Quick Bessa R2 film advance question

[cptrios]

Hi all,

I recently picked up a Bessa R2 for a too-good-to-be-true price thanks to a couple of notable condition issues. Rather shockingly, after running four short rolls through it, I am tentatively declaring it to be functional.

My only doubt stems from the film advance mechanism. Basically, the advance lever goes about 90% of the way normally, hits a 'firm stop,' and then...I guess the word would be 'thunks' the last bit of the way to the end. Brilliant description, I know!

I haven't seen any actual film advance issues yet, which is kind of surprising considering all of the other Cosina CT-1 variants I've used (which is 8 or 9 at this point) have had fram spacing problems. I suppose I'm just wondering a) how normal this is and b) if it's not normal, whether I can chalk it up to a quirk or could it be a sign of some future problem like a stripped gear, etc. My gut feeling is that it's somehow related to cocking that extra front curtain, but who knows.

Thanks!

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I have a Bessa-T (not sure how different the shutter and cocking mechanism might be) and have just watched the shutter while operating the lever. As the lever goes through most of its travel, the rear curtain falls slowly. Then the lever meets a little more resistance (not a firm stop) before the mechanism finally locks with a click. From the resistance point on, the front curtain is fully visible and doesn't move at all. That's from the back: viewed through the lens mount, the front curtain is quite unmoved until the shutter is released. I hope that that description gives you a little useful information to go on with.

 

[cptrios]

Thanks for the response! Your cocking mechanism sounds pretty similar to mine; 'more resistance' is definitely a better way to describe it than a firm stop. Actually, I don't really know where I got 'firm stop' from. The key feature is that extra 'click' at the end that I don't get with any other lever-wind camera.

 

[Ballinderry-Michael]

Funny: I thought it might be to do with the metal rather than cloth shutter curtains. But I have just noticed a final drop-in-resistance+click with my Leica MDa, which has cloth curtains. So I reckon that your gut feeling is justified!

Enjoy your bargain: I envy you.