Voigtlander Bessa R3A Shutter Issue

[scottybee915]

I have owned this model for several months, used it regularly, and have found it to work great. I have since bought an M6 TTL, and, while the M6 is a marvel of quality, I have found little reason to use it over the Bessa R (which I plan to keep for spare), other than the precise feel in the hand and the compliments it earns in public. The R is solid, full-functioned, affordable, and practical. The R's biggest fault is that it will forever be compared to the masterpiece that is the Leica M.

[VALMARIESASK]

Screw this camera! Next stop, Zeiss products.

[Yarbols]

as much as i like this camera in theory, i can't escape the fact that you can buy a Leica M2 on ebay for about $500 if you are patient.

[Carterofmars]

Buy a Zeiss Ikon.

[mmeijer]

More on that..

"Over time the biggest problem has proven to be shutter jams. However they are usually caused by the photogs themselves, by getting in a hurry and trying to advance the film before the shutter has closed from the previous exposure."

[mmeijer]

Does this fix it? From the cameraquest page for Bessa L :

"Only thing to watch out for while using Bessa L's and 107's is that if you are shooting at a very slow shutter speed and you depress the shutter while still advancing, you can jam the shutter. Usually some fiddling with the advance lever or turning the shutter speed dial to B and advancing clears it up. Worst comes to worst, you rewind the film and take it out and then wiggle the sprocket drive in the camera."

[fodera6]

I wonder if this is a problem with the AE models only (R2A/R3A/R4A)? I was || this close to buying an R3M 250 Jahre kit with the 50/2 Heliar and an R4M for wides but this video (and others) and my recent audition of an M6 has led me to get an M6 instead. I wanted the fully manual Bessas for their battery independence but if this is an example of their flagship dual electronic shutters (which are supposed to be more accurate than the mechanicals), I'll take the cloth any day.

[shane6003PQ]

It's nice to know that now you're Bessa R3A has turned into a holga/diana camera lol

Actually if it were a holga, it would have to stay at 1/100 of a second all the time, and your Bessa keeps changing (I have an old argus rangfinder that changes all the time too which makes it a fun toy camera)... but hey that could be fun. Repair it if you can, but if not, consider the Leica M6 classic or TTL since I haven't really heard any serious problems with these cameras.

[DanLorth]

and that is why i didn't buy a bessa

[Pinguing1]

Are these bessa's really that bad? Hmm, well maby I should stickk with my nikon f3 ^^ there quite indistructuble

[bornradical]

same problem as my vivitar v2000 which i bought in 1991. i think this is a common problem among cosina made cameras.

[luketrash]

That's the problem with these cameras. Everyone compares them to Leicas. They are built very nicely externally, but the guts are no nicer than a 50 dollar Vivitar.

[pp12021]

Well I thought bessa would have louder shutter sound :) Anyway Im going to buy R3A/M just because 1:1 vision.

[MattLew]

Wow that really is an interesting issue. But thanks for the vid as I am really curious as to what the shutter sound sounds like. I am interested in a Bessa R3/R4 (still debating whether to get the A or M) for my street shooting but I'm wondering if it's worth more to save up for an M6 as my OM-4 is pretty discrete.

[smithtracing]

well, one thing I would do, or more appropriately NOT DO, is let the advance lever slap back into its resting position.

probably won't help it though.

i hate problems like that, it's like it's ALMOST broke, you can still use it but it is very aggravating.

[Polybun]

Atleast it isn't a light leak. I've been fighting one that comes and goes on a Mamiya Press, having bad frame on 35mm is one thing, having light leaked frames when your shooting 6x7, that gets expensive quick.

[luketrash]

I think something was catching on the shutter curtain that shouldn't have. But I have no idea what it would have been. I sold this camera at a big loss in order to get the R2A.

[VideologyTv]

has to be a mechanical issue... had the same problem with my bessa r.

[Dlachm1]

so it just opens the shutter randomly sometimes when you cock the film advance lever? Is is at a regular interval? You should probably contact Stephan Gandy - hes specializes in repairing the voigtlanders. You can get his email at his website Cameraquest dot com

I have the grey r3a and it's never done that to me

[luketrash]

It'd cost me 175 dollars to have it looked at by his repair people. I had contacted him a year ago when it started happening. My R2A I replaced this camera with is already overlapping frames on me. I don't have a lot of faith in these cameras even though they are nice to use when they are working correctly.