I have finally taken delivery of a Voigtlander Bessa R3M! Alright, it’s not a brand new one like I had originally planned, Cosina Voigtlander has seemingly ceased producing new units, but it IS an actual camera that I can use.

I had the option of purchasing a brand new one from America, but I would be spending almost double the cost of a second-hand copy without the benefit of a local warranty, so I opted to put the money that I saved to other things.

I’m using a Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm F2 lens, which is a Minolta-made iteration of the original Leica C Summicron 40mm that was designed for use with the Minolta-made Leica CL, and I have seen it referred to as the “water lens” for its particular bokeh rendition.

I was originally planning on getting a Voigtlander Nokton 40mm F1.4, but its inconsistent bokeh rendition dissuaded me; I want to know that I can depend on my equipment to give me similar results time after time.

I haven’t shot with this setup yet, but I’ve got rolls of Kodak T-MAX 400 waiting in the fridge, with Fuji Pro 400H and Kodak Ektar 100 on my radar as well.

Don’t worry, my Nikon FM2/T is still kicking, and it’s quite the joy to use: so simple and compact! It’ll be interesting to see how the R3M works as a “street” setup.

That being said, I really long to go travel somewhere and photograph some landscapes. There’s a beauty to photographing nature that even the most picturesque urban environments can’t emulate. I don’t know when I’ll get this opportunity, but I hope it’s soon.

Speaking of picturesque imagery, I’ve really been digging COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY. I’ve binge-watched the entire series this week, and have been blown away by its high production value and how it was created to incite excitement about science. It really does take me back to when I was a kid reading books about Hydrogen, scientific facts, and the universe. I really wish that modern education was designed around inspiring children, because an inspired mind is a willing mind. Willing minds are remembered by history, other minds are not.

But I digress.

It won’t be easy, but my aim is to release these blog posts weekly in addition to having photos go up every two days. Expect to see some new images in the next couple of days. 🙂

Abir