[Leica] Voigtlander Bessa T

[Stephen Gandy <leicanikon@earthlink.net>]

Just got a Cosina Voigtlander Bessa T with Winder.   it's very
different, but in a nice way

compared to the Bessa R, the back is stronger, the advance is racheted,
the 1.5x RF has a built in diopter, the large RF patch takes up about
85% of the image -- making it very easy to focus, the new trigger winder
attaches easily without removing any base covers and works smoothly, the
winder has a built in side grip AND a lower strap lug which allows for
vertical carrying.  While the bodies are available in silver or black,
the winders are black only.   The winder is also comparatively small and
compact as it adds only 13mm to the camera's height.   The T's metal
Copal shutter sounds more or less the same as the R's -- louder than a
Leica M but much quieter than most of today's AF SLRs.   If you have not
heard about it before, there is NO built in finder in the body, instead
it's designed to use separate accessory finders.   Unlike some less
expensively made M mount cameras (ha), the T  DOES  have a guard on the
lens release.  the M mount seems well made and worked perfectly with the
M mount lenses I mounted.

all in all, the Bessa T is an interesting camera which offers
significantly different  choices compared with the M6-- two of them
being a much lower price and an infinitely better new factory trigger
winder -- since Leica no longer makes the Leicavit.     It's funny, but
with the trigger wind, high magnification RF, and separate viewfinders,
the Bessa T feels much more like a modernized version of the knob wind
Leicas than a modern camera.  hmm.  On second thought,   I wouldn't be a
bit surprised if that is what Cosina's CEO Mr. Kobayashi had in mind all
along.

Stephen Gandy