[Leica] Some R questions....

[InfinityDT@aol.com]

Ok R fans, I'm putting together a small R kit to replace my manual-focus 
Nikons and I need to be brought up to speed on a couple things:

1. Anybody used *both* the 70-210 f4 and 80-200 f4 (latest) lenses?  The MTF 
results on Photodo give a huge edge to the 80-200.  The 70-210 is about 1/2 
the price and 3/4 the weight (both important to me), and I have Boyd Norton's 
book wherein about 75% of the shots seem to have been taken with the 70-210 
(of course it was before the 80-200 came out).  Views?

2. My lens choices (again, based on weight mostly, and then price, plus of 
course the assumption that *all* Leica lenses are great!) are 28 (previous 
version), 35 f2.8, 50 f2, 90 f2.8 and 180 f4.  (I don't care about fast 
lenses, not for my style of shooting).  Anybody know anything really 
interesting good or bad about any of these?

3. Body choice so far is leaning heavily to the R7.  The R8 has a lot of nice 
features but again it's about 33% heavier and 50% more money (second hand) 
and I'm a bit suspicious of a used R8 this soon after its intro...probably 
would be one of the 1st of production.  I can live happily without the 
multi-pattern metering and 1/250 sync.  Any really compelling reasons why 
*not* to get the R7 from experience?

4. Is the TTL flash module (SCA adaptor) for the R7 the same as the R8? If 
not, will the R8 adaptor work backward-compatible on an R7? (I want to get 
whichever would let me upgrade to an R8 later without buying a new flash 
adaptor).

5. Are there any other makes besides Metz who make a TTL for the R7/R8?

Thanks for everyone's input!

DT