Cosina's aperture-priority Voigtlander rangefinder — the Bessa-R2A, electronic shutter, M mount, 2004.
The Voigtlander Bessa-R2A is a 35mm rangefinder made by Cosina under the revived Voigtlander name, released in 2004. It is the aperture-priority development of the M-mount Bessa line, sitting alongside the manual R2M and offering automatic exposure in a modern, affordable M-mount body.
It is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera using the Leica M bayonet mount, with a combined rangefinder-viewfinder and projected bright-line frames. Unlike the fully mechanical Bessas, it uses an electronically controlled shutter and offers aperture-priority automatic exposure as well as manual, with a TTL meter. Because the shutter is electronic, it depends on a battery to fire.
The aperture-priority mode makes the R2A quicker and more forgiving for street, travel and documentary work, letting the photographer set aperture and focus while the camera handles the speed. With the M mount it accepts a broad range of lenses, and its automation suits users who want a modern metered rangefinder rather than a fully manual one.
Check the rangefinder patch for contrast and accurate vertical and horizontal alignment, and inspect the finder for haze around the bright-line frames. Because the shutter is electronic, confirm the camera fires and the aperture-priority auto exposure works with a good battery, and test the meter and battery contacts carefully; unlike the R2M this body will not fire with a dead battery.