Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/15

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Subject: Re: R cameras mirror bounce
From: n5xrd@juno.com (Richard W. Hemingway)
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 14:13:51 CDT

Eric wrote:

>the R7
>pretty much eliminated the problem. I was able to hand hold that 
>camera
>down to 1/4 second (for non-moving subjects of course) and there was a
>significant improvement in sharpness over my old R4 cameras. The 
>difference
>was noticeable for many people I've talked to, not just me.

When I bought the R8, this was one of the concerns I had as I like to
shoot in low light.  I still had one of my M6's and compared the two. 
There is a trick you can use with the R8.  First I will state that the R8
shutter is the quietest and has less camera movement to it (can hardly
feel it with the mirror up) of any camera I have owned, inlcuding all the
M"s I have had.

How to use it without the mirror bounce??? Easy hand held.  It has a
lever for MLU.  When this lever is push to MLU, the first touch on the
release puts the mirror up and the next touch on the release takes the
picture.  The R8 stores the exposure for 30 s or so. Focus the camera,
touch the release - wait a ms and push it the rest of the way.  Trying it
out before the trip I found I could equal and maybe surpass (due to more
mass) the M6.  During the trip shot at 1/8 and 1/4 equaled anything I had
hand held with the M6.

The R8 has a shutter release that in feel seems closer to the M cameras
than the preceeding R's. It is a nice bonus for the bogus Leica user.


Richard Hemingway
Norman, OK