Leica R4s
Leica · Leica R mount · 24×36mm on 35mm film · 1983
Also known as: Leica R4s · Leica R4S · Leica R4-S body · Leica R4-S camera · Leica R4s Mod 2 · Leica R4s Mod. 2 · Leica R4s-2 · Leica R4s Mod P · Leica R4s Mod. P · Leica R4sP · Leica R4-S Mod 2 · Leica R4-S Mod P · Leitz R4s · ライカ R4s · ライカR4s
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leica R4s (10045) | Leica R | 1983–1986 | 1632551–1636550 1637551–1642550 1643751–1648750 1652251–1657250 1692951–1694950 | 21,000 serial numbers in five blocks (Gandy). The Leica Wiki labels two of these blocks differently: 1652251–1657250 as "R4s (Mod.P)" and 1692951–1694950 as "R4s (Mod.2)"; see `disputed`. |
| Leica R4s Mod. 2 / R4s Mod. P (10046 / 10047) | Leica R | 1985 | 1682951–1687950 | 5,000 serial numbers in one block assigned 13 November 1985, which Gandy calls R4s-2 |
- No source breaks the R4s down by finish. Gandy's blocks give no finish, unlike the R4's black and chrome blocks, and Kamerastore lists the Mod. 2 in black only.
- The Jesse Owens edition of 1986, for the fiftieth anniversary of the Berlin Olympics, is catalogued by lens-db as an R4 and by CollectiBlend as an R4S. It is left off this page until the base model is established.
- Wikipedia's glosses, "S stood for Simplified" and "SP stood for Simplifed Professional", carry no citation in the article and appear in no other source cited here.
How to tell them apart
- R4s on the front of the top plate; R4 bodies read R4 there (Commons photos)
- Mode dial with three positions, m, a and A; the R4 has five, adding P and T (camera-wiki)
- Red Leitz emblem on the shutter-release side and the model name on the rewind side, camera-wiki's marker for a body made in Portugal; Solms-assembled R bodies carry a red Leica emblem on the rewind side instead
- MOD 2 or MOD P on the accessory-shoe flanges marks the second version (apotelyt)
Leica R4s (10045):
- R4s engraved on the front of the top plate on the rewind side, LEICA on the prism front, red Leitz emblem on the shutter-release side (Commons photo by Rama)
- Mode dial with m, a and A only: no P and no T (camera-wiki; apotelyt)
- Nothing engraved on the flanges of the accessory shoe, where the Mod. 2 carries its name (Leica Wiki; apotelyt)
- Push button, not a slide switch, for exposure compensation (Leica Wiki, quoting jcb)
Leica R4s Mod. 2 / R4s Mod. P (10046 / 10047):
- 'Leica R4-S MOD 2' or 'Leica R4-S MOD P' engraved on the flanges of the accessory shoe; the front still reads only R4s (Leica Wiki; apotelyt)
- Slide switch for exposure compensation instead of a push button (Leica Wiki; Kamerastore)
- Larger, taller rewind knob and a wind lever fully sheathed in plastic (Leica Wiki; Kamerastore)
- Eyepiece rail that takes the rubber eyecup or a correction lens frame (Leica Wiki; Kamerastore)
- Leica R4s (10045): Order number 10045 (Leica Wiki; apotelyt). The R4 with program and shutter priority taken out: m is manual with selective metering, a is aperture priority with selective metering and memory lock, and A is aperture priority with full-field metering (camera-wiki; Popular Science). Apotelyt says this first version also lacks a shutter-speed readout in the finder, which the Mod. 2 added. Gandy assigns the last plain R4s block on 4 May 1986, after the first Mod. 2 block, so the two were made side by side.
- Leica R4s Mod. 2 / R4s Mod. P (10046 / 10047): Launched at the end of 1985 (Leica Wiki, quoting jcb). It shows the set shutter speed in the finder in manual, and pressing the mode selector in m switches between selective and full-field metering (Leica Wiki; apotelyt). Order numbers are 10046 for the Mod. 2 and 10047 for the Mod. P (Leica Wiki; apotelyt); Kamerastore lists 10046 in black. The regional names are disputed: see `disputed`.
Serial-range notes
- 1632551–1636550
- 4,000 numbers, the first R4s block, assigned 25 July 1983 (Gandy).
- 1637551–1642550
- 5,000 numbers, assigned 28 October 1983 (Gandy).
- 1643751–1648750
- 5,000 numbers, assigned 18 January 1984 (Gandy).
- 1652251–1657250
- 5,000 numbers, assigned 25 May 1984 and listed by Gandy as plain R4s. The Leica Wiki labels it "R4s (Mod.P)" for 1984–85, before the end-1985 launch of the Mod. 2 that the Leica Wiki itself, apotelyt and camera-wiki give (PHSNE alone dates the Mod. 2 to 1983).
- 1682951–1687950
- 5,000 numbers, the only block Gandy names R4s-2, assigned 13 November 1985.
