Re: [Leica] R4

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@home.com>]

The Reverend Charles E. Cason, Jr. wrote:
> 
> Just curious as to why the R4 is such an unpopular camera.  Used in Ex condition
> seem to pretty cheap.  Was there a  lot of problems with this version?<<<<<<<<<<

Hi Padre,

I believe it was created from disasters in the very early models that
still had some electronic guts from the R3.  Later models were built
with a different set of bits and pieces.

I had an R4 that flew back and forth so many times across Canada for
service it amassed a large number of frequent flyer points! !  And it
never was repaired correctly until I gave Leica Canada the option of
replacing it with a new camera or I'd have the National media on their
front door step as I smashed the "forever under repair R4 to pieces" as
a media event.

They never believed I'd do it until the day I was there with a CBC TV
National crew and  Canadian Press and Reuters photographers waiting for
the R4 sent to oblivion! :-)

I was quickly rewarded with a spanking brand new R4 that worked
perfectly until finally traded several years later.

However, there are many photographers who never had a problem and they
worked fine, as mine finally did for several years. And I worked 3 of
them most of the time.  It was just this one, first purchased, that was
cantankerous right from the beginning  and probably is an anchour on a
boat now.

If you're looking to purchase a used R4 some of the LUG lads have serial
numbers that can be a guide to the date of manufacture that could be of
use.  I'd suggest posting the serial number or part of it and you'll
have a response in no time.

ted