R4A user opinions/reviews wanted

[elmer3.5]

Hi, since it came up i`m very interested in this camera, the most i like is the fact it has down to 21 mm built in vf.

But can´t say for sure about it´s handling or performance.

So if you know something about this beauty please say it!😀

Thanks

 

[rover]

As it turns out the R4a is my most used RF. So much so that I sold my M6. I use 21, 28 and 35mm lenses with it, for me these are great focal lengths for RF cameras. The camera operates smoothly, the viewfinder is great, aperture priority AE is very useful. I have the Bessa grip on the camera. It is an essential accessory for every Bessa. The best grip camera match available.

 

[Tom A]

There are very few cameras that I consider "mile- stone cameras", the original Leica II with its built in rangefinder, the M3/M2 with the bayonet lens mount, the Nikon F for its modular construction and the R4A/M for being the first 35 mm camera with interchangeble lenses and a built in finder for lenses wider than 28.
I have had them since they came out and one goes along wherever i go. Sitting in the bag with either a 21 or a 25 on it. It supplements my usual 35/50 bodies perfectly. It can be used with the 28/35 without any problem. The 50 frame is a bit "puny" - but in an emergency, it works fine.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I was about to buy it four months ago. If you have any other camera with autoexposure, consider this: I got a great advice here from a real expert, someone close to design of that beauty and a wonderful photojournalist for decades, and also a Leica expert... He recommended me to buy the R4M, and of course I did it. Main reason is that with wideangles it's very easy to get sky and other light sources in the frame and fool any meter, so AutoExposure is not a really good option for this camera... Metering with the R4M is easy and fast. The R4M is a tank: I never dreamed it was going to be that well made and that beautiful... And composing without an external finder is a pleasure. The window is really bright and crisp, as the frame lines: always clear and visible. Without the electronics of the R4A, the R4M is more robust, and all speeds work without batteries. It's quiet too... I got it from cameraquest.com, fast and great price: it's considered the most reliable place to buy, as official Cosina Voigtländer USA distributor. Those days he had free USA shipping and a free black case with new orders... Check it, Stephen Gandy is really fast.


Cheers,


Juan

 

[KenR]

I have had the R4A for 2 years and have found that it is natural for me with a 28mm lens. I have used it extensively with a 21mm and less often with 35mm and 50mm lenses. Focusing with a 50 in low light does not seem to yield the sharpest negs. All in all a great camera that I use for travel and street photography.

 

[elmer3.5]

vf

vf

Hi, thanks for your advice, i love the fact you don´t have to use an accessory vf.
I love the voigt 21 mm (gone ago), perhaps a bit slow but vey sharp!

Bye

E

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Some people say the focusing patch in the center of that very wide internal finder is a bit small, but having been my first RF experience ever, I found it was easy to focus both my Heliar 15mm and my Nokton 40mm at f/1.4...

Then I bought a 90mm Summicron and two Bessas T... I'm trying to cool down, so last month I got another lens for my Hassie and a prism... The cure is working... Anyway RF world is an addictive one...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[peter_n]

I had an R4A and really liked it, excellent for the very wides like 21/24, but perfect for a 28 because that's a solitary frameline in the VF. Great camera.

 

[degruyl]

Fantastic camera and a pleasure to use. 50mm does not work great on it, but wides do. Get one if you use wides.

 

[gilpen123]

How about pics of R4m/a with 21. I'm not a wide user but curious if this is workable on the streets.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Great camera. I sold mine to bankroll an M7 and don't regret it--but if I ever decided I needed an extra AE body, I would pick another one up. Here's a pic with the CV 21mm:

Works great for street.

 

[gilpen123]

Great combo sorry I was not clear with my request. I need to see some pics taken with the R4m/a and 21. Thanks!

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

 

[gilpen123]

Wow that's nice. I love the vista. Did you try using it for street shots?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Sure, you can even get away with not looking through the viewfinder. Load some tri-x, stop down to f8, point the camera vaguely at what you want to shoot, and snap. An amazing amount of stuff gets into the frame.

 

[mfogiel]

The pros:

- unique viewfinder
- compact
- light
- good AE
- exposure compensation button available
- easy to load
- film cassette visible in rear window
- shutter goes dow to 1/2000th

the cons:

- VF close to lens mount, hence heavy vignetting unless you use pancake lenses
- the lever on the rewind crank can get loose and block the film advance if you shoot vertically
- the camera on a strap exhibits a nasty backward tilt, unless you put a heavy and long lens on - which you most likely will not, as it would block the finder
- the shutter is a bit louder than Leica or ZI

This camera excels with the 28 frames, 25mm are pretty good if you do not wear glasses, 21mm frames are a stretch, but it is the only game in town without the outside finder. The 35mm frames are marginally usable, the 50mm frames are for emergency only.

For the question of auto exposure or not, I recommend the R4A, as you can always turn it into a manual setting, but not vice versa. If in doubt, you can compensate quickly with the button, or by turning the shutter speed dial to compensate for the entire roll or a series of shots.
For me, this is the body most often used with the 21/4.5 C Biogon.