Which "R"?

[blacklight]

Hallo,

I'm a DSLR user, but I'm attracted to RFs for street photography. Expensive Leicas are out of question, so the best alternative seems to me VB camera. I'd like to hear your opinions which one to choose - R2, R2a or R3a. Though, between R2a and R3a I'd probably go for R3a because of 1-1 viewfinder, so the main question is what are differences between R2 and the other two bodies and which one do you prefer and why. Also, how Voigtlander bodies compare to Konica Hexar RF, which could be yet another option.

Thanx

 

[AirTimid]

I don't have any, but have read through the board and done some research. The biggest difference between the R2 and the RxA's, is that the RxA cameras have aperature priority and require a battery to function. The R2 is mechanical, only needing the battery for the meter. Go over to cameraquest, he has quite a comprehensive description of all these cameras. Good luck, i'm still trying to decide on which one I want. As for the 1:1 viewfinder of the R3A, that's great, but the lines are 40/50/75/90 vs the more standard 35/50/75/90. I've also read it's hard to see the 40 line if you wear glasses.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

welcome to the forum 🙂

Biggest question, do you wear glasses? If you do, I'd recommend the R2 or R2A (btw, the R2 is manual, the R2A is AE and battery dependent, that is the difference). I wear glasses, so the R3A or R3M is out for me.

Voigtlander cameras are very well made and excellent shooters in my experience. Not as finely polished and heavy as the Leicas, slightly louder in shutter, but wonderful tools in their own right.

The Konica Hexar is all automatic, including rewind and advance. Otherwise, a lot of our forum members swear by them.

good luck with your choice.

 

[blacklight]

The biggest difference between the R2 and the RxA's, is that the RxA cameras have aperature priority and require a battery to function. The R2 is mechanical, only needing the battery for the meter. As for the 1:1 viewfinder of the R3A, that's great, but the lines are 40/50/75/90 vs the more standard 35/50/75/90. I've also read it's hard to see the 40 line if you wear glasses.

I know about the different lines, but that should not be a problem, if I wanted to go wider I could buy not very expensive additional viewfinder with 28/35 lines. As for aperture priority, while it's certainly not a bad feature, I could live without it. As for batteries, I think you can still take pics without them with Rxa bodies so that's not big difference I think..

 

[blacklight]

welcome to the forum 🙂

Biggest question, do you wear glasses? If you do, I'd recommend the R2 or R2A (btw, the R2 is manual, the R2A is AE and battery dependent, that is the difference). I wear glasses, so the R3A or R3M is out for me.

Voigtlander cameras are very well made and excellent shooters in my experience. Not as finely polished and heavy as the Leicas, slightly louder in shutter, but wonderful tools in their own right.

The Konica Hexar is all automatic, including rewind and advance. Otherwise, a lot of our forum members swear by them.

good luck with your choice.

Thanx 🙂 well, I do wear them, though outdoors I mostly use contact lenses, so I could use both cameras I guess. And again, the batteries question - somewhere I've read that the shutter works on Rxa bodies even without them, only metering doesn't.

 

[AirTimid]

I though the RxA bodies had electronic shutters. If it did work without a battery, i'm guessing it only works at one speed ala the old Nikon Fe/Fe2.

 

[FrankS]

I have an R2 and like it a lot. Used to have an R and it was okay too. They are both manual cameras.

Any of the R cameras with an "a" in it's model name has aperture priority as well as manual exposure control, but they can not function without batteries. There is some mis-information out there on this issue.

Models with an "m" are fully manual cameras which use batteries only to power the light meter.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

There's the R4A/R4M in a few months with framelines for wide lenses all the way out to 21mm.

Should be good for street with a 25 or 28mm lens depending on your style.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

The A models cannot work without batteries. Neither shutter nor meter will work.

 

[FrankS]

Here's a link to some of the mis-information:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=944&cat=10

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

You're right Frank.

I think the ad is confusing the A models with the Nikon FM3A, which actually is both a mechanical and hybrid electronic shutter that works with and without batteries.

