C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-35mm
The Voigtländer Bessa R3A (2004) is the **1.0× magnification finder** variant of the Bessa R-series. Where the R2A has a 0.7× finder optimized for wide-angle lenses, the R3A's life-size finder is optimized for **40, 50, 75, 90 mm** lenses — the magnification matches your other eye exactly, so you can shoot with both eyes open without seeing a size mismatch. Uniquely useful for street and reportage photographers who shoot 50mm prime predominantly. Same body as R2A: magnesium chassis, 540 g, electronic shutter to 1/2000s, aperture-priority AE.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
Same advisories as R2A. The 1.0× finder window is sometimes scratched on hard-used bodies; verify clarity.
About this camera
The 1:1 finder Bessa. Both eyes open, frame lines for 40, 50, 75, 90mm — best for portraits and longer lenses.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M |
| Years | 2004–2015 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2000s, electronic vertical cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted silicon |
| Modes | Aperture priority (R3A); manual (R3M) |
| Frame lines | 40, 50, 75, 90 mm |
| Finder magnification | 1.0× |
| Weight | 540 g |
| Battery | 2× SR44 |
Released 2004 alongside the R2A. The R3M (mechanical-shutter version) followed in 2006. Production continued through 2015. The 1.0× finder concept was Voigtländer's response to Leica enthusiasts who shot 50mm primarily and wanted the both-eyes-open experience of an old Leica IIIf or M3 (the M3's 0.91× finder also approaches life-size).
For photographers who shoot 50mm 90% of the time, the R3A's 1.0× finder is the most ergonomic rangefinder ever made. Both-eyes-open shooting is genuinely faster than one-eye finder use; the 50mm frame line at life size means what you see is what you get. The 35mm focal length is excluded from the frame-line set (you'd need an external finder for 35mm work) — but for 40/50/75/90, the R3A is unmatched.
For 2026 buyers, used R3A at $700–1,300 is one of the best modern M-mount values, especially paired with a Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.5 ASPH or Heliar 75/2.5.
Same as R2A. Voigtländer 50mm Nokton 1.5 ASPH and 50mm Heliar 3.5 are the most natural pairings; Leica Summicron 50/2 and Summilux 50/1.4 also excellent.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Voigtländer / Cosina Bessa R3A
Image coming soon