Re: Bessa Screw v. Konica M WAS:Re: [Leica] What Leica will be showing at Photokina

[John Coan <jcoan@alumni.duke.edu>]

Bill,
Yes, I got your very good explanation.  You know what's funny.... I don't look at
headers real closely and thought that had been sent to the list too.  I need to
take better stock and when somebody sends a personal email to be sure and reply,
with thanks.  So, thank you!
I looked at the price of a Hexar and it is almost as expensive as an M6.  I'm
really glad to see the popularity of rangefinder camera types surging.  I am new
to Leica but not to rangefinders....  My first serious camera at age 14 was a
Kodak Retina Automatic III with Schneider Xenar 45/2.8.  I still have it in fact,
and it takes darn good pictures.  And I am partial to the Voigtlander marque
too.... I had a Bessa II with 105 Color Skopar and it took really good great big
negatives...  A fine tradition in cameras.  I guess I like good glass.  I have a
Contax 645 in MF now, and love the pictures from it too.  I know I will like my M6
and enjoy it to its fullest.
John

Bill Larsen wrote:

> John Coan writes:
>
> |Anybody know the reasoning behind the Bessa cameras having the screw mount
> |instead of the M mount like the Konica Hexar?  You cannot mount any M lenses
> on
> |it like this (or can you?)
> |
> While I sent you a private post on why I think the Bessa cameras have a screw
> mount instead of the M mount, I forgot to answer the second part of your
> question regarding mount M lenses on the Bessa.
>
> The answer is no, you cannot mount a non-modified M lens on the Bessa.  When
> Leica changed from the screw mount bodies to the M mount bodies, they changed
> the lens registration by one millimeter.  This was to allow the use of all of
> their previously screw mount lenses on the M cameras (as well as their
> existing lens stock at the time) by use of an adapter that adds one millimeter
> to the M camera registration.
>
> Regards, bill larsen