My continued adventures with the R8

[MyersPete@aol.com]

Dear fellow LUGnuts:

I spent last week in the Eastern Sierra and in Nevada getting my first
serious work done with the Leica R8 and the 28mm f2.8ROM lens ( I am a fine
arts photographer by profession). I had previously reported in after my brief
shake down of the camera in Yosemite. 

Previously, my work was done extensively on a Canon 1N with either a 28mm
f1.8 or 28-70 f2.8 L lens.

I had a tough week photographing last week. 1125 miles in three and a half
days - 200 miles offroad. Most of my trip bounced me between 6000 and 9000
feet. I developed severe altitude sickness on this trip - unusual for me.
And, I returned with an E. Coli infection, which "drained me".

I shoot Fuji Reala almost exclusively. My 4x6 proof prints arrived back today
from the lab, along with the negatives. For the second time in a row, my jaw
dropped. I am completely blown away by the image quality.

I shot mostly in aperature priority - between f4-f8 - mostly at f5.6. I used
the matrix metering all the time. I can honestly report that there was not
one frame exposed out side the relm of usable. Since I scan my images into
the computer to complete all of my 'dark room' work, I bias the film up to
iso 50. My negs are a bit 'thick', but always printable and scanable.

In comparison, when I shot the G2, I was loosing about 50% of my shots to
missed exposure under similar scenes and the same film.

When I showed the new proofs to my wife, she not only immediately saw the
three dimensional aspect of the pictures, but remarked on how deep into the
shadows she could see CLEARLY!

This is one of the most remarkable parts of my new experience with Leica
lenses to date. For example, I shot a number of scenes that were dead on back
lit. Shooting into the sun. The matrix metering cut throught it all for the
exposure and the deep shadows not only showed detail, but also great image
clarity.

When I bought the R8, it was as an experiment. I thought that I would
purchase one because it had matrix metering (Canon's matrix metering worked
for me without failure for many years) and so as to try the lenses out. I was
more then skeptical. My plan in fact was to sell it after the evaluation.

Needless to say, I found out that there was really something to the Leica
mystique that is NOT hype. It is clear to non-professional photographers
immediatly in the proof prints.

I will be selling my Canon 1N, 28-70 L series zoom and 540 flash - not the
Leica!

My wife is now completely at ease with the cost to performance ratio and is
very happy that we took the risk.

What is next? Two things:

First, the dang focusing screen is just not right - as I outlined in a
previous post. The supplied screen is rough looking - especially in
comparison to the 1N. Where in the Canon viewfinder you see the image, the
Leica screen make you feel like your seeing your image projected onto a cheap
slide screen.

I have talked to Bill Maxwell at Maxwell labs to work on a solution - which
will be the subject of a future post.

Other then that, I think I will sell my Canon gear and get the 35mm f2 ROM.
When the Winder is ready, I will be the first in line. And the Metz flash at
some point.

There are still a lot of things that I miss from the 1N body. The ergonomics
and the LCD displays for one. For example, when you override the DX code on
the R8, the new iso does not stay lit on the display! You have to basically
change the iso override setting and change it back again to see what it is
set at! geeeeeeeeessssss

But, for all the squables, I feel like I have come out of the dark ages! The
Leica R8 stays!! (But I hope Leitz calls me in for a consultation before
designing the R9).

Pete Myers