I've currently got a 4A on loan. I find it great to use with immobile subjects. The Helios 103 is a very good lens, does a fine job on skin tones. Of course I must tote along a hand-held light meter. But I'm having a hell of a time figuring out how to zone focus as I can't understand (born in the USA...) the metric system, and zoning is the only way to get fast with street shooting (as far as I know)..
Biggest gripe: Film loading. Maybe there's something wrong with this particular camera, but here's what happened. With the back off I loaded in the new film cassette (Fuji Superia, ASA 400), then rotated the advance lever to make sure the take-up spool was revolving. However, when I affixed the film leader to the take-up spool and advanced the lever, the take-up spool didn't rotate. I removed the spool and watched the two pronged gear rotate as I advanced , but I could stop it with my hand.
After something like ten minutes I finally discovered that, not only did the film perforations have to be solidly affixed to the take-up gears on either side, but I had to operate the rewing lever and stretch the film tightly - and then close the back.By the time I got the film loaded, Kennedy had been shot, the Graf Zepplin had burned, etc.