[Leica] [Leica} The R8 for Total Dummies

["Barney Quinn, Jr." <barney@ncep.noaa.gov>]

Hi,

Here's how the first chapter in the story ends, and how the second
starts. Saturday afternoon I went to Penn Camera in Rockville, MD. The
manager's name is Alex. He is a Leica expert, and a gentleman. I've done
business with him for years, and he has always provided me with superb
service. He let me exchange the Canon EOS 1v and 28-70 f 2.8 L series
zoom I recently bought for a new R8 with a f 3.5 to 4.5 zoom. Why, you
ask, would I do such a thing? Rather than write a long, hard to read
post I think I'll do a series of short ones over the course of the next
few days. Kind of an R8 journey journal.

Let me say this about the EOS 1v with the L zoom. It's a great rig. No
question. If I were a professional, which I am not, and if my ability to
pay my mortgage depended on my ability to push a button and get a a
sports or news image this is the set-up I'd probably use. Heavy, though.
It's just not the camera for what I'm working on at the moment. Let me
also say something about the R8. It strikes me as a VERY under-rated
camera. It doesn't have AF, true. But, with that exception it seems to
me that the R8 matches the other flag-ship models feature for feature in
a package which is far more ergonomic and far simpler to use than it's
competition. With a 10% Leica day discount and a $200 rebate on both the
body and the lens I think it's a really good deal.

Stay tuned.

Barney