Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/12

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Subject: Re: Those Silly R8 Screens!
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 15:50:55 -0700

At 02:59 PM 10/12/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Ted Wrote:
>
>>>>>>The standard screen for what it's worth on the R8 is useless as teets on
>a hefer for both macro and long tele shooting.
>ted<<<<<
>
>I also had a long talk with Bill Maxwell at Maxwell Labs on Friday. It seems
>that he might be able to do a bit for me as well. I will also call Beattie
>and Brightscreen to find out what they have up their sleeves these days.
>
>It is one of the mysteries to me in why the screen shipped with the R8 is one
>of the worst ones out there.
>
>I also agree that its quite a pain to not have the winder for the R8! It
>seems like a considerable delay until they are releasing the winder from the
>introduction of the body.
>
>Pete Myers

I brought up the exact same thing last week... 
you said:
 <<"It is one of the mysteries to me in why the screen shipped with the R8
is one of the worst ones out there.>>
I said:
 <<so why does Leica continue to do this? Is this because they think that
either amateur (don't know how to use a GG) or old (cannot see to focus on
a GG) photographers are the main Leica R market? Shouldn't it be the other
way around? Buy the universal screen if you have a problem focussing on a
plain GG. Maybe it's like selling a UV "protection" filter for every lens
sold at the camera store... selling Leica R purchasers a new GG screen...
just extra profit for the store.>>

Even though the profit thing was in jest... I got raked over the coals. But
I stood by and still stand by my convictions. The rakers didn't make a
dent! the Universal screen should be an option, not the norm.

Also, one of the reasons I have R7's and not R8's is because I believe the
R8 was introduced prematurely. Plus new R7's were $1595 when the R8's were
$2495 ($900x2=$1800 difference.) Had the R8's been complete, I might have
considered them. Is a motor drive more difficult to make than the camera
itself? I cannot conceive of using my R cameras without a motor drive. And
99% of my work is on a tripod, Velvia, polarizer, etc. (landscape, nature,
regional... 1/15th sec. to 1 sec exposures is my norm.) But the winder is
worth it's weight in gold. Never leave home without one. So I'll wait for
the R8 system to mature. Maybe when the R8A (A for Autofocus) comes out,
the R8's will be a bargain.

Autofocus??? I don't need no stinkin Autofocus! (Mel Brooks joke...)

Jim