warning...another gear question

[mfogiel]

back alley,

I find that taking out 2 bodies when I shoot and want to stay light works best.

I'd normally use the R4A with the 25 or 28mm and keep a 21mm lens in my pocket, and R3A with the 50mm, and keep a 75mm or 90 mm in my pocket too.

For a "full coverage", I'd bring a FM3A with a 100 macro lens and leave the 90mm and 75mm at home.

Another possibility, if you want to be fast and light, but don't need close up, is the R4A+21mm ZI+35mm and R3A+75mm.

I wear glasses, so the R3A with 40mm is unuseable, it is just useable with the 50mm, perfect with the 75mm. and with the addition of the 1.35 mag it becomes first rate for the 90mm. Make sure, once you get yours, to shoot a test roll of a ruler at 45° for the rf alignement with all the lenses you want to use with it. I've had some problems both with the rf accuracy itself with all lenses, and with a proper alignement of my 75mm Heliar.

 

[back alley]

Why do you do this to me regulary? Whenever I decided that I don´t need an R4A you do start another thread like this.🙂

Bet, you will be happy with a R3A. I suggest a black one.

Thomas

sorry thomas.
and to add a bit more misery...you really do need an r4a, it is such a great camera😉
joe

 

[back alley]

Hi Joe,


Why on earth did you buy an R4M and an R4A?

I would advise you to sell the R4M as long as they're still special, save the money for something actually useful and use your ZI with the 50 and 75mm lenses. Its effective rangefinder baselength is better than that of the R3A - 0.7x75mm is still more than 1x37mm. The Bessa won't give you anything more than the ZI - OK, magnification is 1:1, but the ZI's finder is still better IMHO. And it would be one less body that distracts you from taking pictures and that you end up selling in a couple of months on RFF at a loss.

Philipp

i bought the r4m first.
great camera but i kept forgetting to set the meter (too used to the ae on the zi)
then i bought the r4a and it is perfect for me.
thought about keeping the r4m as mechanical back up...then thought it not such a good idea.
now wondering what to do...

 

[back alley]

BACK ALLEY:

Whatever you buy you'll sell it within three months anyway.

jon, first of all, it's back alley 😉

think zen...it's more about the journey.

i harm no one with my actions, enjoy myself mostly and have such fun along the way.

have a cup of coffee on me🙂

 

[back alley]

Hi Joe,


Why on earth did you buy an R4M and an R4A?

I would advise you to sell the R4M as long as they're still special, save the money for something actually useful and use your ZI with the 50 and 75mm lenses. Its effective rangefinder baselength is better than that of the R3A - 0.7x75mm is still more than 1x37mm. The Bessa won't give you anything more than the ZI - OK, magnification is 1:1, but the ZI's finder is still better IMHO. And it would be one less body that distracts you from taking pictures and that you end up selling in a couple of months on RFF at a loss.

Philipp

my particular neurosis prefers a complete seperation of kit items, therefore, i would prefer a seperate cv kit and a seperate zi kit.
the cv kit is so small and light that a second cv body is barely noticeable in the bag.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

jon, first of all, it's back alley 😉

think zen...it's more about the journey.

i harm no one with my actions, enjoy myself mostly and have such fun along the way.

have a cup of coffee on me🙂

BACK ALLEY.

MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK ON WHEN I SEE YOU, just like your's doesn't seem to work at all.

I went for the coffee, a bica cheia, and I told them that you'll pay later.

Thank you.

Yes, I know you enjoy buying and selling. It's not my thing, but it's your thing. We both of us harm no one with our actions, enjoy ourselves mostly, and have fun along the way.

 

[ferider]

Absolutely no question Joe. The R3* is great for 50 and 75. In fact,
of all the bodies I have tried, the R3* is the only camera that
is usable with 75mm for me - and perfect at it.

Roland.

 

[kalokeri]

you really do need an r4a, it is such a great camera😉
joe

Deep in my heart I know but my head just says no. I´m trying to restrain myself.

Thomas

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

There's an R4A out there for me too.

 

[tedwhite]

Jeez, after "listening" to all of you, maybe I should redirect my lust away from an R4M and start thinking about an R4A. As I read more about it (the bartender's site is truly excellent), it appears that the R4A can become an R4M by merely taking it off the "A" setting?

