[Leica] Bessa R

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

 I unpacked my Bessa R this afternoon and have fondled it for a couple of 
hours. It has been loaded with Tri-X and I will shoot with it as soon as the 
rain stops. The camera will most likely handle the rain, but I am not going 
to go out and get wet just now.
 First impression of the camera as follows:
It is not flimsy. It is a rather substantial camera, same height as a M6 
(without Rapidwinder) and a bit shorter. It looks a bit like an IIIG with an 
M-rangefinder attached to it. Feels well built and all the controls are 
smooth and tight.
 The body is a black one, but for some reason the filmadvance arm is chrome 
and so is the rewind crank! Could be that this is a preproduction model and 
that these pieces will be properly blackened when it goes on sale.
 The finder is very bright, compared to my M6 0,85 and my TTL, as bright if 
not brighter (even after I cleaned the windows on the M6's) than those. The 
rangefinder patch is sharply defined with slightly rounded vertical bars. I 
have found that if you don't look straight at the finder patch it is 
difficult to see. Only a small deviation from the sight centerline will cause 
it to disappear. The frameline selector is on the top. Slightly to the right 
of the eyepiece. 75 frames to the left, 35/90 on center and 50 on the right. 
Clearly defined lines although not "full lines" just lines without visible 
corners.
 The rewind crank looks like a crank from a Canon P, folds up from a slanted 
edge of the camera and it has a red, rotating dot that indicates film-travel.
 The back door has a small window that shows the film cassette marking. No 
more gaffer tape with cryptic notes stuck to the top-plate! Front cover has a 
slight texture to it; the back door has a smooth rubber like material on it. 
It also has a small "grip" on the back that orientates your thumb to the film 
advance lever.
 The meter is very M6 TTL like. A left red arrow with a "-" sign, a center 
round dot and to the right another arrow with a "+" sign. All bright and red, 
actually very bright!
The shutterspeed dial is large and easy to grip AND IT ROTATES THE SAME WAY 
AS ALL MY PRE-TTL M's. On the back there is an engraving:
VOIGTLÄNDER
GERMANY
Since 1756
 A good nylon strap with rubberised "non" slip surface. Weird clips and 
plastic things for attaching it to the strap lugs. Will be exchanged for a 
KameraLeder strap very soon. Flash synch outlet on the left edge of the 
top-plate. ISO information in the shutter speed dial a la Nikon (lift and 
turn). Synch speed is 1/125 and top speed is 1/2000.
 Looking at the camera I keep thinking, this would make one hell of an 
affordable Leica M intro camera. Change the mount to M and have it on the 
market for US$650-700. Great 2nd body and dedicated to the 35/50 and maybe 75 
focal length. The short rangefinder base would make even a 90 a bit tricky to 
focus correctly. It would give us the higher synch-speed and the 1/2000 
top-speed, but if we wanted the longer, more precise rangefinder, we would 
have to go for the M6. Sounds like a much better idea than re-badging the 
Hexar RF (which would be almost the same price as the M6 anyway). This would 
make a nifty 21st century Leica CL!
 The lens I got with it is a new 35/2,5 compact. It is not a true pancake as 
it sticks out about 22mm from the body. Large barrel diameter, very 
comfortable to hold and an extremely short focus throw (an about 30 degrees 
from 0,9mm to infinity). It is a non-aspherical lens and if any of you can 
remember the old Nikkor 35/1,8, it resembles that one in size and looks.
 There is no Off/On switch for the meter, but it turns itself off after 9-10 
seconds. 
Some risk of draining batteries if you leave it in a bag with pressure 
applied to the release button.
 That's all for now. I will venture out in our miserable weather in the next 
couple of days and shoot some Tri-X and there is a faint promise of sunshine 
over the weekend and that should allow me a chance to shoot some Delta 100 
and Presto F 32 ASA for more fine-grain testing.
 As this is a pre-official release camera, it came with no instruction manual 
(which would be of no use to me anyway as I cant read Japanese) and also 
nicely packaged in a Bessa-L box. 
Ah, to heck with it! I am going out shooting in the darkness and rain right 
now. Can't stand the wait for nice weather here!
All the best,
Tom A