Real life with a CV Bessa R4M/A

I take it on trips in the backcountry and it has been through fire and rain. It competes with the discontinued Bessa T for that role, each body having different strengths. The T doesn't require batteries, is smaller, lighter, and has external "traffic-light" metering LEDs that can be convenient when you have your eye away from the camera. The T will also be much more accurate when switching to long, fast lenses. But the R4A has the integrated VF/RF, which sometimes trumps the other advantages of the T.

I tried to sell the R4A once, but the buyer was unhappy so I took it back, and have been very glad to have it. With use, silver magnesium is starting to show through the black finish a bit. I dropped it once and had to have the back cover replaced, but it was easy and not expensive. The only weakness of the camera lies in the retractable inner rewind lever (don't know what that piece is called). On one occasion, a piece fell off and needed to be replaced. Another time the rewind spool got stuck because the inner lever had popped up, causing the film advance to jam.

It's taken its knocks and keeps on truckin'!
 
I've had my R4M for over a year, and have loved it. It's my only camera. I use it with a CV 21/4, 28/2 and 35/1.4. The 35 is my least used lens, the 28 is my most used.

I've had no problems. The finder is wonderful - especially with a 28mm lens.

For wide-angle shooters like myself, it's great, and one-of-a-kind.

It's also well-built, especially compared with the vast majority of cameras released today.
 
I regret selling my R4 and may get another. Mine was the victim of an equipment cull a couple of years ago when I got myself down to two bodies only. I had the R4A and used my 24mm and 28mm lenses on it and really liked it. If you use 21-28mm lenses a lot the camera is definitely worth using.
 
I got the R4A just because of the 21mm frameline, as I have always been comfortable with the 16-35mm when I was using my SLR or DSLR last time, the CV Color Skopar 21mm is always on it
 
i shoot cv's sometimes. but i am not important.

last year i had a chat with lee friedlander at photo village. dude was sporting the bessa r4a and said it had a better finder than the leicas.
 
I think if you compare the R4A/M to a 0.58x mag Leica that is true. I don't see the point in buying a 0.58x Leica when the R4 has just so much more utility.
 
Just got the R4A. Mated it with my CV 21/4. What a dream to use. Having a ball. Will post photos soon.
 
I'm a happy user of R4A with 21mm - and all I can say it changed my way of photographing. Maybe it's because I wasn't using any RF equipment until getting bessa 2 years ago :)
Anyway - the camera has great viewfinder for 21mm, and is very reliable. Can't say anything wrong.
But after taking her with me to veeeery different locations, I have one small issue with the glass in viewfinder - it seems dirty, and I cannot clean it without unscrewing the body. :/
 
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