-wonderful sharp images with good contrast
-aperture priority mode and AE lock
-bright display of time values at the bottom of the viewfinder
-solid construction
-conventional (nonLeica) film loading
-Leica M mount
-Voigtlander offers a wide range of Leica screwmount lens at extremely reasonable prices which, when fitted with an adapter ring, can be used with the R3A..

-only three Voigtlander lens come with M mount
-a $50 adapter ring is needed to use the screwmount lens on the R3A and one adapter ring does not cover all lens.
-the 40 mm viewfinder lines are difficult to find when wearing glasses
- Having the 1:1 finder comes at a price ------- a separate viewfinder must be used with any lens having a focal length less that 35mm.

The Voigtlander Bessa R3A is a Leica M mount rangefinder camera and is unique in possessing a 1:1 Viewer. The finder is very bright as are the RF focusing patches. For those of us past the half century mark who are still in love with rangefinders, a bright, 1:1 finder is a godsend. For the sake of comparison I will restrict my assessments to images taken with the Voigtlander 50 mm f/1.4 lens though I have used other lens and was pleased with the results. The quality of the images recorded was as expected: high in contrast and extremely sharp. Without reservation I will state that they equal those I have taken using a Contax G2 system (40 mm f/2) and very closely approximate those taken with a Leica M6 (50 mm f/2).

I highly recommend the Voigtlander R series cameras to those who enjoy the manual processes of photography ( near Lecia quality at a fraction of the price) or to Leica owners seeking a backup camera. The R3A accpeted all of the Leica M lens tried. For those who like rangefinders but vision causes focusing problems, the bright 1:1 finder of the R3A may be a solution.

If you want a point and shoot camera, the R3A is not for you.

Similar Products Used:

Contax G1 and G2
Leica M6