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 R2M (2004) is a fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder camera built by Cosina in Japan under the Voigtländer brand. It takes Leica M bayonet lenses — compatible with the entire range of Leica M, Zeiss ZM, Voigtländer Nokton/Skopar/Heliar M-mount lenses, and thousands of vintage LTM lenses via a simple adapter — and provides a match-needle TTL exposure meter as a guide only; the mechanical shutter operates without batteries at all speeds from 1s to 1/2000s.
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
About this camera
A fully mechanical M-mount rangefinder with a match-needle meter and 1/2000s top speed — the R2M is the Bessa for purists who want a Leica M experience at a fraction of the cost.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M bayonet (M6TTL compatible) |
| Years | 2004–2012 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2000s + B, vertical-travel metal blades |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | TTL SPD match-needle, EV 1–19 |
| Modes | Manual (meter assists) |
| Viewfinder | Optical brightline, 0.70×; 35/50/75/90mm framelines |
| Mechanical fallback | Yes — full speed range without battery |
| Weight | 460 g |
Cosina revived the Voigtländer brand in 1999 with the Bessa R — a Leica thread-mount (LTM) camera that reignited interest in film rangefinders at accessible prices. The Bessa R2 (2002) switched to the Leica M bayonet, and Cosina subsequently split the R2 into two variants: the R2A (aperture-priority AE) and R2M (fully mechanical). The R2M launched in 2004, specifically addressing photographers and Leica users who wanted the mechanical simplicity and reliability of the Leica M6 at significantly lower cost, with no electronic shutter dependence.
The Bessa line was produced alongside Cosina's Zeiss Ikon (2004), which used the same basic platform in a higher-specification body. The R2M was discontinued around 2012 as Cosina shifted production focus.
The Bessa R2M is significant because it democratised Leica M-mount shooting. A Leica M6, the mechanical M-mount Leica benchmark, sold new for several thousand dollars and used for $1,000–2,500. The R2M provided essentially the same lens compatibility — accessing the same Zeiss ZM and Voigtländer Nokton primes — at roughly half the used price, with a fully mechanical shutter that matches the M6's core attraction.
The 1/2000s top shutter speed exceeds the Leica M6 (1/1000s) and is useful with fast lenses (50/1.1, 50/1.5) in bright light. The match-needle meter is accurate and simple. For photographers who want to shoot M-mount glass mechanically without Leica budget, the R2M remains one of the most practical options.
Leica M bayonet. Full compatibility with Leica M, Zeiss ZM, Voigtländer M-mount, and LTM-to-M-adapted lenses. Highly recommended pairings: Voigtländer Nokton 50/1.1, Nokton 35/1.4, Skopar 35/2.5 P II, Color-Skopar 21/4, Heliar 75/1.8; Zeiss ZM Planar 50/2, Biogon 35/2, C-Biogon 35/2.8, Sonnar 85/2; Leica Summicron 35/2, 50/2, Elmarit 28/2.8 ASPH. Accessories: Leica M hot shoe flash units, external finders for 21mm and 28mm coverage, wrist strap, M-to-LTM adapter for legacy rangefinder lenses.
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 Bessa R2M
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