Bessa R2A/3A/4A newbies FAQ

[minoltist7]

do we need a sticky thread for this?

people are lazy to read manuals (even short ones)
and there are some things which are not obvious even if you read .

I'd like summarize some tips for new users, which can save time and prevent accidental camera damage

1. Loading the film
-You need to pull crank with some force. Rear door will pop then
-If you need to skip 3-4 frames, set the shortest shutter speed in manual mode
-If camera in Auto mode, lens cap is ON and shutter released, it will set long exposure. DO NOT TRY to advance film until you'll hear second "click"

2. Advancing the film
-Advance works only when shutter is released.
-Trying to advance when shutter is open, may cause shutter jam(!)
-You cannot release shutter many times without film advance. Camera won't allow to shoot with multiple exposures that way

3.Metering
-Metering doesn't work without batteries (and shutter too - it is electronic)
-Metering doesn't work when camera is switched off.

4.Focusing
-RF patch (square spot in the finder) can disappear under certain angles, or
against certain textures. It is not a bug, it is a feature (or camera design flaw).
If it disappeared, try to tilt or shift camera , or point against different texture, to get it back

5.Finder framelines
40mm lines on R3A are hard to use (or even impossible) with glasses.

If you found this helpful, please add some more tips

 

[wyk_penguin]

Quite comprehensive actually.

There's really not much to say on "classic" cameras, unlike the thousand-and-one bells and whistles on some DSLRs.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

-You need to pull crank with some force. Rear door will pop

Snick the little lever by the rewind at the same time.

 

[minoltist7]

There's really not much to say on "classic" cameras, unlike the thousand-and-one bells and whistles on some DSLRs.

that's why I like bessa (and other mechanical cameras). simplicity of operation.
you don't need to read 100 pages to start to use it

 

[sanmich]

Yeah, I still remember my father with his brand new D200, opening the "War and Peace" manual and loking like a TV tech struggeling with all the cables...

Focus
Speed
Aperure
Everything else is nonsense (well almost)😉

Quite comprehensive actually.

There's really not much to say on "classic" cameras, unlike the thousand-and-one bells and whistles on some DSLRs.

 

[biomed]

That is a pretty good set of instructions. I would probably add the following, learned from experience.

On R*M bodies - do not put in camera bag with shutter cocked, there is a chance the shutter release may be depressed enough to switch on the meter and deplete the batteries.

On R*A bodies - if the shutter is cocked, be sure to set the shutter release lock to the locked position before placing the camera in a bag. This will prevent the shutter release from being depressed enough to activate the meter and deplete the batteries.

I learned this the hard way with my R3A and did not have spare batteries with me.

Mike

 

[yoyo22]

Don't forget to mention the parallax correction. Moving framelines while focusing does not mean the viewfinder is broken, but it's the parallax correction.

 

[hobbim]

do we need a sticky thread for this?
-If camera in Auto mode, lens cap is ON and shutter released, it will set long exposure. DO NOT TRY to advance film until you'll hear second "click"

Turn the power off and the shutter is released immediately.

 

[DGA]

Another one:
Film is finished? There is a little button at the bottom of the camera that needs to be pushed before rewinding the film back to its canister.
Otherwise you'll end up with a torn film in your bessa.

I almost had this one

 

[minoltist7]

Another one:
Film is finished? There is a little button at the bottom of the camera that needs to be pushed before rewinding the film back to its canister.

I almost had this one

More on rewinding

q:
-How to rewind film with leader tip left outside of the cassette?

a:
-Stop to rewind and open the rear door, when resistance on crank is faded, but not gone completely loose.

 

[plac]

Hi everybody!

I've been reading this forum since a few months, as I decided it was time to try something new in photography (I've been using SLRs and, as said, are to obvious and 'intimidating' while walking on the street... specially when you use a 100-300). After a long search I've decided to start with a Bessa RM2 (I hope I can get one ever here...).

Meanwhile, I've learned some things that maybe will be well-known for most of you, but as this is a newbie FAQ, here they are:


Lenses not recommended for Bessa R* (can damage your camera):

-Leica Hologon 15mm F8
-Leica Super Angulon 21mm F3.4
-Leica Super Angulon 21mm F4
-Leica Elmarit 28mm F2.8 (first model)
-Leica Dual range Summicron 50mm F2 -- won't mount properly due to internal body restrictions

-Russian 20 and 35 screw mount lenses protrude too deeply into the camera


and (continuing the copy paste of cameraquest.com)


There are probably other lenses which could damage the Bessa's shutter, so exercise good sense and caution when mounting ANY deeply recessed lens or collapsible lens for the 1st time.


Collapsible Lenses

Inside the lens chamber you will see round cut out ledges at the top and bottom , about 3mm in front of the shutter. These cut outs are apparently designed to act as a "lens stop" when a collapsible lens is pushed back into the body. Note it is just a metal shield. Push in collapsible lenses GENTLY. If you really slam lenses in there with some force, it's my guess you will eventually get some metal shavings stuck in your shutter.


Hope that helps. Greetings!


PS: Info taken from www.cameraquest.com.

 

[Hates_]

Shutter Jam Fix:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21036453@N08/sets/72157603307420057/