Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Service in Europe must be allot more expensive. I just had my R4SP serviced due to its only failure in 13 years, an dit only cost me $320 for a complete repair and servicing. This was done at Leica NJ, and only 1.5 weeks total turn around. Gene |---------+--------------------------------------------------------> | | "Douglas M. Sharp" | | | <DouglasMSharp@netscape.net> | | | Sent by: | | | lug-bounces+grduprey=rockwellcollins.com@leic| | | a-users.org | | | | | | | | | 05/07/2004 10:47 AM | | | Please respond to Leica Users Group | | | | |---------+--------------------------------------------------------> >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> | | cc: | | Subject: Re: [Leica] Ten years behind? I think not. | >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Greg, I agree with you on the feel of the R8/9, I found that my fingers just fall into place to turn twist or press whatever they should, BUT , after using Leicas from IIIG through M2, M6 , all the SLs and all the Rs except the R4, for ME it is the ugliest brute of a camera I've ever laid eyes on. The SLs looked and felt as like really serious bits of engineering, The R3 was ok and the rest of the Rs were light, compact, quite ergonomically built and a dream to use whilst retaining the combination of precise workmanship, stability and all the other factors contributing to what the Germans call "Wertigkeit" If you look at the basic shape of the R8 it seems to be a retro-design harking back to the body shape of the Exaktas, and when you put the motor-drive on it's shaped like an army water canteen. (I think the people from Leicas binocular design group must have been in on the design process too.) A camera doesn't NEED to be the size of the R8, with the advances in micromotors and micro-electronics available at the time Leica could have reduced its size and weight by a third without any loss of stability or function. Contax started going in the right direction with the 137MD - compact, motorised and running on AA batteries, but unfortunately didn't follow up on this design trend. I was on a tour of the factory in Solms a couple of years ago, just after the R8 came out. From what the users had to say about its bugs Leica should have waited a bit longer before releasing it : flash problems,electronics, scratched films, a weak tripod bush and various other teething troubles. To me it was a confession on the part of the constructors that the R9 was released,considering a typical Leica timeframe, such a relatively short time after the R8. Don't get me wrong, I love my Leicas and wouldn't do without them, I only wish they could have packed the new stuff into an R7 body. My real complaint about Leica is that for pretty basic repairs,CLA or whatever you pay nearly the price of a mid-range SLR of any other marque you'd like to name. (example : general service and adjustments plus a little bit of electronics on an R4mot electronic would have cost me over 600 euros, 100 euros more than the price I had intended to pay for it s/h) Douglas BTW to those of us out there who took the plunge and bought the R8 or 9 -- what real advantages did you get from it ? how often do you use its extra functions ? do you feel that it's helping you to record better images ? GREG LORENZO schrieb: >I don't know any R8 users who don't like the feel, layout and features of the R8. I believe some people on the list who purchased an early R8 had some electronic gremlins which Leica seems to have dealt effectively with. (I've never had a single problem with mine.) > > > > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information