Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Charles E. Love, Jr. wrote: > > I owned two SL2's, and have used my brother's SL. They are, in a way, great > cameras. They are the last "real" Leica-designed reflexes--all of the R's > but (I hear) the R8 are based on Minoltas. Yes, there once was a cooperation between Leica and Minolta. A good example of that is the Leica R4. It's Minolta counterpart would be an XD7. I wouldn't say the later Leica R cameras are based on Minoltas. Why, well the XD7 is probably the last solid SLR Minolta made. After that Minolta went downhill fast with plastic SLR models like the X300, X700 and the autofocus SLR models. Leica however didnt't "go plastic" with the R5, R-E, R6 etc. Do the blindfold test: put a Minolta XD7, a Minolta X700 and a Leica R4 on the counter. Try to tell which is which. Okay, the X700 sticks out like a sore thumb. It sounds and feels very much unlike the other two cameras. A Leica R4 and a Minolta XD7 sound and feel very much alike, try operating the wind-on lever, fire the shutter. You'll know what I'm talking about... Bert