Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: R8 as M5
From: Lucien <lucien@ubi.edu>
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 14:56:53 +0100

Mark Rabiner wrote:
snip

> That the R8 is not a bad camera, it's just a tad big and is perceived as
> being a loser. Like the M5.
> With the M5 bombing Leica went back a step. The results are why most of
> us are here.
> With the R8 the same thing could be done. They go back to previous
> designs.

snip

Mark,

I used or tried the Leicaflex, SL, SL2, R5, R6, R6.2, R7 and R8.
IMO, the R8 is the best Leica SLR to date.
The problem is that it came 5 or 10 years to late on the market (like the
M5).
And maybe 1 year to early if you consider the reliability.
;-)
But I'm sure it will be an even bigger mistake to go back to a camera like
the R5/7.
The R8 is a good base for further developments.
Which ones, I don't know.

What I'm really missing for the moment is a leather handstrap on the R8
winder/(motor) like on the SL/R3/R4/R7 motors.

I'm always surprised when Leica remove an interesting characteristic from a
lens, camera  or accessory.
It's like the new 35-70/4 which don't accept a pola filter and don't offer
an integrated lens hood. (which were present on the old 35-70/3,5)
Or the new APO 180/2,8 which don't accept the APO extender 1,4 anymore.
:-(

Lucien