Leica R4 Info

[mikez]

Hey all, I just bought my first Leica on ebay, I am waiting for the body and lens (Leitz Wetzlar Summicron-R 50mm f/2 to arrive. I was wondering for any Leica enthusiasts out there if there any common flaws I should look for in the R4?

Thanks, Mike.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Quite good articles here:
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/page6.html
and here:
http://www.lumieresenboite.com/collection2.php?l=2&c=Leica_R4
Note the serial number at which the fix was made is variously quoted as 1 600 000 and 1 635 000!
If your camera is numbered above this, problems should not be encountered, otherwise maybe problems with the electronics. Mechnical components and lens should be great if in good condition. I have R3 (3 examples) and R8, the R3s needed new back seals (very small job) and a general CLA - they seemed to suffer from a dirty commutator ring that made the meter readings inaccurate (OK after cleaning).

Regards,

David

 

[Woolliscroft]

My R4 has behaved flawlessly for many years of pretty much daily use. All that has ever needed fixing was the frame counter, which started skipping at one point. My only issue with it is that the viewfinder shutter speed scale can be hard to read against a dark background. Later R cameras, like my two R7s solved that problem, but it's little more than a minor irritant most of the time.

David.

 

[mikez]

Thanks for the info, I just received it in the mail today, my serial is 1623044. Cosmetically it's in awesome condition everything seems to operate crisply, now I'm just waiting for my lens to arrive so I can take it for a test spin!