- 1692951–1694950
- 2,000 numbers, assigned 4 May 1986. Gandy lists it as R4s; the Leica Wiki labels it "R4s (Mod.2)". Which version these cameras are is open: the shoe flanges settle it.
Specifications
- Format
- 24×36mm on 35mm film
- Finder
- fixed eye-level pentaprism, interchangeable focusing screens, all marked with the 7mm selective-metering circle, built-in eyepiece blind · 0.9× magnification · 92% coverage
- Shutter
- vertical-travel metal-blade focal plane, electronically timed, made by Seiko (apotelyt; PHSNE) · Manual 1s–1/1000 in whole stops and B; automatic stepless 8s–1/1000; emergency mechanical 1/100 without power (camera-wiki); PHSNE says 1/100 and B work without batteries · flash sync 1/100, hot shoe with extra contacts; dedicated flashes set the sync speed and show flash-ready in the finder; no TTL flash metering (camera-wiki; English Wikipedia) · self-timer
- Film advance
- single-stroke lever; motor coupling in the base for the R4-series winder and motor drive
- Back
- hinged
- Meter
- TTL silicon photodiode in the base of the mirror box, read off a secondary mirror behind the semi-silvered main mirror; a condensing lens moved by the mode dial switches between selective (7mm centre circle) and full-field (camera-wiki; apotelyt). EV 1–19 (Popular Science), ISO 12–3200 (apotelyt). Couples at full aperture only to the third, stepped R-cam: 3-cam, R-only and ROM lenses meter at full aperture, the ROM contacts unused. 1-cam and 2-cam Leicaflex lenses have no R-cam: Leica's R9 instructions say they must have it fitted before use on any R camera from the R3, English Wikipedia's R bayonet article and KEH say they mount and meter stopped down, and apotelyt that they "could be modified to fit".
- Motor drive
- Leica Winder R4, Leica Motor Drive R4, Leica Motor-Winder R, Leica Motor-Drive R — The winder runs at 2 frames per second and the motor drive at 2 or 4; both power the camera from their own battery carriers, and neither rewinds (camera-wiki). Camera-wiki says any winder or motor drive of the R4–R7 series fits any body of the series. The hand-grip changed from a mechanical to an electrical connection, grips and drives of the two kinds are not cross-compatible, and the R7's deeper base needs its own taller grip.
- Weight
- 630 g
- Dimensions
- 138.5 × 88.1 × 60.0 (apotelyt) mm
- Country
- Portugal
- Original price
- US$897, body only: the US list price quoted by Popular Science in January 1984, "48 percent less than the R4's list of $1,725", with E. Leitz, Inc. named as distributor. A list price, not a dealer or auction price; the article says nothing about tax. (today $2,710)
- Accessories
- Winder R4 (2 fps) and Motor Drive R4 (2 or 4 fps), with their own battery carriers (camera-wiki) · Data back DB 2 (Leica Wiki) · Interchangeable focusing screens 14304–14307 (apotelyt)
Magnification and coverage are apotelyt's figures for the R4, on the same chassis. Dioptre correction is by a separate eyepiece lens (camera-wiki). Apotelyt lists the alternative screens as plain matte (14304), microprism (14305), grid (14306) and clear with crosshairs (14307).
Figures we worked out rather than found: No R body was made in Canada: camera-wiki places R3–R7 manufacture at Wetzlar (the first R3s), Vila Nova de Famalicão in Portugal and Solms, and English Wikipedia puts final assembly of the R-E and every later R body in Solms · Production is the sum of Gandy's assigned blocks, 21,000 + 5,000 = 26,000; numbers assigned are not cameras delivered · Every R4s serial is above 1,600,000, the number below which camera-wiki and apotelyt place the early R4 electronic failures · Finder magnification and coverage are carried from apotelyt's R4 figures, on the shared chassis
Where sources disagree
- Mounting 1-cam and 2-cam Leicaflex lenses
- They must be fitted with the R control cam before use on any Leica R camera from the R3 (Leica R9 instructions)
- They mount and meter stopped down (English Wikipedia, Leica R bayonet)
Better supported: Leica's instructions: have the R-cam fitted first
- Introduction
- 1983 (Gandy's first block, 25 July 1983; English Wikipedia; apotelyt; Leica Wiki; camera-wiki text; PHSNE)
- 1985 (camera-wiki specification table)
Better supported: 1983
The 1985 in camera-wiki's table matches the Mod. 2's launch, and its own text says 1983.
- Last
- 1985 (PHSNE: R4s and Mod. 2 'both were in production until 1985')
- 1986 (last serial block, assigned 4 May 1986, Gandy)
- 1987 (apotelyt's table)
- 1988 (Leica Wiki production era)
Block assignment dates are not sale dates; no source here dates the end of sales, so years.last is left out.
- P regional naming
- Mod. 2 generally, Mod. P in the USA (Leica Wiki quoting jcb; apotelyt; Kamerastore) or 'R4s-P in North America' (camera-wiki)
- 'MOD-2 (-P in Europe)', launched 1983 (PHSNE)
Better supported: Mod. P in North America
PHSNE's 1983 date for the Mod. 2 conflicts with every serial list, which put its first block in November 1985.
