Amita Guha wrote: > > I would love to buy a Bessa T or R, because I tried them out a while > back and liked them a lot, but I've been looking around for lenses and > it looks like the lenses are several hundred $ each no matter where I > look. Am I missing something or will I really have to pay tons of money > for each lens if I start building a rangefinder system? Sorry for the OT > post but I'd rather not deal with Leica-only snobs online. ;)
Hi Amita, The Voigtländer lenses are not nearly as expensive as Leica but they do cost money. Here in the UK, most of the lenses sell for the dollar equivalent of $250 to $400, the exceptions being the 12mm and the 35mm f/1.2 which cost rather more. I am aware of two sources for Voigtländer in the USA; Cameraquest and Photo Village. Their prices seem reasonable but I have no experience of either as a source for equipment as I buy and sell in the UK. The fact that Voigtländer cameras and lenses use the L39 Leica screw mount or the Leica M bayonet means that you can buy other brand lenses to fit your Voigtländer camera. The former Soviet lenses for the Zorki series of L39-mount cameras are surprisingly good and are often offered on eBay for very reasonable prices. You may also find older Canon rangefinder lenses offered but they tend to cost more. If you buy the Bessa T or R2 you will need a bayonet to screw mount adapter to mount L39 lenses to the camera; all other Voigtländer rangefinder bodies use the L39 mount. Try the former Soviet lenses; you might be surprised just how good they are, and how well made. Best regards, John
