[Leica] R future

[Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@euronet.be>]

I have followed the debate on the R line's future or lack thereof with
interest and now feel the urge to throw in my 2 Belgian Francs. I am a
relatively recent convert to Leica, having bought my first M6 in April
98 and my first Leica SLR (a Leicaflex SL2) earlier this summer. The
things that attracted me to the Leica in general and the M6 in
particular were (not necessarily in that order):

1) Superb mechanical quality=durability
2) Lack of automation=total user control
3) No battery dependence (except meter)=dependability
4) The best lenses available for any 35mm camera
5) Classic design
6) Simplicity

Note that I omitted rangefinder focusing from the list--I had no prior
experience with rangefinders and discovered only AFTER using the M6 for
some time how good and reliable this system is.

When I decided to buy into the SLR line earlier this year, I was looking
for more or less the same things in a Leica SLR. The natural choice for
me among the current models was the R6.2, not the R8. However, after
seeing some LUGger web sites (particularly Doug Herr's) and reviewing
various correspondence, I decided to go with the older Leicaflex models.
For the price of one R6.2 body I got two Leicaflex bodies (an SL and an
SL2) plus the 60mm macro Elmarit. Nevertheless, I can imagine that when
I come across some serious money I might add a 6.2 to the outfit.

The R8 is another story. To me, it is neither fowl nor fish, and this is
perhaps the reason for its lackluster sales. The camera does not appeal
to amateurs like myself who are looking for the traditional Leica
attributes listed above; it looks modern, it is electronic, has a lot of
bells and whistles, and the reliability appears a bit questionable (I am
making the last statement based on the many posts here on the LUG).
Sure, the lenses are second to none, but they can be mounted on a R6.2
or an older model too. As has been made abundantly clear, many
professionals shun the R8 for the opposite reason, namely that it has
not enough bells and whistles compared to the competition, chief among
the deficiencies being autofocus and a motor drive.

So, in summary, I do not see an obvious market segment to which the R8
would appeal. I realize of course that there are professionals who use
the R8 with excellent results (Ted, for example) or amateurs (e.g.
Pascal), but evidently there just aren't enough of such people to make
the R8 a viable product as it stands now.

The M6 is a unique camera, fulfilling a need in the marketplace and is
consequently selling well. The R8 suffers from very unclear positioning
and is languishing. I would be interested in knowing how R6.2 sales are
doing, if someone has that information.

Nathan

- --
Nathan Wajsman
Overijse, Belgium
General photo page: http://members.tripod.com/belgiangator
Belgium photo page: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman