[Leica] Back from trip - report on R8, winder etc.

["Richard W. Hemingway" <rheming@ibm.net>]

Lugs,

I don't know what has happened to the LUG - maybe I should have stayed away
longer!!  This is the first time that I have seriously considered
unsubscribing permanently - but as several times in the past I will try to
wait this out.

Just got back from our trip in Wisconsin.  About the same trip we took last
year with M equipment.  For reasons I will not go into here, having nothing
to do with the excellent quality of the M cameras and lenses, I have
changed over to R equipment.  I have an R8, R4, 35/1.4, 50/1.4 (newest) and
80/1.4.  I ordered a winder from Don Chatterton by e-mail the night before
we left on the trip and  and it was waiting for me when we arrived at the
lodge we stayed at in Door county, WI.

I shot Kodachrome 200 and EliteChrome II 200 on the trip.  The former in
the R8 and the other in the R4.  I have been having a problem getting
Kodachrome processed here in Plano - but found out just before the trip
that Wolf's will send it to Kodak if you request it!!  It only took them 8
months to tell me that.  I got my slides back in 4 days - they said they
sent them to Calif??  Whatever I don't have to test out anymore E-6 film.

I am very impressed with all three lenses.  All three are sharp and
contrasty.  I was especially interested in the 35/1.4-R as compared to the
35/1.4 asph-M that I used to have.  I tend to take a lot of low light
pictures and bought all three 1.4 lenses.  I mostly take slides and project
them onto a 60" x 60" matt screen with a Leica Pradovit P2002 projector
with a 90/2.8 Supercolorpan lens. I looked at both series of slides, from
last year and this year and, for my purposes, can't tell any difference
between the two 35/1.4 lenses for the most part.  The M may be some better
on the edges wide open but it is not apparent to me - (I didn't haul out a
bunch of pictures and compare them directly).  Except for the weight I
don't feel that I have given up anything going from the M to the R, and I
seem to see better with the SLR than the RF.

I have owned virtually all the R series bodies and most of the Nikon SLR
bodies.  To me this is the best SLR I have ever owned.  I like the feel,
the looks, and the operation of this camera.  I found the winder
interesting. Actually, it worked just fine (so far) except I sometimes tend
to get multiple exposures from holding the release button down too long.  I
wish it had a single exposure mode.

I did get four slides back that are almost totally dark with some pictures
of light or lamps in them.  I belive that I took them in a restaurant
interior.  I have no idea what I did, except that I must have moved the
mode dial - Hmmmmmm!!!   Except for that the slides are exposed at least as
well as I did with the M6s.

Thanks to Pascal, Eric and Ted for the R advice they gave me - even if it
took me twice to follow it. I especially wish to thank Pascal and Eric for
their advice about the 35/1.4-R.  I bought it with some misgivings - but I
love it, thanks.  I feel that the 50 and 80 are as good.

Except for one or two of the slides - although I like them they aren't what
I would share, family and travel snaps.



Dick Hemingway
Plano, TX