- Variants: which version the 1652251–1657250 and 1692951–1694950 blocks are
- plain R4s, both (Gandy, from Leica's factory records)
- 'R4s (Mod.P)' for 1652251–1657250 and 'R4s (Mod.2)' for 1692951–1694950 (Leica Wiki)
Better supported: Gandy for 1652251–1657250, since it predates the Mod. 2; open for 1692951–1694950
- Production
- 26,000 serial numbers, 21,000 R4s and 5,000 R4s-2 (Gandy; Leica Wiki)
- about 25,000 (apotelyt)
Better supported: 26,000 numbers assigned
- Weight (grams)
- 630 g (apotelyt specification list; Kamerastore)
- 620 g (apotelyt table; camera-wiki infobox for the R4 family)
- 22.2 oz, about 629 g (Popular Science, January 1984)
- Speeds (longest automatic time)
- 8s (camera-wiki R4s column and R4 shutter section)
- 4s (camera-wiki infobox for the family; Kamerastore's Mod. 2 specification)
Better supported: 8s
What reviewers say
- Peter Walkenhorst, apotelyt (blog) — Covers the R4 and R4s together and calls the R4 one of the cheapest ways into a Leica interchangeable-lens system today; the R4s gives up program, shutter priority and, until the Mod. 2, the finder speed readout. Early R4 bodies below serial 1,600,000 had electronic failures, but he says no problems have been reported with any R4s model.
History
The R4s is the Leica R4 with two of its five exposure modes taken away and its price nearly halved. The R4 of 1980 came out of Leitz’s co-operation agreement with Minolta, which camera-wiki dates to 1972 and English Wikipedia’s Leicaflex article to 1971. English Wikipedia describes it as based on the Minolta XD-7, the XD in Japan and XD-11 in the United States, with Leitz’s own metering, mirror box and body. In 1983 Leitz offered a cheaper version. Camera-wiki says it was meant to help sales, and it calls the R-E of 1990 a lower-cost version of the R5 in the same way. The R4s keeps manual with selective metering and aperture priority with either selective or full-field metering, and drops program and shutter priority. Popular Science reported it in January 1984 as the “Economy Leica” at a US list price of $897 for the body, against $1,725 for the R4. Like the R4, it was made at Leitz’s Portuguese factory, which camera-wiki places at “Villa Nova”; the red Leitz emblem on the shutter-release side is the mark of a Portuguese body. No R body was made in Canada.
There are two versions. The first, order number 10045, has a push button for exposure compensation and, according to apotelyt, shows no shutter speed in the finder. At the end of 1985 came the Mod. 2 (10046), sold in North America as the Mod. P (10047). It has a slide switch for compensation, the set speed visible in the finder in manual, a way to switch the meter between selective and full-field in manual, a taller rewind knob, a plastic-sheathed wind lever and an eyepiece rail that takes an eyecup or correction lens. From the front the Mod. 2 looks the same as the first version. Its name is engraved on the flanges of the accessory shoe, so look there in listing photos. PHSNE swaps the regions, calling it “-P in Europe”, and dates it 1983, which no serial list supports. Stephen Gandy’s list of Leica’s factory serial data, published on CameraQuest, gives 26,000 numbers: 21,000 R4s in five blocks from July 1983 to May 1986 and 5,000 R4s-2 in one block from November 1985. The Leica Wiki labels two of the plain blocks Mod. P and Mod. 2, so for a body numbered 1692951–1694950 the shoe engraving is a better guide than the number.
On lenses, the R4s behaves like every R body from the R3 to the R7. Its meter reads only the third, stepped R-cam. Three-cam, R-only and ROM lenses meter at full aperture, the ROM contacts doing nothing on this body. On 1-cam and 2-cam Leicaflex lenses, which have no R-cam, the sources disagree. Leica’s R9 instructions say they must have the R-cam fitted before use on any R camera from the R3 on. English Wikipedia’s article on the R bayonet says they mount and meter stopped down, and apotelyt that they could be modified to fit. Leica could fit the cam, so check the back of any older lens for it. Either way the whole run of 3-cam and later R lenses works without conversion, and apotelyt counts the R4 among the cheapest ways into the system.
When buying, check the shoe flanges for the version and the mode dial for three positions; a dial with P and T is an R4. The electronic failures that marked the early R4 are placed below serial 1,600,000, and every R4s is numbered above that; apotelyt says no problems have been reported with any R4s model. What does age is the foam seal on the back, which can let light in around the film identification window. The shutter is electronically timed and runs on two SR44 cells or one CR1/3N; without power the mechanical 1/100 still works, and PHSNE adds B. Leica no longer repairs the R4 series and refers owners to Paepke-Fototechnik in Düsseldorf (apotelyt). The R4-series winder and motor drive fit, and camera-wiki says any winder or motor drive of the series fits any R4–R7 body.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Photographs
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