came back with the shutter repaired… and the rangefinder so badly misaligned (vertically) that people appeared to have two heads. After another month, the camera was returned in what seemed like a serviceable condition. Industrial photography is somewhat rigorous (we use the photographs to plan equipment arrangements and manufacturing facilities design), but it is not abusive of the equipment. Even so, I noticed that the rangefinder’s vertical alignment began to drift again. I also noted that the meter’s readings were beginning to diverge from that of my Sekonic L-508 (it was 2 ½ stops off at the end). Finally, after approximately 4 months of use, the film advance became hopelessly jammed. At that point, I returned the camera for a third time. This time, the new US importer felt pity on me and sent me a new camera… which I sold, along with all the rest of the kit. As I see the problem, this camera is being marketed as an alternative to the Leica M-6. That is a joke. Prior to the Bessa R, I was using an M-4P. After nine years of service, it still works great… doing the same work that killed the Bessa R in only six months. The Bessa R is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a professional grade camera. A hobbyist’s diversion, perhaps. A serious professional tool, not on your life.

Customer Service

The first importer was terrible. The second one is very good.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M3, M4, M4P, and M6TTL

Light weight. Bright viewfinder. easy loading film. low cost reliable. small All manual. simple light meter.

Rangfinder needed adjustment for focus light meter does not work in very low light. Lens mounting ring reflects light, not good for films that have a shine to them ie, TMAX 400, P3200. Flash shoe does not work with my simple flash. Camera scratch prone.

This is a great camera from a company making its first rangfinder camera. This camera is for someone who wants a rangfinder camera. You can see outside the picture frame and the picture doesn''''t disapear for the length of your shutter speed. You''''ll see the flash go off to. This camera is very light, small and easy to use. Viewfinder is very bright. light meter floats below the picture frame. I found the light meter doesn''''t pick up very low light. Night shots. Shutter system is great. If you hate complicated exposure dials and buttons on cameras you''''ll feel very relaxed using this camera. It''''s center weighted meter exposes slide film really well. I''''ve found that you need to rate negative films a third to two thirds of a stop under to get shadow detail in the negatives. Simple to mount lenses. Some lenses are fast. and some are small. Nice and sharp pictures so far. One small detail that drove me a little crazy. The inside of the lens mount board was not painted matt black. every once in while I would get this weird light fog in spacific areas of the film plane under bright light situations. I was shure it wasn''''t lens flare. After lots of shooting that this was only happening with fast black and white film. Faster films are more silvered, reflecting more light off them. I removed the lense board and painted the inside matt black. So far no wierd fog. If you get this camera you may have to fine tune it.

Customer Service

Lots of lenses to chose from

Similar Products Used:

Pentax Spotmatic 11

A good value and the ability to use lenses in the 39mm screwmount that has been the standard for more decades than any other. Easy to use, nice ergonomics, compact size. Fully mechanical shutter works without batteries.

Not as bombproof as a Leica. Possible worries about the long term adjustment of the rangefinder. Not as cheap as a 70s fixed lens rangefinder, but you are getting a lot more in a modern new camera body.

I purchased the Bessa R in black along with the pancake 35/2.5 lens. I also have tried a 55mm Russian Fed lens on it as well. This is a great update to the 70s compact rangefinders for someone who is not ready to purchase a Leica. It is not possessive of the Leica build quality, but it is on par with the mid-range SLRs I have had from major manufaturers. The controls are very intuitive, and the english section of the manual is only a few pages long. If you are looking for a rangefinder and want to have the ability to use a wide range of lenses on a budget, this is the camera you want

Similar Products Used:

Canonet GIII QL17 Minolta Himatic 11 Argus C3 Fed 5

Well made body. I don't feel it as cheap as some reviewers have said. It is light and also compact enough for street photography. Focusing is fast and accurate.

The vertical misalignment is present but if you concentrate in horizontals, the camera will produce razor sharp pictures.

This is a very good entry level rangefinder with an excellent line of lenses that can produce excellent pictures comparable to Leica M and Konica Hexar equipment without paying a fortune.

Customer Service

Not for now.

Similar Products Used:

None

Focusing is easy and precise.
Very bright brightlines. Very well built. Not sure what camera some reviewers held, but mine was in no way similar to plasticy SLRs. The only thing not rock solid is the backplate, the only major plastic part, and even it seems well built. Great lenses. Meter is very good considering it is centerweighted.

