[Leica] R8 Winder/Winding is for wimps(?).

[Alex Hurst <corkflor@iol.ie>]

Richard wrote:
>
>Anyone else out there in the U.S. get a winder for the R8 yet?  It should
>be anytime soon.

This is one on which I can wait for ever. My Canon motor drive has been
winding quite happily on set at single frames for 15 years. It's even quite
nifty at high speed. Even a fumbling amateur like me can approach 2 fps. -
and that's with a manual winder.

Great for:

a) Weddings - capture the essential moment.

b) Portraits (with an air release) - you wander round the studio and wait
for the right expression - then the camera winds on.

Aeons ago - i.e about last Friday - I requested the formidable wisdom of
the LUG to advise me on the potential purchase of (yawn) a Leicaflex SL
plus three lenses and (subsequently)  a 2x extender. As I said, I'm an M
man. so I know nothing.

The silence has been deafening. Everyone's far more interested in (would
you believe) a _winder_ (not even a motor drive) for the R8. Honourable
exceptions to this were Messrs. Gandy, Young, and Todoroff.

The reason that this is on topic is because it's my opinion (for what it's
worth as an M man) that the R8 seems to be a direct descendant of the SL on
first impressions. The SL is big, but it's definitely a Leica. It's quiet,
precise, and refined. It fits beautfully in the hand. The R8 is that too.
Shame about the Japanese chips.

Interestingly, as I'm also (heresy) a Nikon F fan, the Nikon F (with
standard pentaprism) is smaller than the SL. It is, however, noisier - but
somehow I love that Nikon 'clank'. And, of course, it gives me the
opportunity to argue about the quality of Nikon lenses (not bad thru to
superlative).

Even more seriously, folks, I've received great advice from this group in
the past on topics much more arcane than a 25 year old SL. Where has it
gone?

Yours, regretfully


Alex

Alex Hurst
Waterfall
Nr. Cork
Ireland

Tel: +353 21 543 328 (H)
     +352 21 270 907 (W)

Fax: +353 21 271 248
email: corkflor@iol.ie
Home website: http://homepages.iol.ie/~corkflor/
Business website: http://www.flowerlink.com/corkflorists