Better, Affordable, Unique Option for Leica M Photography?

[@paulh6043]

I have a Bessa R and L. Love them both to bits. Lenses are 15mm, 35mm and a 50mm. Nothing fancy but so much fun.

[@JustinPhillip]

🙌🏼

[@stevenwhite921]

The Yashica Elecctro 35 GTN is a rangefinder with a light meter on the outside

[@JustinPhillip]

M mount tho?

[@throtol]

I own a Bessa L which is a stripped-down LTM rangefinder without a viewfinder or rangefinder. It is from the same DNA as the Bessa R, but without many features. I must say that it is a great camera to use. I also own a Leica M1. My only hesitation with the Voigtlander Bessa line is servicing.

[@thilipdhev]

Excellent video brother. U have a good philosophy within yourself. The clarity comes with a lot of hardships 😊 I just realised watching this video that you were the guy who made the M8 video. I watched that years ago. So many times and now just tripped on this video again. Cheers brother. Have a wonderful Life 😊

[@JustinPhillip]

Thank you! 🙌🏼

[@R8135003]

I think the Russian Zorki 4 has a built in diopter. Now that is a accessible camera.

[@sputumtube]

I was going to say the same but you beat me to it.

[@R8135003]

@@sputumtube Truth be told, there are a lot of old cameras out there. I only know because I bought one for the lens it had on it. Strangely it is a really nice, good looking camera.

[@John37255]

That’s the best street fair I’ve ever seen.

[@JustinPhillip]

😆

[@MezeiEugen]

This camera was produced exactly for the hipsters. Anybody around when it came out knew this. More exactly the entire Cosina produced rangefinder line adressed from the very beginning (with the Bessa-L) the hipster crowd. It even adressed the hipsters in steps. The normal hipster with cameras engraved Voigtländer and the really maniac hipsters could buy the same cameras engraved as Zeiss-Ikon.

[@JustinPhillip]

😂

[@lelandfitz1762]

But the Zeiss Ikon that came out around the same time (and mostly was only built to promote Zeiss' new line of M-lenses, ZM, as they even in the beginning of the 2000s were optimistic that film photography won't be killed by digital) as this one didn't look anything like it? It looked more like a Leica and didn't have the mandatory external viewfinder and seperate rangefinder peephole.

[@allencrider]

My most favorite rangefinder ever was the Graflex XL. I had an 80mm Planar with f2.8 and a 58mm Granddagon. But when I shot 6 x 9 cm the Planar was plenty wide. There was a time in the 1980s when Kodak re-introduced Kodachrome 64 in 120 format. There was even an outfit that would process it overnight. It was glorious and so fast to use. But now film is so over . . .

[@JustinPhillip]

😆

[@CBortlearts]

The Leica IIIG gives me a similar experience but I much prefer the ergonomics and build quality of it. You have the focus magnification with adjustable diopter and I use external viewfinders for all my lenses.

[@VictorReynolds]

I used the Argus C4. It was a great rangefinder that was my late Father-in-Law’s.

[@JustinPhillip]

Will check it out!

[@gordon_kwong]

I was looking for a budget rangefinder as my first rangefinder and landed on the Rollei 35RF (Voigtlander Bessa R2 with Rollei modifications), which has many similarities to your Bessa T. Thanks to your review I am no longer interested in getting a Leica and learning to love my quirky camera.

[@stevepringle2295]

I loved my T set up!

[@lelandfitz1762]

Could you explain how the rangefinder peephole exactly works? I always assumed it onle works as a "mix picture" with the normal viewfinder to focus correctly? You can change the diopter but the rangefinder hole doesn't do maginifcation, right? I think that's why a lot of people don't see rangefinder cameras as pracitcal for longer focal lengths (9:00), the focussing field in the mix of viewfinder and rangefinder is damn small for lenses above 95mm (I think that's the longst Leica goes on their M lenses). Leica has magnification up to 2x I guess for their viewfinder/rangefinder window for that reason. But I don't see how it works on this Bessa?

[@JustinPhillip]

Some would argue that one like this with a 1.5x magnification is only good for long lenses or shooting wide open. But i think its good for anything where the photographer would want accurate focus. It works just like any rangefinder. The difference is the entire window on the Bessa T is the rangefinder patch. Vs a tiny square on a Leica M

[@lelandfitz1762]

@@JustinPhillip Oh okay, thanks for the info. That really makes it a lot better to focus bigger focal lengthes.

