Is it wrong to want to sell all my cameras for a Bessa R3a?

[Eddie90723]

Well I am bitter towards Cosina at the moment, so I'd say just make sure that bad boy works while still in the warranty period / take it back to the store period. Otherwise....

 

[sanmich]

Well I am bitter towards Cosina at the moment, so I'd say just make sure that bad boy works while still in the warranty period / take it back to the store period. Otherwise....

And I would add to be careful buying used, almost new, VC products. As far as I remember, at least in the US, the guarantee is not transferable. I may be wrong here, but I would check this before buying.

 

[sojournerphoto]

To be fair I have bought an R2m and R4m second hand in th past. The R4m was like new and perfect in every way. The R2m had been slightly mis described and had a shutter dial problem after a few months, but I sent if off for repair to Newton ellis in the UK and they fixed it and tidied the camera up whilst it was there and it came back like new again. Both were nice camera's to use and, like Keith, have only gone because of the Ikons.

I don't tend to carry them as second bodies to my dslr, but they are my first choice 90% of the time and I only ecer carry one!

Mike

 

[rxmd]

I totally agree, i've been using a Nikon S2 for a wee while now and love the results, when they turn out. I'd just like to make my life a little easier and get something a little newer heh. I'm sick of spending hours over a magnifying glass and soldering iron fixing components and connections of 'ancient' light meters heh.

In the classifieds here there's currently a Bessa R3A for $400, and an R2A for $340 if you end up preferring a non-1:1 finder.

What cameras do you want to sell? If you're thinking of selling S2s, you won't have to sell too many of them...

 

[AJShepherd]

Go for it. If I only had one camera it would be my R3A, and that's still my film camera of choice when I absolutely positively need good shots. And get the Nokton 40mm f1.4 to go with it.

 

[Krosya]

In the classifieds here there's currently a Bessa R3A for $400, and an R2A for $340 if you end up preferring a non-1:1 finder.

..

Let me add - both are priced wayyyy low for what they are - they sell for more on ebay usually - no connection to either seller, but those are great deals!

 

[btgc]

I've had mechanical shutter getting slow due to absence of CLA, and only time electronic cameras have failed while using were some P&S loosing contact due to failing buttons or such, never shutter itself.

Smart dudes do/have backups, anyway.But then backup thing can be much lower spec'ed than primary unit.
-

 

[NickTrop]

Just do it. You had your fun with them, you won't miss them. Those you do, you can buy again down the road if you want. Whatever it is, it isn't the last one. Sell your gear, and get the camera you want and will use, essentially for free. No brainer. Do it.

 

[randomm]

Its a nice camera, I lusted for it for a while until I managed to find one at a decent price locally here in Finland. Owned it for two weeks until managed to sell it on...

I had not realised that you can't see the 40mm framelines if you wear glasses as I do... 50mm lines are kind of visible, but 40mm not. Also the lug positions I found a bit funny, needs heavy glass to balance the camera, otherwise it tends to hang lens upwards. I loved the 1:1 magnification and many other aspects in the camera though... Personally I swapped it for a CLE that I have been very happy with.

So if you don't wear glasses and don't mind the location of the strap lugs, get it! 🙂

 

[ruby.monkey]

Every now and then I'll take my M2 or M3 out of the cupboard to run through the shutter speeds a couple of times and after a minute I'll think "dang this thing is nice ... why don't I use it more?"

Then I'll take the Ikon from the cupboard and look through the finder, take note of the extra shutter speed, marvel at the accuracy of the metering and the option of using AE, remember that I can load a film into it in less than twenty seconds!

Then I'll put the M2 back in the cupboard and continue to use the Ikon! 😀

I loved my R3A while I still had it; but I wound up shooting less 35mm in favour of medium format, and thinned out the small-format herd. I loved that R3A... but still traded it away for a Pentax 645N set-up without a moment's hesitation. The M3 never left my side. my Nikon FM3A went in a similar manner - turning into part of a Mamiya RZ67 Pro II - while my battered old F2 stayed.

The R3A was wonderful for those times when I just wanted to snap'n'go, but whenever I wished to slow down a little and savour the experience to the full, the M3 was always there with me. On the other hand I came to regret letting go of the 40mm Nokton; but now that I've replaced, it all is good.

 

[Disrespective]

In the classifieds here there's currently a Bessa R3A for $400, and an R2A for $340 if you end up preferring a non-1:1 finder.

What cameras do you want to sell? If you're thinking of selling S2s, you won't have to sell too many of them...

Thanks for the heads up.

I have few camera's at the moment, i'll keep some, but the ones I think i'll pass on to the next person are a black dial Nikon S2+501.4 and some other kit, Nikon Ftn+50 1.4, Rollei 35S and maybe a Diax Ia with a set of lenses. There are a few others i'll hold on to I think as the cameras above should be enough to fund one newer RF.