[Leica] Thoughts on R8's

[Alastair Firkin <firkin@netconnect.com.au>]

I'm seriously looking at purchasing an R8. I've been shooting with my Canon
D30 but I need film and I am not thrilled with the feature set of the
Japanese cameras which are almost overwhelming. The R8 looks like the
feature set I use - a few metering modes and MANUAL that's easy to get to
with controls that work like my M6.

I was pondering which of the two wide-med angle zoom lenses seem best? And
is that f2.8 70-180 worth in price of a small car?

I'll be shooting almost entirely color with this camera while the M6 seems
have fallen into B&W mode and is likely to stay there. Heck - so could the
R8 for that matter.

Anyway - if you're an R8 user and would share some thoughts I'd appreciate
it. I'm a big guy, the heft of the camera with motor drive isn't an issue.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Adam,

I have and use the R8 and love it. It is the best manual SLR camera 
I've used, and is "made" to use in manual mode, unlike the other 
brands. Colour is good in the R8, and to be quite honest not much b/w 
has passed through mine. I use mainly kodachrome on holiday in all 
sorts of lighting and the meter is fantastic. I use mainly fixed 
lenses and can recommend the summicron in 35 and 50 (both mine cheap 
second-hand units), the 24 and the 15 superelmar (now here is an 
expensive lens I would buy again) and the 100 apo macro - this is 
another lens I would not hesitate to repurchase even new ;-). I have 
and love the 70-180, but it is very heavy, it is very expensive, and 
I cannot swear that I would buy it again. We have the 35-70 as well, 
and could not fault it, BUT it is a pain with filters as the front 
element rotates. Leica do not sell the 35-70 f2.8 anymore. If you buy 
an R series camera you have to want a manual camera with expensive 
but "fantastic" glass. The one thing I would say is buy the camera 
new and the lenses second-hand.

Make sure you buy a latter or new one (check the archives for why ;-) )