R v M

[firkin@netconnect.com.au (Alastair Firkin)]

> I allways [sic] had problems to understand why people are buying the
> R line of
> Leica. In my eyes they pay a lot to get a red dot on the body and to
> get
> the feeling "now I'm having a perfect camera and I will get perfect
> images"... IMHO its just stupid to buy a bulky and heavy 50/1.0 lens
> just
> to own "the best" on earth...

Detlef,
 this may be true but the f1 lens is only made for the M series camera and
has no equal or peer and like the M camera and your logic if you like or
want the images the noctilux produces you have no option.

Now how do I feel about your comments on the R, given that I am seriously
considering one? Some of our friends clearly feel the same way about the R
as you do about the M. They speak of an intuitive feel to the camera and
there are many glowing comments on the ergonomics of the R 8. I have also
been impressed by the comments on the viewfinder. If it is brighter than
any other camera, then that too is a feature which may make the magic of
photography come alive to the user. The meter is obviously good, but this
is perhaps a mixed blessing given some of the other things I and others
have been saying, and to this end the mechanical R6 obviously has fans,
perhaps the similar in an R8 body could do something for some.
As for the lenes, the 100 macro and 70-180 must be sorely tempting for
anyone who has been reading these pages and at the other end of the scale,
the 15mm sounds magic. I am sorely tempted to buy autofocus- it seems "
sexy" technology and I love gadgets, but the lesson I'm learning from the
group is a more global view of my photography and why I want to take
pictures. I want the images to be  mine. Although the user is still in
control with the modern  cameras especially with composition, the reality
is often different. As soon as I have automation to speed up the process I
use it and in using it I often speed past other parts of the process and
therefore spend less time on composition and lighting. I want to look at
the images and believe that the final product was limited by my
shortcomings not by those of the equipment.Some of the most famous and
successful images were technically imperfect, but this is no reason not to
aim for perfection
Leica cameras and lenes are expensive, and probably too expensive. Some of
them cannot be justified, but some of them both M and R would seem to be
"fairly" unique. This may be true moreso of the M series, but it is obvious
that the R line up has a growing group of vocal supporters.

Alastair Firkin

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