the unofficial Cosina-Voigtlander User Community

Hello,

I am new to RF and am considering buying a Bessa. I read some info about the current models, and I am very much interested in the R2M/R3M. I think the best way to choose between the two cameras is to determine if I would want a 35mm or a 40mm lens. I hope you guys can help me out:

35mm Ultron vs 40mm Nokton
a. Which has better/creamier bokeh?
b. Which is more sharper wide open?
c. Which has better build quality?

Also, will I be better off buying an R3M with a 40mm Nokton because it has a longer base and 1:1 VF, ergo, easier to focus accurately? (I don't wear glasses.) Or the R2M will be just fine?

Thanks in advance to all those who will reply.

francisgan wrote:

QUOTE:
Hello,

I am new to RF and am considering buying a Bessa. I read some info about the current models, and I am very much interested in the R2M/R3M. I think the best way to choose between the two cameras is to determine if I would want a 35mm or a 40mm lens. I hope you guys can help me out:

Welcome

QUOTE:
35mm Ultron vs 40mm Nokton
a. Which has better/creamier bokeh?
b. Which is more sharper wide open?
c. Which has better build quality?

a. the Ultron (IMHO)
b. the Ultron (IMHO)
c. equal

QUOTE:
Also, will I be better off buying an R3M with a 40mm Nokton because it has a longer base and 1:1 VF, ergo, easier to focus accurately? (I don't wear glasses.) Or the R2M will be just fine?

The diff in EBL isn't really that great. The 1:1 VF is nice for some, but if you wear glasses you won't be able to see the 40mm framelines without moving your eye around. I have an R2 and R2a (both have the same .7x VF) and like the magnification because you can see around the 35mm framelines and the VF edges approximate 28mm and I just love my 28/1.9 Ultron.

Thanks Brian for the generous advice.

I am leaning towards the R2M and the 35mm Ultron. I feel that the R2M has a more classic VF and frame lines. My only concern is whether I will be having a hard time focusing fast lenses at wide apertures, shallow DOF.

I contacted a salesperson in Hong Kong who frequents the Philippines and hopefully he'll be able to source one for me there in HK. Voigtlanders are just nowhere to be found here. I also talked with a distributor in Singapore, but sadly our Customs places an exhorbitant tax on all imported electronic items (roughly 25%)! If I were to get the Bessa kit, then it would be cheaper for me to just travel to HK or Singapore and buy it there... plus I get to have a vacation.

An additional question. Should I bypass the 50mm Heliar? How is it compared to the faster 50mm Nokton?

I haven't used the Heliar so I can't really comment on it. I do have and use the Nokton and find it to be a great lens. It's sharp "sweetspot" is f4, which is great for indoors shooting.

To answer you concern about the R2x being able to focus something like the Nokton wide open (and to give you an idea of how the Nokton renders images wide open), here is a photo I took last holiday season while visiting home (Los Angeles. I live in Taipei most of the year). I sat in the back pew of a Baptist church and shot a couple on with the Nokton and an R2a on Tri-X (rated EI250). On this one the point of focus was the hymn book. You can tell just how shallow the DOF was as the book next to it is OOF.



These 2 were shot more recently here in Taipei. Same kit as above. The first was shot at f2 and the second wide open.

It's settled then. I will be getting the R2M. I'm sold with your first photo - crisp focus and very nice OOF. I hope I get to source one at the soonest time. Thanks, Brian.

It's a great lens. It's bigger then the 40 but the bokeh is much better and the difference in speed is minute.

Next I'll try and sell you on the 28/1.9 Ultron