[@ThePROWIRCmethod]

I like the color.The camera looks great!

[@Marcello1b]

I have an old Yashika FX3 (more plasticky body, SLR) and another FD (More methalic, with an Aperture priority). Both are making "as good" pictures that this one (50mm). Both are working really well, but it's been a while I didn't used them. I'd have a big respect though for the Voîgtvander and, I'm sure, it would give me this sensation of a M6. The sound of the shooter of this Voîgtvander is a little less than my both Yashika(s). Another that I got is the Yashika 635 (Medium format, really quiet, great quality picture). The process is longer and, of course, the 1+ meter to consider for the photo. Less flexible on that side. The Fuji film reminds me that picture I got. The Lomography film would have bee great to see. When well processed, the pictures are quite original. I agree, the Yashica Electro 35 GTN (Beautiful retro, fully Aperture automatic), in the "rangefinder" phylosophy, As I saw, gives also excellent picture; and for street photography it's surprising. Though, the focus has to be done 1+ meter and it's not interchangeable, but great quality. The noise is in the winder, which I prefer (once the picture is done), but really quiet in the shooter. In general, the rangefinder types are the best for street photography. I'm happy that great photographers are also keeping films once in a while. There's the "organic magic" with film, that keep its charm, Great artists know how to use them, and their grains.

[@throtol]

Isn't the Yashica FX-3 made by Cosina?

[@GTAYLOR1972]

You know I read an interview with a major director who said his next film will be done with Sony FX cameras. Being a stills guy and not really a cinematic guy it makes me wonder if Sony is better system or if it’s good enough and the price is what really sells it. I know the director in the article said that the price per body just could not be ignored and when talking about having multiple bodies and also back up to those and you are reducing your production cost, it’s a no brainer.

[@JustinPhillip]

yupp and then combine that with the convenience of Sony cameras. they dont quite have the dynamic range of the leading cinema cameras, but i think the convenience and cost wins most over

[@xtactic]

I love my M6, nut if I were to buy a rangefinder today it would be a Bessa R3M, mainly because they cost less than half of an M6 and I love Voigtlander lenses. The T version is not really for me, since I think the decoupling between focus and composition ruins the shooting experience. Still, Bessas are very solid choices

[@RafalGendarz]

Oh didn’t know you sold the komodo? Would you say it had better image quality or same as fx6?

[@RyanPiwarski]

pretty much the same if you know how to expose and have a good colorist haha, if you're not having a producer/client request your camera it doesn't really matter what you chose.

[@JustinPhillip]

I do think the Komodo had the advantage in dynamic range. All sony sensors are way more sensitive to digital noise IMO. Funny enough. The RED sensors are some of the best senors no doubt. But the convenience of the FX6 trumps all. I think thats why it has become so popular. I did a blog about it on my patreon. (You can join for free and read all my blogs.) www.patreon.com/justinphillip

[@mgman6000]

I have a Canon 7 and was interested in the Bessa until you said it was plastic I'll just keep my Canon

[@SivertAlmvik]

Hey! I owned one of those. And I owned a R and a L. I threw them away in 2010 because I thought noone would ever buy one of those in the digital age. I'm a f*****g idiot that likes to burn money and laugh. Kept the lenses, though.

[@JustinPhillip]

😅

[@SivertAlmvik]

@@JustinPhillip Luckily I kept the Bessa R2 Olive. Sold it for more than I bought in back in 2003/04 👌

[@christopherwelch5568]

I'd like to suggest something different- what I think is a more affordable option than a camera is becoming a student of photography. Study the work of the people that made Leicas famous and learn from them through their work. Honestly I don't think it makes any difference what camera you use if you suck at photography. Just a thought.

[@JustinPhillip]

Haha nice way to tell someone they suck. It reveals a lot about someones character when they talk down to someone who is already very self-depracating. 🍻

[@lensman5762]

My Leica Ok from the 1940s has built in diopter. This thing was never reliable. That is why it never caught on. The rangefinder is not accurate for longer lenses either due to its very short base. You can never compare this camera to any Leica, they feel more like Cosina or Nikon.

[@JustinPhillip]

I can always tell when people dont watch the entire video. But to your comment, the EBL on this still beats the .72x Leica M