Just bought a used R3a - Does it need a CLA?

[ethics_gradient]

I got my R3a in the mail a few weeks ago, and had to wait until Monday of last week for a lens to arrive (Jupiter-8, not an ideal testing lens but what I could get on short notice/small budget). The seller said it'd had about 100 rolls through it but had been CLA'd within the last year.

The RF patch is slightly out of vertical alignment. Some searching yielded a site mentioning this was a semi-common issue on Bessas that can occur even during shipping (http://www.cosina-voigtlander.com/content/view/58/82/), and is a fairly simple fix. I took off the top of the flash and found the horizontal alignment screw by mistake (the smaller, silver one that's straight down). It wasn't too hard to get it back in to horizontal alignment at infinity, and pressing down on the screw a little bit would cause the RF patch to move down a little bit, putting it in vertical alignment temporarily. Otherwise, it remains as I got it with the vertical alignment slightly off.

There's another, larger dull-colored screw that's off to the right of the smaller one, but I can't seem to get at it with any of my small screwdrivers. I'm not sure if it's because of the weird angle I have to put the screwdriver in to get at it, or the size of my screwdrivers (which are generally well suited for this kind of tinkering), or what. Is that even the right screw?

Another question I had was about the film advance: when I advance it after a shot the lever only springs about halfway back to it's original position, although I can nudge it against the body with a finger no problem. There seems to be a little slack in the film near the take-up spool end when I'm loading it, I wasn't sure if that was normal and the pressure plate was going to handle it or not. Film counter seems to be agreeing with the # of shots I'm supposed to be getting per roll, at least.

I'm hoping not to have to return it; I think I've had to return more than 50% of the stuff I've bought on eBay (all described as perfect working order, of course) in the last few months because it was obviously and significantly defective. Plus, I only paid $285 for this R3a anyways, so maybe a CLA and a clean bill of health would be worth it in this case rather than trying my [apparently terrible] luck on yet another thing. If this stuff seems out of the ordinary, how much does a CLA on a Bessa body run, and what are some recommended places to have it done?

I've got to say, even with the issues described I'm really loving the camera (coming from an Olympus XA and Canon 5D for the most part), looking forward to shooting with it some more.

 

[Roger Hicks]

You might want to get it repaired professionally but it's unlikely to need a comprehensive CLA. Get an estimate.

Cheers,

R.

 

[kshapero]

Call Steve's Camera and he will steer you straight.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Another question I had was about the film advance: when I advance it after a shot the lever only springs about halfway back to it's original position, although I can nudge it against the body with a finger no problem.

This is normal. Most cameras have a stand-off position for the wind lever, so that one may easily get one's thumb behind it.

After loading film and firing off the first frame, you should use the rewind lever to take up any slack before continuing.

 

[Kozhe]

Keep in mind that unless that J8 is adjusted for Leica/Voigtlander rf you´ll probably have to readjust the horizontal image a little bit if you plan to use it with western lenses.

 

[luiman]

Keep in mind that unless that J8 is adjusted for Leica/Voigtlander rf you´ll probably have to readjust the horizontal image a little bit if you plan to use it with western lenses.

If I use the Jupiter 8 and then I use the VC 35/2.5, I have to readjust the horizontal image? Why?

Luigi

 

[Krosya]

On one hand, Why would fairly new camera , such as Bessa r3A would need a CLA?
Also, RF can get out of alignment during shipping.
On the other hand - I wonder how you would plan on returning it if you already opened this camera and "tinkered" with it, so it's hardly in the same condition anymore as it was sold to you? If I was a seller, I wouldnt take it back after this.

 

[Kozhe]

If I use the Jupiter 8 and then I use the VC 35/2.5, I have to readjust the horizontal image? Why?

Luigi

FSU lenses and Leica´s have slightly diferent thread distances (correct me if I´m wrong!) The point is that fsu lenses on a leica will usually back focus and be off at infinity.

Your J8 might have been adjusted allready, if it didn´t, my bet is to let the bessa adjusted for the vc lenses and don´t worry so much about rf misalignments with the jupiters and industars.

 

[luiman]

Your J8 might have been adjusted allready, if it didn´t, my bet is to let the bessa adjusted for the vc lenses and don´t worry so much about rf misalignments with the jupiters and industars.

The best choice is what you say, because in future I hope to use only VC or Leica lenses. In fact, I don't know if my J8 is adjusted for the Bessa. I suppose not, but I have yet to develop the first roll of my new R2A!

Luigi

 

[ethics_gradient]

When I typed "CLA", I suppose all I really meant was the "A" part. I'll give Steve's an e-mail today.

This is normal. Most cameras have a stand-off position for the wind lever, so that one may easily get one's thumb behind it.

After loading film and firing off the first frame, you should use the rewind lever to take up any slack before continuing.

Thanks, that makes quite a bit of sense!

FSU lenses and Leica´s have slightly diferent thread distances (correct me if I´m wrong!) The point is that fsu lenses on a leica will usually back focus and be off at infinity.

Your J8 might have been adjusted allready, if it didn´t, my bet is to let the bessa adjusted for the vc lenses and don´t worry so much about rf misalignments with the jupiters and industars.

I doubt the J-8's been adjusted, it came straight from Moldova 😛 Infinity focus was dead on (horizontally, at least) when I mounted it on the camera, however. I've also heard the rumors that the Russian lenses were made to slightly different tolerances, or just subject to sloppier QC than the Western lenses they're copies of, but the majority opinion seems to be that for the most part they're fine on CV or Leica bodies. I made a point to shoot some wide-open, fairly close-up shots with it to see how my own results bear out.

I can definitely vouch for the crappy QC part; I've ordered two Jupiter-9's, both of which have been defective. One had dozens of tiny scratches on the front and internal elements, the other was full of fungus and would only engage the RF a little bit towards infinity.

On one hand, Why would fairly new camera , such as Bessa r3A would need a CLA?
Also, RF can get out of alignment during shipping.
On the other hand - I wonder how you would plan on returning it if you already opened this camera and "tinkered" with it, so it's hardly in the same condition anymore as it was sold to you? If I was a seller, I wouldnt take it back after this.

Plenty of cameras get used to hell and back in a short while; as I mentioned, this guy said he put about 100 rolls through it, whereas most of the R3a's I've seen on eBay were bought and used maybe 2-3 times, then put on a shelf until it was time to sell a few months/years later. I thought that about the repair job as well (and the reason I even attempted it was that I figured if all else failed, I'd rather send it to a pro rather than return it), which is why I haven't even contacted him about it. The guy also neglected to mention the leatherette was peeling off in his auction too, but that's not a big deal. On the plus side, it did include a replacement bottom plate (the original has a few scuffs).