Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]For the last seven or eight years I have used both an F4 and an M6, and now an F5 and an M6. For my professional work (photojournalism) I now use mostly the F5 (and a backup F2), and have used the M6 mostly for my own work. Then two months ago I bought an R8. I have not been so happy with a camera since I got my first 35mm camera (Argus C-3) when I was fourteen years old. I just love it. The ergonomics are great (I have large hands) and I agree with the comment that it has just the right amount of electronics. And I have to laugh at those comments about the R8 being heavy. It may be heavy compared to the M6, but not compared to the F5 (or Canon's EOS). Along with a couple of prime lenses, I got the 80-200 f4 made for Leica by Kyocera. It may not be as fast as Nikon's zoom for this range (2.8), but a lot of my work is outdoors in good light and the faster lens does not make much difference. I have now used the R8 with that zoom instead of my F5, and I can't tell you how much happier I (and my back) are. Carrying the F5 and the 80-200 is like walking around with a cement block hanging around your neck. The R8 is a featherweight by comparison. I realize that these are subjective factors, and one persons delightful camera is another persons ugly clunker. But count me among the R8's biggest fans. J. T.