R2a/R3a - is it a survivor?

[hoot]

Pipe up, all you long-time users and abusers of R2a and R3a bodies - especially those who have one as their main body and shoot more than 10 rolls a week.

How does this camera survive intensive use? Have you noticed any annoying little problems so far?

 

[nwcanonman]

Gosh, 10 rolls a week? I'd think that's professional use, eh?
I know my little R handles a roll or two a week with no problems at all. Strictly fun-use.

 

[sockeyed]

After possibly more than 2000 frames through my R3A, plus travels to hot and humid Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, plus treks through snowy mountains here at home - no problems at all! It's a great camera, and robust.

Apparently I've posted 400+ R3A images on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sockeyed/tags/bessar3a/

 

[tetrisattack]

My eyepiece rubber is in the process of disintegrating. So watch out for that. :/

The finish will wear through eventually too, depending on your strap rings, if you use a strap.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

My trigger winder needs tightening up every week to the body, and the viewfinder window round eyepiece too.

Two or three rolls a week, carried 24/7ish.

 

[hoot]

Thanks!

Jon, how do you tighten your trigger winder?

So, no problems with sagging framelines? I heard that the Epson RD-1 suffered from this (and that camera is built on the same chassis as the Bessas, n'est pas?)

 

[sockeyed]

My camera didn't seem to come with a rubber eyepiece, so that hasn't been a problem.

No issue with sagging framelines on mine. I believe that the RD-1 is built on a R2 chassis, which is slightly different.

The body is brassing in a few spots, but the finish is tough.

 

[Frank Granovski]

Hoot, the official Bessa repair shop in Canada is just up the street from me---about 5 blocks (beside the Starbucks). 🙂 They told me the R2A and R3A are very good cameras and they've had very few in for repair. I've been dealing with this shop for 25 years. They've repaired about a dozen old cameras for me along with some lighting heads. But as Puts puts it, the Bessas aren't as heavy or solid as Leicas; something I don't give a rat's _ss about. My R3A looks and feels plenty solid (though I've only put through 6 rolls of film in mine and my 7th roll has 2 0r 3 frames left.) I was actually thinking of getting a 2nd R3A body along with a new Zeiss M 50mm lens. 😎

 

[einolu]

My current Bessa R seems to have been hit with the sagging frameline problem, I dont know why I am cursed with this problem, I dont treat my cameras badly (since they are always in my hands and I dont use camera straps). I think the R2a could have better build, I wouldnt know.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

By 'tighten the trigger winder' I mean tighten up the screw that holds it to the camera.

 

[RML]

My R is still working perfectly, even after being subjected to up to three months in hot and dusty India and months in dusty or deep-freezing Mongolia, not to mention the years it's been out and about here in Holland. Must have ran 500-1000 rolls through it.