R2a/3A reliablity

[carpark]

Sorry if this has been posted before. I can't seem to bring anything up in search.
I'm looking to replace my Bessa-R with an R3A or R3M. I'm used to fully manual but some times I think having AE apeture priority would be very useful. The question I have is in terms of longevity and repairability seeing as these are discontinued.
Is one generally more reliable than the other?

 

[Steve M.]

There's a reason there's nothing in the searches. These are utterly reliable cameras. I have owned several R2a and R3 a cameras (the 2 is much better for eyeglass wearers, otherwise they're the same camera). All were bought used, none ever gave me a minute's trouble. Wonderful features on these. Other than the shutters that are louder than an M (easily resolved w/ a half case to muffle it), there really isn't much to complain about. Occasionally the readout in the viewfinder will white out in bright sun, but shifting your eye a tiny bit brings it back up. That's about it.

 

[valdas]

See this one:

http://hobo-photographer.blogspot.lt/2011/12/review-of-voigtlander-bessa-r3a-after-6.html

I had exactly the same (curtain opening with low battery) issue with one of my R2As.

 

[Joe Vitessa]

I actually traded in my Zeiss Ikon ZM for a Bessa 2a. I prefer the centered AE readout and the ability to manually chose framelines on the Bessa. The AE readout also doesn't white out as much. It's not as quiet nor smooth as the Zeiss, but I saved some dollars for a lens, and I got some additional features I wanted. I bought the Bessa used and it's run without issue for several years. I also have a nearly 10-year-old Bessa R that works fine.

 

[carpark]

Thanks for the feedback. The issue that valdas had is the one I was most concerned about. I'd heard it before from a friend who had the same issue and it worried me.
I must say that i've never had an issue with my ten year old Bessa-R apart from wear and tear which is starting to add up. I'm upgrading as I would like more glass and M mount is easier to find for me. That and I can use the Bessa-R exclusively with my CV15.
Gonna have a think before pulling the trigger....

 

[BrooklyNYC]

I've been using my R3a for years and it's been as reliable as my Leica M7 so far.

 

[Huss]

I've been using my R3a for years and it's been as reliable as my Leica M7 so far.

That bad, huh?

(says the owner of both..)