Saturday, 10th April, 2010 · 9:05 pm
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Finding My Range

Lately, I’ve been shooting some work on a Voigtlander Bessa-R rangefinder I bought years ago for an assignment on board an oil tanker. I won’t bore you with the technical stuff. Let’s just say that due to their design, rangefinder cameras and their lenses are much, much smaller and lighter than SLR equivalents. Just look at the difference:

Canon and Voigtlander

David and Goliath - Voigtlander Bessa-R beside a Canon 1DS Mark II. Which would you rather carry around all day? (c) Roger Overall 2010

I’ve really enjoyed taking pictures with the Voigtlander – in fact, I’ve loved it. So much so, that I’m considering rangefinders for more serious commercial work.

Small and light – what more could a documentary photographer want?

Well, there’s a catch. My Voigtlander a isn’t a great camera. If truth be told it’s a piece of plastic tat. I’d need to invest in new gear: two bodies and three lenses. That’s where it could get silly expensive.

There are only two rangefinders still being produced that are worth considering: the Zeiss Ikon or the Leica M.

The Zeiss Ikon is made by the same people who make the Voigtlander, but to a much higher standard, and takes exquisite Zeiss lenses.

Thing is, it’s a film camera. Digital gives me so much more in terms of post-production control that I’m not sure I’d want to switch back to film for commercial shoots. Sure, I could scan the film, but that’s a whole extra step in post.

The Leica M does come in a digital version, the M9. It has a sterling reputation. Its optics are sublime and they come with exotic names like Super Summiluxicronbonbon.

Thing is, Leica gear costs more than a Renoir.

So, that’s not going to happen.

Yet.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the Voigtlander for some personal projects. Even if it doesn’t wind on film properly anymore and double exposes half the frames.

Leaving Cork. Voigtlander Bessa-R, 50mm Colour Skopar. (c) Roger Overall 2010

4 Comments

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  • Tomas T

    Lumix GF1…. smashin’ little camera.

    Regards

    T

  • Roger Overall

    Great suggestion, Tomas.

    I’m not that gone on EVFs to be honest. And the G1′s isn’t great in low light – which is where I hang out a lot of the time.

    The so-so high ISO would also be an issue, especially as 4/3 lenses aren’t usually that fast. My current faves are all f/1.4.

  • http://www.glyons.at Gavin

    I also thought of the GF1, which I recommended to my father, which he enjoys thoroughly with the 20mm prime. It’s a fine lens and sensor combo.

    But for me at least there’s some drawbacks to the 4/3 system. I need a clear viewfinder, this is a must, another big reason is the lack of wide angle lens especially primes. Plus I tried both the G1 and GF1 – buttons all over the place, features I don’t need or care for.

    So I guess you know I picked up a second hand M8, awhile ago. It’s a different way of thinking then DSLR but it a simpler way once I grasped it. Hyperfocusing / Zone focusing is great on the M.

    I’m a sucker for things that are basic and well made like the my Rega CD player and Audiolab amp.

  • http://www.rogerverall.net Roger Overall

    Thanks for your comment Gavin.

    I’d love a pair of Leica M9s. Well, to be more accurate, I love the idea of owning a pair of M9s and producing documentary work using them. The focusing would take some getting used to, as I tend to hang out at the f/2.0-f/4.0 range to get nice shallow depth of field.

    I had a chance to play with one for a nano-second at the IPPA dinner, but it was far too short to make any kind of judgment call on the camera.

    What I do know is that I prefer the silver finish over the black one.