R3A or R3M Anniversary Combo - which one?

[CuS]

Okay, here it is. . .

I have sown the seeds of want with my wife for a x-mas present for me. 😉 Granted, the anniv combo is $999 but oh, it is such a nice kit!

So, if you had your druthers, which would you get, the R3A or the R3M and why?

I am leaning toward the R3M (I just appreciate the idea of a mechanical shuuter not hostage to EMF), but I also like AE (the main reason I baby my AE-1 for).

Thanks!

 

[payasam]

The decision must be yours, the user's. If you are used to an AE-1, I'd say the R3A makes more sense.

 

[bessasebastian]

I did not like the viewfinder display of the R3M so I´d try an R3A next time. Oh... and if you´re thinking of buying a faster 50mm lens than the heliar 50/2 you should avoid the kit anyway.

That said, the R3M "250 Jahre" looks way cooler than the R3A and the heliar 50/2 is a very sharp lens, even wide open.

 

[cmedin]

Don't forget that if the batteries head south the R3M won't be metering... and keeping a couple of spares in your pocket isn't a big deal for the R3A.

 

[glynjones]

I agree with the above
If you ever use AE mode - then go with the R3A as you'll miss it otherwise
Obviously you don't have to use it all the time, and using manual speed settings are no hassle at all

The batteries are tiny, and easily available

Mine have only died on me once when I was shooting in town, and I simply went and bought some more - from a newsagents

 

[minoltist7]

The batteries are tiny, and easily available

Mine have only died on me once when I was shooting in town, and I simply went and bought some more - from a newsagents

I had only one case when dead batteries destroyed my plans.
I went to the hiking to the mountains near Seattle,WA with Nikon N65 SLR,
and discovered that battery died.
Unfortunately, it was "photographic" kind of batteries, which are available only in photo equipment stores. So I bought single-use camera on the gas station... and most of the shots were flat and crappy :-(

Since that, when I go somewhere far, I get 2 cameras and spare batteries with me (at least one will work)