Mine has (very) slight vertical images misalignment in viewfinder at longer focusing distances...not a real focusing problem due to focusing in horizontal dimension. Dealer will repair/replaced it asap. I hear that this is not uncommon to rangefinders.

Excellent camera, especially for people starting into rangefinders, or are not millionares, or who want a 2nd body. Refreshingly solid compared to SLRs. Being able to have this kind of control over a camera, with good body quality and good rangefinder capability, at this price, is really something special.

Customer Service

Not needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

This was my first rangefinder. I've used extensively Minolta 800si, 400si, Olympus midlevel, Sureshot A1. Also Ca

Simple, straightforward design. No frills. Everything you've grown to expect from a rangefinder. Bright viewfinder, easy to focus, light weight.

Built like a typical Japanese SLR -- plastic components that don't inspire confidence in its quality. Not as quiet as an EOS 5.

Competitively priced rangefinder with all standard features. Great line of lenses.

Customer Service

Haven't asked for it yet.

Similar Products Used:

EOS 1, 5, 630, Rebel.

This is a very good rangefinder camera. The quality of construction is on par with a top-brand SLR, that is, like a top-line Nikon, Canon, a notch below a Leica. There's a lot of strength in the constuction of this camera, but it is still light weight. The Leica screwmount lens system works great - I can vouch for compatability with Leica and Canon SM lenses. The metering is very accurate with a nice TTL centerweight system. The viewfinder on this camera is a joy -- very bright framelines and an excellent, bright rangefinder patch. The focus system is very accurate for lenses up to 75mm.
The greatest strength of this camera is probably the wonderful Voigtlander lens line. I own 15, 25, 50, and 75 mm lenses from this line. They are great tools for the serious amatuer who wants a manual camera. The 50 mm lens is a f 1.4 and produces great existing light photos. The 75 is a very good portrait optic -- I've already taken excellent flower closeups with this lens -- the out-of-focus highlights (Bokeh) are very attractive, and "make" these photos really pop. The wide angle lenses are just incredable - the 25 is of excellent quality, a great "walk around" lens, the 15mm is really almost a unique optic, with very little distortion. Neither of these lenses couple with the rangefinder, but their depth-of-field makes this not really needed. The 15 and 25 optics use seperate viewfinders that are really bright and clear.

It's not a Leica, and is more expensive than a similarly equiped SLR, to its a relatively inexpensive protal into an expensive area -- top line rangefinder photography. The effective baseline of the lens makes close focussing with a 90 mm lens tricky ( I've done it, though). A 105, 135mm or larger lens would not focus easily with this camera. The film take-up spool is a little fussy to load -- maybe slow film loading is needed to replicate the "Leica charm"? When using the 15 or 25 mm lens, one must use the regular viewfinder to meter. The top plate diodes of the Bessa L are much more convenient.

The results from this camera are noticably superior to any point-and-shoot and better than almost all SLR for normal, informal portrait and wide angle photography. This camera is really almost a unique product in that it introduces a whole new area of photography. Coupling the sharpness of this system with modern films, which themselves are much sharper and faster than older emulsions has quickly taken my photography to a higher level. I used, and really loved, the Canon FD system, but really don't feel the current high level SLR's or the "point and shoots" are good tools for candid travel photography for the serious photographer. Specifically this camera system is better if you are not tied into zoom lens photography, but rather enjoy using prime lenses. Hope this all helps!

Customer Service

None needed yet.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M6, Leica IIIf, Canonet 17 QIII, Konica S3, Rollei QZT

simplicity
low weight
fine handling
good picture taking qualities

the use of cheaper materials

ehh ... its not (repeat not) a Leica.

But if there were no Leica's on earth, having a Bessa R you won't miss them. Its a perfect simple camera. Everything is on the right place. Beautiful finder, a pretty good lightmeter.

Even the use of plastic on the camera can be considdered as very cleaver. After a fall, the replacement of parts will be cheap.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

the big ... example

None

None

I've just bougth a black Bessa-R; the body is in plastic material! There is not a "green" (as is written in italian instructions) diode in the meter, but it are all red coloured. I have appreciated the low noise level of the shutter and the brightness of finder, better then Leica CL I normally use.

Similar Products Used:

Leica CL