[Leica] SLR choice

[Simon Stevens <simon@wizard.net>]

I hope that you will bear with me on this one, it may be a little long
but I'm hoping that I can pick some collective brains for some advice.
Of course this is a highly biased group, but also a rather informed one
and it's the informed, experienced point of view I am looking for.

I'm a long time Leica M4-P owner which I use with a 35,50, 90 combo. In
my business about 90% of my 35mm work (which in turn is probably only
about 25% of my work - the rest is on a Hasselblad) is very undemanding
stuff. Mostly it's events shot in color or black and white with flash
and the negatives are rarely enlarged beyond 8x10. Still, I love using
the Leica.  I love its quietness, compactness and unobtrusiveness. I
love the results and, though they may not always know why, my clients do
too and tell me so. I also love the fact that at almost every event I
shoot somebody comes up and admires it which I'm sure helps when it
comes to delivering my invoice. :)

Nevertheless, I am thinking about getting an SLR as an adjunct to the M
sometime in the next few months and so I am doing some research. I'm
thinking that a short range zoom could add some flexibility to some of
my shoots and an additional camera is good insurance. It would also be
useful for those occasions when I need a loaner to give to an assistant
or subcontractor. I would be uncomfortable handing my M to somebody not
very familiar with rangefinders. Quite apart from the cost, they are too
tricky for first time use especially when my good name is at stake.

I would like as much as possible to match the optical quality of the M,
despite the zoom lens, and also as much as possible of the M's
ruggedness and feel. I don't want to compromise on the lens so  the only
ones I will consider are Leica or Zeiss. That means the camera will be
either a Leica or a Contax and to save money (there is a budget!) it
will be used, so no R-8.

Decision #1 - the lens.

Has anybody used the Zeiss 35-70 f3.4 Vario Sonnar? I have always been
wary of zooms but honest opinions would be welcome, especially given
that I have become used to the quality of Leica primes. .The same
applies to the Leica 35-70 f3.5 Vario Elmar (Japanese). Of course if
somebody has had the opportunity to use them both to compare, that would
be great! I'd also be interested in knowing what people think is the
right US price for optically clean examples. Cosmetics are much less
important to me.

Decision #2 - the body. Obviously, this is related to question number 1.
Here are some I have looked at. I also list the ones I have already
rejected to save you potential time.

Contax RTS II. I have always liked this camera even though it is a hefty
beast. Good bodies are quite inexpensive, which is nice. My biggest
reservation is the fact that it is battery dependent and has an
irritating christmas tree display. Any long term users out there? It
always felt tough to me, how is the reliability from experience?

Leica R-4 Good price and nice handling. I have heard rumblings on the
LUG about reliability (comments?) and I found the viewfinder to be dim.
As with the Contax, I don't like the fact that it is electronic. But
since it's fairly cheap I might live with that and the blinking lights
in the viewfinder.

Leica R-3 Even better price. I have always had a soft spot for it, even
though it is a glorified Minolta XD-(7?). Comments welcome.

Leica R-4s, R-E, R-5, R-7. Too many meter modes. Not worth the extra
money to me. To me Leica said it best with their M-6 ad "Less is More."

Leica R-6 & R6.2 I like the specifications, but not the subjective feel.
The price is also higher than I'd like, being newer than most of the
other bodies mentioned here.

Leicaflex SL-2. I LOVED this one! I liked the build quality, the bright
viewfinder and the fact that I could see all of it with my glasses on,
and wind on with my left eye pressed to the eyepiece. It's big but it
felt inspring. My reservations are about maintenance. Does anybody have
any comments about this? What are common problems? Are parts available?
If they are, are the prices getting inflated? A second, more minor,
reservation is the split image focussing screen. Am I likely to get
darkening with an f3.5 lens?  Finally, what do people consider the
correct price range for this body?

Leicafles SL and Leicaflex. Great prices, but the handling didn't "work"
for me. Pity.

Finally, I have read about, but not actuially handled the Contax S2. It
sounds rather nice, albeit pricey. I'd be interested in hearing from any
owners out there.

Thanks for wading throught the above and thanks in advance for your help
with this subjective choice.

Simon Stevens
Camera Craftsman
(703) 548-7548
http://www.camera-craftsman.com