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Post by GeneW on Nov 14, 2006 9:13:37 GMT -5
Walker, if I hadn't already bought one, you'd have just sold me on the idea with this portrait. I hope I can take anything remotely this nice!
Gene
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Post by byuphoto on Nov 15, 2006 16:02:34 GMT -5
I think I have found my M42 portrait lens
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chrisy
Senior Member
Not another camera! Sorry dear....
Posts: 66
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Post by chrisy on Nov 16, 2006 8:27:40 GMT -5
Nice camera Gene: but does the green tea meean youve forsaken Starbucks? Say it isn't so.....
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Post by GeneW on Nov 16, 2006 10:34:56 GMT -5
Chris, me foresake Starbucks? No way. I just haven't had the pleasure of introducing the Bessaflex to Starbucks yet I drink mostly green tea at home, but coffee when I'm out. Good green tea is difficult to find in coffee shops -- it's all teabag, tasteless stuff. Along with my camera acquisitioning, I've now added green tea. I mail order various blends from Internet tea shops so I can try them out. So many good ones! Gene
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chrisy
Senior Member
Not another camera! Sorry dear....
Posts: 66
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Post by chrisy on Nov 16, 2006 11:53:02 GMT -5
8-)Hi gene,Green tea ;whats wrong with good old PG Tips or perhaps you cant get that locally.Jolly good brew as we British say! BTW how goes it with the M42's you brought recently? Any pics? regards chris
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Post by GeneW on Nov 16, 2006 22:32:56 GMT -5
Chris, I've not heard of PG Tips, but I'll bet it's nice! I just had three Bessaflex rolls developed and scanned to CD today. I'll see how the M42 lenses worked out and post some pics in the next day or two.
Ron, don't blame you. I've owned two Bessa rangefinders and they're awfully nice. Sold them when I acquired a decent Leica M2 user but they were fun to shoot with.
Gene
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Post by GeneW on Nov 17, 2006 8:55:35 GMT -5
Gene, One of these days I just might find a R3 in the mail!! You always say you envy the availability of women to pose around here. We have 1 large university, 2 large colleges, 2 small colleges, 3 theater groups, 2 dance troupes and 1 modeling school. Kalamazoo is great for the arts of all sorts. The coeds really dig the special photography, while the guys are just more interested in...what we in our younger days called...stag flics or pics. Ron Head Kalamazoo, MI It's one thing to be surrounded by potential, it's another to use it. Kudos to you Ron! Gene
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Post by GeneW on Nov 29, 2006 7:36:44 GMT -5
After running several rolls through the Bessaflex, it's become my (current) fave shooter. The VF is amazingly bright and clear, with a good center splitimage/microprism focusing aid. I like the Flex so much, I just bought another -- a used black Flex from the Cameraquest site, in "mint-" condition. I'll keep B&W film in the black one and col film in the silver.
Back to the future... I had a similar setup way back when with a pair of OM-1's.
Gene
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Post by GeneW on Dec 15, 2006 12:17:00 GMT -5
Here's a shot of my second Bessaflex wearing the Industar 61 50/2.8 macro lens that arrived yesterday from Lithuania. Starbucks, of course, and field notes in my Moleskine notebook. Gene
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Post by kiev4a on Dec 15, 2006 12:35:49 GMT -5
The silver Bessaflex sure looks like a Topcon but I'll bet it isn't as heavy.
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Post by herron on Dec 15, 2006 16:06:15 GMT -5
The Bessaflex sure looks spectacular in all black! I wonder why the prism housing is a different shape than on the silver one?
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casualcollector
Lifetime Member
In Search of "R" Serial Soligors
Posts: 619
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Post by casualcollector on Dec 16, 2006 1:02:14 GMT -5
The black version is the original model. When Cosina introduced the silver version, it was offered with a 5.8 cm f - 1.4 "Topcor". Camera and lens an homage to the Topcon RE Super, the camera restyled to resemble the Topcon. The lens is a new design. The name used under license. That's the explanation offered by CameraQuest, one of the U.S. Voigtlander importers.
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Post by GeneW on Dec 16, 2006 10:34:45 GMT -5
The silver Bessaflex sure looks like a Topcon but I'll bet it isn't as heavy. You're right, Wayne. It's a relative light camera for a metal one. The Bessaflex sure looks spectacular in all black! I wonder why the prism housing is a different shape than on the silver one? Ron, it's the first time I've ever seen a camera manufacturer do that -- two different styles of the same model. It's kinda cool to see them side by side. casualcollector, thanks for the explanation. I'd forgotten about the 'Topcor' lens offering. I sometimes wonder if these will be the last of the new 35mm film SLRs made... Gene
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Post by aceroadholder on Dec 16, 2006 11:55:52 GMT -5
Gene, it just dawned on me that your photo of your new Bessaflex is the most attractive illustration of this camera that I've seen. I think more black ones would have been sold if your picture had been used to advertise it. I had been of the opinion that the Topcon styled model was the better looking.... now I'm not so sure. This may very well be the last new 35mm SLR camera made. From what I can gather, this camera fortunately shares a lot of components with the Cosina rangefinder cameras. Cosina may be able to keep making these 35mm cameras for a time if a tiny portion of the photographic market still wants them. I imagine the total number of cameras Cosina makes every year must be small.
Orlin in SC/USA
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Post by GeneW on Dec 16, 2006 12:56:29 GMT -5
Ron, scary thought, isn't it? Orlin, thanks! To tell the truth I have both and can't decide which is prettier. I'm partial to black bodies, but the silver Topcon style is also very attractive. Maybe that's why I decided to get a matched set. Cosina just might continue making small runs with specialty mounts, like the Bessaflex M42. Someone on another board called the Bessaflex TM a 'cross between a Bessa R2 and a Pentax Spotmatic'. Nicely put. Good, solid Bessa build and features and functionally a brand-new swap-in for any classic Spotty. I suspect that if I don't have an accident with the Flexes they will outlast me. That's (somewhat) comforting Gene
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