Re: [Leica] R 6.2

[Joe Berenbaum <joe-b@dircon.co.uk>]

At 08:28 AM 6/23/99 -0700, you wrote:
>The R6.2 is the finest mechanical SLR available. I, however, am not sure I
>understand the desire to abandon the R7 in favor of the R6.2. Basically,
>the R6.2 is an R6 with a 1/2000 shutter. Perhaps some internal refinements.
>The R7, in manual mode, is still better than the R6.2 in many ways. The R7
>is the most refined and bug free R camera in the R3 to R7 chain. One
>feature of the R7 that I find an absolute necessity (I traded up from R6 to
>R7 for this feature) is 1/2 shutter speeds. The mirror dampening, light
>meter sensitivity and accuracy, is the best. I would personally not even
>think of going backward from an R7 to an R6.2. Maybe I don't mean
>backwards, but I won't give up the R7 1/2 speeds and viewfinder info. I use
>my R7's in manual mode always. But the R7 has those little extras that make
>it worthwhile.
>
>If you are afraid of battery failure, well, you cannot beat the R6.2. But
>if you have spare batteries in your bag, it's a moot point.
>
>IMHO
>
>Jim

I use an R6 and an R7 and much as I love that camera and its half-speeds,
etc, I do feel frustrated by the R7's insistence that when I use manual
exposure, I must also use spot metering, even when I really don't want to!
With the camera on a tripod this really slows me down. And I can't use
mirror pre-release with auto exposure, so I do have to use manual exposure.
So I am stuck with fiddling around to take a spot reading when
centre-weighted metering would often give me the exposure straight away
with no fiddling.  

The one thing I like about the mechanical bodies is that there will never
be a problem with the camera having an electronic problem and refusing to
work. This has never happened to me with a Leica R camera, but it did with
a Minolata XD7 many years ago and I aquired a distrustful attitude towards
camera electronics. I know that with the R6, this cannot happpen. It is
basically clockwork, and thus will presumably work for many decades. This
is why I like my Rollei SL66 also- if new cogs or other metal parts are
needed, if it comes to it, someone can make them. Yes I know, the R7 will
never stop working. But I like to worry about these things anyway. ;-) 

Joe Berenbaum
mailto:joe-b@dircon.co.uk