aaronktam

I have parted ways with my Bessa.

The Voigtlander Bessa R2a is a rangefinder camera and was manufactured at a time when digital photography was booming.  Hirofume Kobiyashi, the man behind the camera’s creation, based this decision on his belief that there was too much competition in digital photography.

Acquiring the rights to the Austrian camera company Voigtlander, Kobiyashi found a niche in the world of camera manufacturing when he improved upon the existing Voigtlander Bessa rangefinder concept and made it into a poor man’s Leica. What resulted was an affordable, hardy, and fantastical combination of tradition and technology.

A poor man's Leica

The rangefinder camera is excellent for shooting news events.  Because of its size and portability, the rangefiinder less obtrusive than a conventional SLR camera and brings a certain spontaneity to its photographs.

Below are some of the works from my time with the Bessa R2a.

A man waits for the train in a TTC station in Toronto

People converse over lunch at the Pita Grill in downtown Kingston

A model poses backstage at the annual minQ event in Kingston

The Bessa is now on its way to New South Wales, Australia.