Introduction

I have been a big fan of rangefinder cameras since my friend introduced me to his Leica M6 TTL. There is something magical about taking a photo with a rangefinder. It is very different experience. Unlike shooting with SLRs, you can view the scene during the exact moment when you take the photo; there is no mirror blocking your view.

Since I enjoyed the full manual operation of my friend’s M6, I chose the mechanical version of Bessa (the M in the name signifies the manual/mechanical version, R3A has aperture priority and is electronic in operation). You can shoot with R3M even if the batteries die. And even if the in-camera electronics would bite the dust one day, it’s still possible to keep shooting with this camera. I like that principle and I was willing to sacrifice the comfort of aperture priority mode for the sake of full mechanical operation.

Bessa is a popular camera here in Japan for film photographers. I’m not sure if it would be appropriate to call Bessa a poor man’s Leica but it is tempting to compare this camera to Leica M6 TTL since it’s similar in so many ways. I don’t have any information about exactly how popular the camera is, but at least two of my friends have it.

R3M is also a very portable and discreet camera (at least what comes to it’s size), making it a good tool for street shooting. When you hold it to your eye, people won’t get as intimidated as if you are holding a weapon-like SLR.

Today’s Voigtlander cameras are manufactured by Cosina company in Japan, and have nothing (except name) to do with Johann Christoph Voigtländer’s company. Nokton lenses are also manufactured by Cosina in Japan.

Operation

Operating Bessa R3M is comparable experience to Leica M6 TTL. It is a delight to to use and handle this camera and the Leica-like rangefinder magic is fully present. The rangefinder patch is bright even in low-light conditions and big enough for accurate focusing.

Bessa’s 1:1 viewfinder is bright and very easy to use. Since it doesn’t magnify, it allows you to shoot with both eyes open. The camera has 40/50/75/90 frame lines which must be manually set by using the switch. The camera won’t recognize the coding in Leica’s M lenses.  Frame lines are parallax corrected just like in Leica and move as you focus.

40mm frame lines are kind of hard to see because they extend so far into the corners, so it might take some getting used to. There are no exact 35mm frame lines in R3M, but setting the camera to 40mm lines and anticipating the 5mm difference might not be such a big deal.

TTL center weighted metering turns on automatically when you press the shutter half way. Unlike in Leica, you don’t need to turn the camera on or off. This is likely to save some batteries. The metering has plus/minus scale of exposure in steps of 2, 1.5, 1, 0.5. It’s more informative than Leica’s simple arrows, because you get instant feedback how much you’re off from the optimal exposure. But this is a matter of taste. I can also understand why many prefer the Leica’s super-simple led arrows.

In my tests, I found the metering to be very accurate.

Bessa has maximum shutter speed of 2000 which is high enough for the most situations, although ND filter might be necessary if you want to open up the lens in bright conditions.

It is true that R3M’s shutter is kind of loud. It sounds like SLR shutter (it actually comes from Cosina’s cheap SLR line). This might become problem if you shoot in quiet places and the shutter sound might be one reason to choose Leica over Bessa, since it’s shutter is much more discreet.

This might also have something to do with the fact that Bessa R3M has dual plane shutter.

Bessa has no timer, but the shutter button accepts a standard mechanical shutter release.

Loading film is also very easy, perhaps easier that it is in Leica. With Bessa you don’t need to remove bottom plate to load film. Just move the switch on top plate back and pull up the film rewinding crank, and the back pops open. The switch on top plate should prevent accidental opening of the camera.

Winding back the film is easy. It requires pressing the film release button on the bottom of the camera and winding the film back to the cartridge with the crank. I would guess that the mechanism is more robust than M6, because the crank is not angled but straight; less mechanical parts.

Build Quality

I found Bessa’s build quality to be very good, if not as rock solid as Leica. The camera is mostly made of metal, except the back door. It feels comfortably solid and heavy, and it has some of that “real camera” feel. The camera feels very well balanced in my hands. It’s easy to carry this camera with one hand, so neck strap might not be necessary.

Shutter button and film forward lever are made of metal as well as film rewinding crank and shutter speed dial and they feel very robust.

The markings on the camera are painted and not engraved on metal (except shutter speed numbers). If one finds the top plate logo annoying, it might be relatively easy to remove it.

I have read some reports of small screws of the bottom plate becoming loose, so it might be good idea to check their tightness every now and then. But overall, if you want better build quality than this in a film rangefinder camera, Leica is the only option.

