Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] BEST WISHES AND TWO QUESTIONS
From: Francesco <fls@san.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 23:59:59 -0800

Have you used an R8 Walt?  It will change your mind.

Francesco




At 05:05 PM 12/21/98 , Walter S Delesandri wrote:
>Hello, Brian
>Today my wife gave me a new military style "shooting" jacket--
>it's about 25 deg F here, so I tried it out early......Now I 
>must see how it repels flames.....
>
>I might be able to help you answer your questions....the answers
>won't be popular, I'll be labeled a heretic and an unwashed heathen, 
>but that's ok, as I'm right and they're wrong....oh, BTW, I'm modest, 
>too.......
>
>Good RFDR cameras: (in order of preference)  Leica M4, M2, M3, Nikon 
>SP, S3, Canon VI, 7, P, L.   End of list.
>Good SLR cameras: Nikon F/F2 w/standard prism.  Nikkormat FT2-3.
>Nikon F3 (maybe).  End of list.
>
>Don't believe it?  Try to buy one of the above cameras.  Only the 
>lesser Nikons (Nikkormat, F3) will be available at any >SANE< price.
>All the other cameras will range in price from above their original 
>NEW price to SEVERAL TIMES their original price.  I ain't talking 
>collector's pieces here -- try to buy them from people who are USING 
>them.....ain't gonna happen.....
>
>Oh, BTW, I've used Leica, Leicaflex, R (including R4S), Canon (RF/SLR)
>Nikon (RF/SLR), Contax (RF), Pentax, Exacta, Prominents, Minolta
>(CL/SLR), you name it, I've forgotten some of them.....AND I've repaired 
>most of the above.  
>
>After "playing" with dozens of cameras (systems?) -- I'm back to only 
>owning gear I >USE<  i.e., Leica M4s and "real" Nikons (F-series, pre 
>AF)....I'll add an M6 again, but I'll buy it expecting to have to 
>work on it.
>
>Happy Holidays!!
>Walt
>
>On
>Mon,
>21
>Dec 1998, Brian J. Given wrote:
>
>> Greetings from a new member and old Leica user!
>> 
>> I have enjoyed lurking for the last week and want to wish you all a very
>> Happy Holiday
>> 
>> I would also like to ask your opinions regarding the reliability of R-4S's
>> and the reproduction potential of the film scanners like the Nikon LS-2000
>> 
>> 1. I have not had very good luck with new Leicas. Years ago I bought two
new
>> M-series to add to my M-3, M-2 and M-4.   Unfortunately I bought a pair of
>> M4-2's which did not appear to equal my M-4 in quality of build and they
>> certainly were not its equal in resale value.  I seem to have made the same
>> mistake when I decided to trade the delights of M-series in for the
>> practicality (for me that is .. I'm an anthropologist and some automaticity
>> comes in handy!) of the R-series.  I traded for a pair of new R4-S bodies
>> and collection of lenses. I am very happy with the optics (including the
>> Minolta<G>) but have had some reliability problems with the bodies.  With
>> only light amateur usage I have had to send in each body because the LED
>> readouts went berserk - even with new batteries the LED's would show either
>> top shutter speed or off the bottom of the scale with no gradation in
>> between, rendering the body unusable.  I now am about to send in a body for
>> the THIRD time for repair and am becoming discouraged.  Now I have NEVER
had
>> a Japanese camera that needed repairs and, even when I was a professional
>> photographer, rarely needed cameras repaired.  So this experience with the
>> R4-S's is very unusual for me.  A couple of dealers have told me that the
>> R-4's have had electronic reliability problems but the Leica distributor
>> here says that this was only true for about 1000 R-4s in early production
>> and never for the R4-S.  I don't know whether I should get rid the
R4-S's or
>> not.  Ironically, I bought the R4-S instead of the R4 because I figured
that
>> a simpler camera would be more reliable.  Is the distributor correct?<G!>
>> 
>> 2. I am looking at film scanners. I've tried the Nikon LS-2000 with some
>> Kodachromes I shot with M-series equipment in India but am only just
>> beginning to explore the limits.   I want to use this equipment for two
>> purposes.   (a) I want to digitize the Kodachromes before they can fade
>> further - i.e. I want to use CD's as a storage medium for digitized and
>> therefore relatively permanent images. and (b) I want to replace my
darkroom
>> with a digital "darkroom" and make all my prints using this medium IF I can
>> get professional quality.  What I am not clear about is whether a 2700 dpi,
>> 12-bit scanner like the Nikon, used with Adobe Photoshop will be good
enough
>> quality to replace my darkroom or whether I should wait until the next
>> generation of scanner (perhaps 5400 dpi?) is available.  Does it make sense
>> to go digital?
>> 
>> Thanks everyone!
>> 
>> Brian Given
>> 
>