Re: [Leica] R8 and 180mm f/3.4 Apo

[Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@marketingcomm.com>]

>>>>>>>>>>
My feeling exactly and I believe with the new motor attached it gives
small handed folks a greater reason to go back and reassess the R8,
where they dismissed it early as "too big for my hands!"
<<<<<<<<<<

As someone to whom the R8 has felt completely wrong ergonomically, I
suspect you're right.

First off, I don't want to offend those to whom the R8 feels completely
righty. I realize you're out there and love the camera. And more power to
you, because there's plenty more about the R8 that I do like (that
viewfinder view is the best I've encountered in an SLR). But I, personally,
have found it a miserable machine to handhold.

I never really understood why it felt so wrong to me until a post on the
LEG explained it. Other big, fat (and I don't use those words in a
deragotory way; I've been described that way too!) cameras have the shutter
release placed in a forward position, so that when the thickness of the
camera forces your fingers apart, the release falls naturally under a
forefinger. The R8, however, forces my fingers apart then forces me to move
my forefinger back to reach the shutter release. For me, quite
uncomfortable, causing my hand to cramp after a relatively short time.

But now the motor drive adds a forward shutter release. While I've not
handled the motor drive yet, I'll bet that release solves the problems that
have caused my discomfort with the camera.

Unfortunately, the motor drive, based on published specifications, makes
the R8 a far bigger and heavier beast than I'd want to carry (a Nikon F5 is
too big and heavy for my needs as well). So I'm still waiting for the Leica
SLR that will inspire me to invest in the fabulous R lenses.

Larry