I really wasn't supposed to buy anything...

[Orio]

... at the used camera fair.
But, when I saw a Bessa-T brand new and with 5 years warranty, for only 200 Euros, I thought that this could be a backdoor to be able to use some of the greatest lenses ever made for M and M39 mounts... the nearest financially available chance was a beaten up 300 EU Leica M3, without light meter and without super fast times. My dream (the Contax Ikon) is at 1000 EU height. So I decided to give the Bessa a go, because they are out of production, and it was likely I would have not found another brand new one so easily.
I then needed a lens to try it, and the cheapest available option in 35mm focal lenght was a quite used Voiglaender Ultron 35/1.7 aspherical, which was for sale at 150 Euros. I thought it was not bad for a 1.7 35mm lens and I decided to try it, even if I knew nothing of that lens. It is screw mount, so I had to buy also a M39 to M bayonet adapter (something I would have done anyway, because I wanted to have access to both worlds).
Well, now here am I with a new rangefinder



Now I need to sell other stuff fast...

[Katastrofo]

Orio, you did very well! I would say this was too good to pass up and looking
forward to some samples!

Handsome looking set, too.

[F16SUNSHINE]

Congrats Orio!
I love my Bessa cameras And all the CV products. I think you will also.
This lens I have not tried but, it gets good reviews and it is nice and fast for 35mm.
I think that Koji has it maybe he can comment.

[Orio]

While waiting for Koji, I found a guy on Pbase with quite a bunch of image samples.
So far I like the bokeh that I saw:

http://www.pbase.com/brandbeaver/image/83275982

Pbase sizes are too small to tell anything about the sharpness.
For what can be seen of distortion, is seems decently controlled also.
I am curious of the optical scheme compared to Biogon.

[Attila]

Congrats! I am sure you will love it even if you have so many superb gears.

[Orio]

I tried to use it today and made a mess.
When comeing home from the fair, I stopped casually at Castell'Arquato and found that there was a Mediaeval event going on - I wasn't aware of it!
So I loaded both the G2 and the new Bessa and went down to the camp.
I was so happy!!! Because I was convinced to have taken great photos with the Bessie. The camp was gorgeous and the actors too. And the place also.
BUT
I found out that the film of the Bessie did not advance
I don't know what happened. I checked the first frames until it arrived at zero and it seemed to do OK. But then in the end I understood that it must have disconnected from the spool, because the film never ended and when I finally tried to rewind it, it immediately did end
Now in addition to having lost a great photo opportunity, I have also lost a roll because the film has gotten completely inside the can.

[Attila]

Damn it, I had same story with Yashica FR1 , that was my fault seems, I hope your Bessa is fine just new camera new loading...

[lulalake]

Sorry about the film but congrats on the new camera. I have always looked at the new Voightlanders longingly and am looking forward to your results.

Jules

[Orio]

I think I must have unadvertantly disengaged the film from the spool after the first few shots.
I now have tried to load a cheap COOP film and it seems to have loaded ok, we'll see. I tihnk the camera is OK and I am the idiot to blame

Thanks Jules. Bessies are fine cameras. I have the Bessaflex since last year and although very spartan, it served me well in Budapest and didn't miss a beat. And the light meter was very accurate - an experience that incouraged me to buy this camera - as I suppose that the light meter will be the same as in the Bessaflex. It was really really accurate.

[F16SUNSHINE]

I think you are correct about the meter.
It is the same in the R2M and that one is spot on for me.
I like the three led meter also.
The CL hardly is used now because the led meter is much easier to read in low light then a needle.

[piticu]

[LucisPictor]

[koji]

Hey Orio, that is a good buy. I want to buy this Bessa-T for a long time, but didn't.
I heard this camera is really good for Noktilux 50.

The Ultron 35/1.7 is more than fairly good lens, it is sharp after f2 onward and
small although not small like Skopar 25/4. I am using right now with G2 + Planar 2/35
to compare them side by side informally.

My Cosina lens page > http://www.pbase.com/kkawakami/cosinas
advertisement ends.

With M2 and Fuji Reala (personally I like this kind of people photo too, I like Pieter Bruegel paintings)

With M8 (my wife, and her devut here )

[Orio]

Thanks Koji for the information! I am happy to learn that the lens I bought is a good one.
It's very curious, today I have used side by side the Ultron and the Planar 35 also!!
Unfortunately the photos of Ultron are lost

[Orio]

I don't know if this photo was PPed or not, but if it's natural, then I can say this lens has a very good control of geometry:

http://www.pbase.com/brandbeaver/image/83276005

Which relieves me a lot!

One strange thing I found about it when cleaning the front glass a few minutes ago: it has a concave front glass!
First lens I ever have like this.

[koji]

No problem, Orio. I read whole thread after reading "you lost shots with Bessa",
sorry for that. But that is a life, I did loose a whole roll with my sister's
wedding. Since after, I have never messed with film loading for
the last 45 years.

We may have to start "rangefinder" section.

[Orio]

[koji]

Addenda:

Orio, all those ULTRON lenses are supposed to have concave element
at the front. That is my (mis)understanding of this naming, though I have no clue
of actual meaning of the word.

Check M42 Ultron 50/1.8 from CZ, CV Ultron 28/1.9, and CV Ultron 40/2 too.

[F16SUNSHINE]

[Séamuis]

Ive never used a rangefinder, but that Bessa is gorgeous. great name as well.

[montecarlo]

Congratulations Orio.

BTW the camera is a RF right ? But that viewfinder is very small, isn't it. Or the RF is used to focus and the external viewfinder to compose the picture ?
Thanks.

[Orio]

[lulalake]