I am writing this to give a very brief introduction to some of our fellow CS'er who are new to RF and wish to "try it out"...
As I have always told people who wanted to get into RF photography, if you just want to get into the gear and try try... see see whether it is as fun as digital or SLR... then I would suggest, try it on a cheap RF or maybe a fixed lens RF first. And see whether it is really hype or truth.
The fun of RF photography is in quickness to snap the picture sometime without even your subject knowing it. Sometimes you don't even have to bring up to your eye to focus to get a well composed shot. That is why it was popular among journalists for many many years. Hence it is great for street photography and taking things that people do everyday, without imposing on them, making them feel awkward. As some of you might have seen this series
Nurses of Singapore by one of our fellow CS'er , it's an excellent illustration of what RF cameras can do very well. A big chunky SLR or DSLR can do the work as well... but you will spend half the time coaxing the subject or making the subject less threatened by your professional equipment.
As for which RF bodies to get, if you have unlimited cash resources to spend, the Leica MP is of cos one of the best you can get today (if you really really got alot of cash, you can get an alpa, NOT Sony Alpha!) . But if you want a good RF body and reliable metering and don't mind adjusting the shuttlespeed all the time, then the R3M is the perfect body at below SGD1000. If you intend to use it for street photography and don't mind the distortion, go for the 21mm/f4 which is pretty value for money interms of "widest angle per dollar index". If you are a more conservative person and don't want your wife and girl friend to complain they look too fat from pictures taken from your new toy, then the R3M will go very well with the 40mm/f1.4, which is a very highly rated lens at only SGD453. Frankly, nowadays, it's hard to find such well made lens below SGD1000. And it rolled out from the same factory that made the "Z" lenses...
If you are lazy but want to make sure all your shots are correctly exposed, then getting a R3A or R2A would be a wiser choice as it got AE (Auto Exposure). The difference between a R2A & R3A is in the frame lines. R2A has 35, 50, 75 & 90mm frame lines, where R3A has 40, 50, 75, 90mm frame lones. So what does it mean? Does it mean that I cannot shoot using 40mm lens on R2A???? What this actually means that you have to *agar agar* (approximate) the view and compose the picture in your head and envision what you will get on the final print. Is it a BIG thing? In my personal opinion, no, it is not a big thing. As I always believe... when you want to take a picture, the framing is done in your head, not through the viewfinder. The viewfinder is just a reference so that your final picture don't end up people with no head. You can always use the 50mm frameline on the 40mm lens, you just need to crop the output a little or approximate frame size. It takes a little practise to get it right of cos...
So, which to get R2A, R3A, R3M or wait for R4M or R4A?????
In my own opinion, the R2A black is the best to start with. It's the most value for money. Do note that the production for R2A has ceased. There are only about 70 left in Cosina stock. Hence, it will be the last chance to own a Bessa R2A less than S$800.
Unfortunately, the only R3A I have is grey in colour. Some of you might not like it. In my own opinion, it's cool. You might not know in years to come, collectors will be looking for the grey one! But if you're using it to shoot, it probably doesn't matter. Maybe it will put your subject more at ease as they probably think that you are using a TOY and won't take you seriously.
I believe in getting value from anything that I buy, that's why I make sure every customer of mine is happy with their new tool or toy. Don't just get into RF because it belongs to the same breed as Leica. The true joy of photography is not in owning the best or most expensive camera and a good picture is not necessary made with the most expensive or most mega pixel camera.
I really hope the younger generation will appreciate what 35mm still has to offer and if they want to learn about photography, start from the basic of shuttle speed, aperture and film speed.
RF is back to basic. You compose the picture from your head, look through the finder to make sure everything you want to capture is in frame, in focus, right exposure and press the shuttle. Nothing fancy, nothing glamourous... just what some of you described, it's a gentleman camera.
I hope I've made your buying decision easier.