Ted

 

[MickH]

...it appears that the R4A can become an R4M by merely taking it off the "A" setting?

Ted

That's what finally swung me to the R4A as opposed to the R4M. It seemed that there was no "trade-off" Manual vs AE, I was expecting there to be some twiddly bit on the R4M to compensate for the lack of AE, but there doen't appear to be.

It's coming next week and I can't wait!

 

[pesphoto]

what is the different between the r2a, r3a and r4a?

 

[back alley]

what is the different between the r2a, r3a and r4a?

framelines and finder mag.

cq has a chart with all the specs side by side

 

[back alley]

Jeez, after "listening" to all of you, maybe I should redirect my lust away from an R4M and start thinking about an R4A. As I read more about it (the bartender's site is truly excellent), it appears that the R4A can become an R4M by merely taking it off the "A" setting?

Ted

the appeal of the r4m is a mechanical shutter and a body that needs a battery for only the meter, it still works fine with a dead battery.

 

[Sparrow]

Absolutely no question Joe. The R3* is great for 50 and 75. In fact,
of all the bodies I have tried, the R3* is the only camera that
is usable with 75mm for me - and perfect at it.

Roland.

That’s so true, particularly the 75, a match made in heaven…………….like the r2* is with a 35

:angel:

 

[rxmd]

the appeal of the r4m is a mechanical shutter and a body that needs a battery for only the meter, it still works fine with a dead battery.

When does a mechanical camera matter? --> Only when the battery goes dead.
When does the battery go dead? --> In the middle of a shooting session.
Do you know in advance when it will go dead? --> No. There's no way to know which body to use.
How can you prepare for the battery going dead? --> Either (A) Always take a mechanical body and never use AE. Or (B) Always take a spare set of batteries.

If you are an AE user, a mechanical body makes no sense at all if you can remember to take two LR44s with you. Not particularly hard in my book.

Regarding the separation of kits, well, it's an argument that wouldn't work for me but then everybody has their own approaches to what they take with themselves gear-wise 🙂

Philipp

 

[back alley]

When does a mechanical camera matter? --> Only when the battery goes dead.
When does the battery go dead? --> In the middle of a shooting session.
Do you know in advance when it will go dead? --> No. There's no way to know which body to use.
How can you prepare for the battery going dead? --> Either (A) Always take a mechanical body and never use AE. Or (B) Always take a spare set of batteries.

If you are an AE user, a mechanical body makes no sense at all if you can remember to take two LR44s with you. Not particularly hard in my book.

Regarding the separation of kits, well, it's an argument that wouldn't work for me but then everybody has their own approaches to what they take with themselves gear-wise 🙂

Philipp

i wasn't advocating for mechanical, just reporting on what others have said.

my kit set up is based on keeping the gear seperate, as i sometimes like to shoot the zeiss kit and other times the cv kit.
i don't expect it to make sense to others as i have a bit of add in me.
joe

 

[tedwhite]

Pesphoto:

The R4A/R4M cameras have framelines for 21/25/28/35/50 - a first in RF camera history - and are obviously designed for those of us who cannot live without wides. I count myself among that motley crew.

The R3A/R3M are made for those who prefer longer focal lengths.

Ted

 

[amateriat]

When does a mechanical camera matter? --> Only when the battery goes dead.
When does the battery go dead? --> In the middle of a shooting session.
Do you know in advance when it will go dead? --> No. There's no way to know which body to use.

Depends on the camera. My Hexars have an always-on, multi-stage battery indicator that leaves me with no surprises about battery condition. (It also helps that the cameras are quite miserly with battery usage.)

How can you prepare for the battery going dead? --> Either (A) Always take a mechanical body and never use AE. Or (B) Always take a spare set of batteries.

True...and, as you point out, how hard is it to take a spare set of small batteries?


- Barrett

 

[iandg]

r3a

r3a

Oh dear i had a R3a to go along side my R4a i used the 21,25,28,35,on my R4a and the 50,75 on my R3a but guess what i sold the R3a after 4 months and bought a 75 viewfinder now i use 21,25,28,35,50,75 on my R4a.Now im taking more pictures two bodies just complicates things.Keep it simple thats what ive learnt.Oh and if i want to go realy wide i just go out with my L and 15 and 25.