 

[Richard Black]

Have you decided which lens you will use? Do you prefer wider than 35mm? The 4m would be the ticket if you prefer wider than 35mm because you can use the rangefinder to frame as wide as 21mm. That is unheard of in the world of r/f photography. I use an R with the Color-Skopar 28mm f3.5 and the aux viewfinder, but the 4m is talking to me LOUDLY.

 

[FrankS]

I'd sell a refurbished Contax to buy a Bessa RxA if it did have such a hybred shutter!

 

[mfunnell]

Note, BTW, that the Bessa bodies have a relatively short RF base length and so are less accurate when focusing than longer RF base cameras such as the Leica Ms, the new Zeiss Ikon and the Hexar RF. This makes a difference focusing longer/faster lenses. Viewfinder magnification makes a difference here to, with the R3s being more accurate than the R2s. (Same with the long-base Ms - a .58x M or Hexar RF will be less accurate than, say, an M3 - but more accurate than the Bessas.)

...Mike

 

[PlantedTao]

The R2 is a great camera for street...a bit loud on the shutter, but works great. I wouldn't worry about the short baselength if you are using it for street photos...you really don't have that much time to mess around with the focus, it is about instinct and snapping away.
The r2 is reliable and mechanical and I have never had a problem with it in sun, rain, sleet and/or snow. A kick@ss camera for the price.

Cheers.
Jason

 

[blacklight]

Have you decided which lens you will use? Do you prefer wider than 35mm? The 4m would be the ticket if you prefer wider than 35mm because you can use the rangefinder to frame as wide as 21mm. That is unheard of in the world of r/f photography. I use an R with the Color-Skopar 28mm f3.5 and the aux viewfinder, but the 4m is talking to me LOUDLY.

well, that wide range would be certainlz nice, but I'm afraid that 4m would be over my budget atm

 

[blacklight]

Just another thought. I was looking for yet another RF cameras and I came to medium-format Fuji GA645Zi. I could get it at approx. the same price as R3a. What do you think about it? Pros and cons comparing to VBs?

 

[dostacos]

Hallo,

I'm a DSLR user, but I'm attracted to RFs for street photography. Expensive Leicas are out of question, so the best alternative seems to me VB camera. I'd like to hear your opinions which one to choose - R2, R2a or R3a. Though, between R2a and R3a I'd probably go for R3a because of 1-1 viewfinder, so the main question is what are differences between R2 and the other two bodies and which one do you prefer and why. Also, how Voigtlander bodies compare to Konica Hexar RF, which could be yet another option.

Thanx

I have both the R and an R2. I like the R2 since I can use both screw and bayonet lenses. I have on order the R4M for 2 reasons, first the frame lines for 21-50 and second I like the manual over the auto controls.

If I were to be starting now I would pass on the R and go with the R2 or wait for the R4M [ can ya guess I really REALLY like the idea of not needing to attach viewfinders😀 , when I use my 28mm f1.9 I keep forgetting to attach the viewfinder so I use the 35mm finder lines and live with the overflow 😱

as always, my opinion AND 89 cents will get you a coffee at 7/11....if you bring your own cup🙄

 

[dostacos]

Just another thought. I was looking for yet another RF cameras and I came to medium-format Fuji GA645Zi. I could get it at approx. the same price as R3a. What do you think about it? Pros and cons comparing to VBs?

If you want to go to medium format film,

1. less shots per roll BUT a bigger neg to play with
2. much less choices in lenses
3. the nice Leica mount lenses can be adapted to to your DSLR

[as for me, I look forward to hanging the 35/1.2 on my DSLR and on my son's full size sensor DSLR so it will actually be a 35mm f1.2 ]

 

[Max Power]

IMHO the R3A is IT.

Aperture Priority and the electronic shutter are marvellous, and the 1:1 VF/RF is the icing on the cake. The ability to keep both eyes open and see in 'real time' is astounding.

It's a fantastic camera, and the 50/1.5 is an incredible performer.

K