The strap connectors are positioned strangely a bit on the front side of the camera, so the camera doesn’t quite hug your body while you’re carrying it, but makes the camera’s lens to point to the sky in 45 degree angle. Although this camera has a double focal plane shutter to prevent damage from the sun, I would recommend caution. Strangely the weird positioning of the strap connectors seem to highlight this risk. My recommendation is to either use lens cap, or carry the camera so that lens faces your body in sunny days, like most pros do with their RF cameras.

Overall, it must be said that Bessa is a solid and very well built camera.

Conclusion

Bessa R3m is a reasonable cost alternative for Leica, plus it accepts all wonderful Leica’s lenses (but has no built-in 35mm frame lines). Bessa R3M with Nokton 40mm lens might be good option for those who want to try manual rangefinder photography for the first time. It’s also generally good idea to invest into M-mount lenses; should you upgrade to Leica one day, you can still use the same glass.

R3m offers full manual shooting experience. The camera is mechanical and only electronic part of the camera is the metering which can be turned off by removing the batteries.

The photos I took with 40mm 1.4 Nokton lens compare very well against the shots I took with Leica M6 TTL, they are similarly crisp and sharp, but that should be mostly if not entirely due to the lens and film.

The size of Bessa makes it also very portable. The camera is almost as small as Fujifilm X100, although almost twice as heavy. I personally like the reassuring weight of this camera, which makes it to feel like a solid tool.

I really recommend this camera for anyone who wants to get into the wonderful world of rangefinder photography, but are on a budget or hesitate to invest into Leica.

See the gallery below for my shots with Bessa R3M and Nokton 40mm 1.4 lens.

8 replies
  1. Quazmoto says:

    Nice review. I have been researching these cameras for a while now and I think I am going to be going with the R3a to have he ability of aperture priority. I have been deciding between one of these and the Contax G2, but the manual rangefinder focusing just seems like to much fun to pass up!

    Reply
  2. Paul del Rosario says:

    Thanks for writing up this review. I’m seriously considering to get this camera as this would be my entry point into the rangefinder world, and most importantly, because of the stealth factor. I use a variety of cameras, but I must admit, the Pentax 67II is my love, but it also breaks my neck when walking around town. I recently purchased the x100s on impulse, and I haven’t fallen in love with it because of all the menus and technology. I’m trying to like it, but I find it a bit boring. I’m hoping this R3M will renew my romance with photography.

    As you posted this back in 2012, do you still enjoy this Bessa? Would you still recommend it?

    Reply
    • jaakko says:

      Thank you for comment, Paul. I definably love my Bessa R3M. It has been working flawlessly and I am honestly glad I chose to buy this camera. Nokton 1.4 (single coated) is a very sharp lens with plenty of contrast. The contrast might be even a bit too much for some, so it might be worth to check out some images before if you intend getting that lens. But with Bessa you can use Leica glass, just remember, there’s no frame lines for 35mm. My Bessa’s rangefinder patch is a bit off vertically, but it doesn’t really matter for me. However if you mind such thing it’s good to check vertical alignment before buying, especially if you get used camera.
      Bessa’s shutter can be kind of loud in quiet situations, however. The shutter comes from Cosina’s cheap SLR line, so it’s not really as lovely as Leica’s. So what comes to stealth factor, I’m not really sure. Can’t beat X100s!

      Reply
      • Paul del Rosario says:

        Thanks for the feedback. Loud shutter…hmm…that would compromise my stealth position, but that’s okay because I’m not working for the NSA. As long as the images are gorgeous, I’m okay with explosive shutters.

        Your sample pics are wonderful and very convincing for me to click on the “add to cart” button. Nice rich color, contrasty as you mentioned. Deep. Cool. Film. I’m particularly interested in the 35 1.2, as I shoot a lot at night.

        I hope any alignment issue (horizontal or vertical) will not be a problem because I plan to buy a new one. Is this something common with many Bessas or simply the one body that you purchased?

        I’m quite schizoprehnic with cameras. I know it’s not the camera, but it’s me. Same goes with the X100s. I’ve seen samples from friends X100, and the images are truly amazing. I’ve used mine around five times since purchase, and have taken more pics on my iphone since then. LOL. I’ve got a relatively big project coming up next month, and plan to use the FUJI as the main workhorse (replacing my 5D MKII) for one portion of the shoot, along with my monster Pentax for another portion. So, weight is really critical for me for this one.

        Anyhow, sorry to overload your RM3 review with this commentary. Looking forward to what and others have to say; especially before I add the Bessa to cart.

        Reply

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