VOIGTLANDER BESSA R SERVICE PROFESSIONAL

The inside of the lens mount board was not painted matt black. One small detail that drove me a little crazy.

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. It''''s center weighted meter exposes slide film really well. If you hate complicated exposure dials and buttons on cameras you''''ll feel very relaxed using this camera.

I found the light meter doesn''''t pick up very low light meter floats below the picture frame. This camera is very light, small and easy to use. You can see outside the picture frame and the picture doesn''''t disapear for the length of your shutter speed. This camera is for someone who wants a rangfinder camera. This is a great camera from a company making its first rangfinder camera.

VOIGTLANDER BESSA R SERVICE PROFESSIONAL

A serious professional tool, not on your life. The Bessa R is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a professional grade camera. After nine years of service, it still works greatвЂ¦ doing the same work that killed the Bessa R in only six months. Prior to the Bessa R, I was using an M-4P. This time, the new US importer felt pity on me and sent me a new cameraвЂ¦ which I sold, along with all the rest of the kit.ДЄs I see the problem, this camera is being marketed as an alternative to the Leica M-6. At that point, I returned the camera for a third time. Finally, after approximately 4 months of use, the film advance became hopelessly jammed. I also noted that the meterвЂ™s readings were beginning to diverge from that of my Sekonic L-508 (it was 2 ВЅ stops off at the end). Even so, I noticed that the rangefinderвЂ™s vertical alignment began to drift again. 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. After another month, the camera was returned in what seemed like a serviceable condition. After waiting almost two months for the repair, it came back with the shutter repairedвЂ¦ and the rangefinder so badly misaligned (vertically) that people appeared to have two heads. I should have taken this as a portent of things to come, but hindsight is always 20/20. The camera, on the other hand, became disabled with a shutter jam on the first roll of film. I found that the lenses, for the most part, provided reasonable service. I purchased this camera complete with 35, 50, and 90mm lenses. The Metz is silver and black, just like the Bessa R. I use the Metz Mecablitz 34 CS-2 with the Bessa R with great results. With practice, the lens mounts in the screw-mount easily and quickly. I''ve carried the body in one pocket of my overcoat and the lens in the other, making for easy carrying. With the lens, this camera is light and small enough to take just about anywhere. The shutter mechanism is not as quiet as the venerable Leica, but quiet enough. It doesn''t seem to affect the negatives, however. I''ve often wondered if it is being 'dragged' back to the film canister. Sometimes, when rewinding the film, it feels as though the film lags. The film rewind crank can also be awkward to use, especially for someone with large fingers. The placement of the film advance lever makes this a bit awkward. To set the ISO, you have lift the filmspeed set ring on the shutter speed wheel. Like others, I''m not fond of the placement of the strap eyelets. The self-timer mechanism, however, seems a bit quirky and I question its reliability. The body is comfortable to hold and the Ultron 35mm lens focuses easily. It doesn''t feel as cheap as some reviewers have mentioned. While the body doesn''t have the great, solid feel of a Leica, for the price point the Bessa R feels reliable. I''ve gotten used to this and don''t feel it is a problem. It is worth noting that the Ultron 35mm lens blocks a portion of the lower right corner of the viewfinder. Photographs are sharp and the Ultron 35mm F/1.7 lens produces excellent photographs. The viewfinder is incredibly bright, the focusing is quick and accurate, and the meter does a good job. The Bessa R with the Ultron 35mm F/1.7 lens is a joy to use.

Voigtlander bessa r service