RE: [Leica] Any expert level R-Leica users?

[Austin Franklin <austin@darkroom.com>]

> Again I trust this allows you the understanding of why some use both and
> sometimes prefer one over the other,  with no thought of which we use as
> long as we have them to use.

Thank you (all) very much for all the info.  I do understand why you, and 
many others use the Leica R camera.  My needs are quite different 
though...I am a commercial photographer, and use Hasselblads for all my 
work.  I am very very glad I bought my M6, and the bevy of lenses that I 
'needed' ;-)

Recently, with the advent of reasonably priced digital scanners and 
printers, and the lack of good MF digital scanners with reasonable 
price/performance, I decided to buy an M6, for its small size, ease of use 
and mostly for scanning.  And because of the Leica glass ;-)  I am head 
butting the small negative size and grain issues though...  The R doesn't 
solve that problem, obviously, if I can't get the results I want with my 
M6.  I am trying a few different things to see if I can improve on this 
issue.

I like a winder (the M motorized winder is too big for my likes, so I use 
the RapidWinder, and love it), and if I did get a motor it doesn't need to 
be fast (or rewind the film), and I wouldn't mind a spot meter (I really 
don't like the meter in the M6, but I can use it effectively now that I 
know how to).  One deterrent is the M lenses don't work on the R, so really 
any other SLR would do (ie, new Contax) since I would have to buy a whole 
new system.

Perhaps my best option is to wait a bit and see if I can get the results I 
want with my M.  If not, then I am probably best spending the big bucks and 
getting a good MF scanner...but then, I'm back to the bulk of my 
Hasselblad...  Something in-between would be nice ;-)