How do the R4A and R4M differ from other Bessas?

[Mr_Toad]

Hi, All,

As a rangefinder noob, I ordered an R4A and a 21 mm lens....anxiously watching for the UPS guy.

Aside from the various wide angle framing rectangle things (or whatever they're called!) in the viewfinder, is that the only difference between the R4A/ RFM and other Bessas?

😕

Or...is the R4A film plane actually moved closer to the lenses than with other Bessas... as in using a bag bellows on a Large Format camera...to bring wide angle lenses close to the film plane?

(I'm a large format/ medium format/ panoramic type of dinosaur.)

Thank you in advance,

Robt.

 

[gavinlg]

They're exactly the same cameras, but with a different VF with wider framelines and less magnification (to get the wide framelines in). They also have a shorter rangefinder base length. Mount and film plane etc are exactly the same.

 

[kossi008]

They also have a shorter rangefinder base length.

Shorter *effective* rangefinder base length, through the smaller viewfinder magnification. The mechanical base length is identical across Bessa R2x, R3x, and R4x.

Agree with everything else you said.

 

[degruyl]

The only differences are the magnification of the viewfinder and the framelines shown. What that means is that you can use any m lens on this camera, but don't expect it to be very useful about 50mm (focus will be difficult, framing will be by approximation).