Hi, Chris, Of the cameras that I use the most, my systems aren't that far from yours.
My three Spotmatics still get use, but not so much now that I have the MX (with MV as a backup body). I've been rationalizing my screwmount lens collection, basically getting rid of my 3rd party lenses (except one zoom), and concentrating on eventually using all Takumars with my Spots - I've got a long way to go, but that's my plan... The camera I use the most is the MX, although I'm still in the process of building up my k mount lenses. With the Series 1 24-48 zoom (whenever I get it from Shel) and Sigma APO 50-200, I've got a nice usable range for 95% of my needs in a real small package (one lens on the body, one in a lens case around my neck - no need for a camera bag!) But for street photography, as I posted last week, I just got a Leica CL with Summicron C 40mm. Not dissimilar, I suppose, from your Bessas, except that M series lens compatibility with the CL may be a problem with certain lenses; I've read conflicting reports. Not that lens compatibility is really an issue at this point. With the cost of Leica glass, I think this will basically be a one-lens camera for quite some time. My original plan was to use the MX as my street camera, once I got the pancake for which I've been lusting. Dave Chang-Sang's Leica becoming available changed that plan, though. What I like about the CL (as mentioned by Cotty, I think), is that to the general public, it looks like a p&s - "a serious photographer wouldn't use a little thing like that, would they?" (not that I'm "serious"). Also, it's quiter than the MX (but a bit noisier than I thought it would be). With the lens hyper-focused to the range I need (around 4 to 25 feet) it's a focus free camera - very easy to talk and shoot at the same time. I brought the camera to a large party on Saturday night, and had a blast! Blah-blah-blah, click. Blah-blah-blah, click. I'm sure after a while, no one even noticed I was shooting. Great fun. I think that Pentax slr's and a decent rangefinder system are quite complementary of each other. Not really a matter of "which do I use most", but "these cameras do different things in different situations". regards, frank Chris wrote: > >No, it's not a test between the two. I've essentially whittled down my > >collection to 6 cameras, on the Pentax side the LX, ZX-5n, and an SV > >screwmount (additionally, a Chinon CE-4), and a Bessa R and L. > > > >I'd be interested in knowing if any of you in the PDML have a similar set up > >and how you feel about using your equipment. I have to say, and I don't > >want to sound sacrilegious, but my CV equipment has been used far more > >regularly (save for a recent vacation to Nova Scotia - only Pentax equipment > >used). > > > >One area where there is, from my perspective, more opportunity for the > >Voigtlander is in people photography. I took 4 rolls at a recent Jazz > >festival with the Bessa R and my subjects actually smiled at me, a far cry > >from the ZX-5n which I brought to a street fair a month or so ago and people > >where actually running to get out of view. Of course, I went to Old Timer's > >day at Yankee Stadium, and the LX and 200mm M was the only choice to capture > >Reggie Jackson and his speech at his induction to Monument Park. > > > >I've been very impressed with the glass on the CV, owning the very nice 35mm > >f2.5 Classic, the great (TINY!) little 15mm and the 25mm I bought with the > >Bessa L. I use a Russian 50mm that serves it's purpose, and a Russian 85mm > >that is more than serviceable. > > > >Obviously, there's no macro, depth of field, multiple exposure capabilities > >with the CV stuff, but the Bessas have increased the fun quotient and are > >much smaller. The LX meter is something beyond the capabilities of most > >cameras ever made, but then I don't use the Bessas in the same way, when > >critical exposures are necessary. > > > >I guess for me I've found the perfect companion set up to the LX etc. Both > >kits seem to complement each other, and there's sometimes clearly a "Bessa" > >opportunity and a "Pentax" opportunity. > > -- "The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
