Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/09

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Thoughts on R8s
From: "George Day" <george@rdcinteractive.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 08:57:58 -0700

Sometimes the display can be a bit light, but, in my many years of using an
RTS III (I no longer do -- EOS3's now litter my SLR shelf)it was never a
problem.  Not with telephotos, not in wildly bright places (like snowfields
and glaciers).  Zeiss telephotos are quite good, too -- I've never seen or
heard of the conversion you speak of, but I'm sure it's there.

Anyway, it's just another tool.  I've tried Leica, I've used Contax
extensively, I've used Nikon a bit and I was weened on Canon FD and now use
and greatly appreciate Canon EOS.  In deciding between Contax and Leica, for
me the deciding factor might well be the extreme cost of Leica glass as
compared even to Zeiss and what I see as the one real problem with the R8
(namely, the motor drive).  Also, the 100% viewfinder for the III is
wonderful.  But, again, that's me.



- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Doug Herr
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 8:08 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Thoughts on R8s


On Wed, 08 August 2001, George Day wrote:

>
> One wee thoughts about R8's: if you're after a high-end manual focus
system,
> you owe it to yourself at least to check out a venerable Contax RTS III.
> The III is, without a doubt, one of the best 35mm pro bodies ever built,
> especially for studio work.  Personally -- just personally, please don't
> flame me here -- while I like the *look* of the R8, I prefer the III's
> controls by quite a bit and the viewfinder by far.  The camera is built
like
> a tank, the motor drive makes the R8's look silly, the size is quite
> reasonable and...perhaps best of all...the Zeiss lenses are really as good
> as it gets for 35mm and often at a fraction of the cost of Leica glass
> (although still pricey).
>
>

OTOH I've read that the RTS III's viewfinder display is unreadable under
some light conditions and for long lenses Contax owners use 400mm and 560mm
Telyts adapted to the Contax mount.


Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
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