[Leica] LUG: R8

[Rolfe Tessem <rolfe@ldp.com>]

> 
> Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 09:19:55 -0600
> From: "Chris Quinn" <cquinn@mail.sjcsf.edu>
> Subject: [Leica] LUG: R8
> Message-ID: <001401c12666$e8022960$5d0aa8c0@registrar2>
> References: 
> 
> Master Nitka:
> 
> Yah, I've been watching the prices on the R8 and they certainly are soft.
> Notice that Leica must feel the same about new R8 sales, as they bumped the
> warranty from 3-year Passport, to 3-year Passport PLUS 2 year parts & labor
> as an incentive.
> 
> Check the prices on the used market, and you'll see that an R8 is often
> selling for less than an R6.2, which says something about Leicaphile's
> loyalty to mechanical bodies, and distrust of electronics (especially from
> Leica, speaking from my own experience). Leica users are, I think,
> conditioned, or have a prediliction, to think in terms of 'minimize,'
> regardless of the advantages of electronics (or we'd all be shooting F5s,
> no?), and shy away from the used bodies (the R7, despite its near-perfect
> display, is also dirt-cheap, in relative terms). As to the lenses, the ROMs
> seem to be holding their value, but have devalued the non-ROMs to the point
> that, yes, good glass is cheap.

Well, this is just one data point, but as a user of three M cameras, I
felt a need to upgrade my longer lens arsenal. I'd been using a plain
old Nikon F body and several '70s era Nikon lenses for a long, long time
and it was time to upgrade.

I had settled on a Nikon F100 body and a couple of lenses but when went
to demo the camera I hated it. I didn't just hate it, I really despised
it. That, coupled with the fact the lenses looked and felt cheesy
compared to my vintage Nikon glass. Plus, to focus them manually was a struggle.

So, although I hadn't originally considered it, I took another hard look
at the R8 (and the 6.2) and walked away with a new R8 a couple of days
ago. I think it is ergonomically terrific and the glass looks and feels
right. I don't pretend to have enough experience with the camera to
provide a complete critical review, but so far so good. I bought the
body new with U.S. Passport,  a 100mm new gray market, and am filling in
a couple of other lenses used. I expect the 100mm to get the bulk of the
use and understand that it is a great lens.

I think there is a perception that the R8 is a large body and that
originally turned me off too. But when you pick it up, there is really
no difference between it and something like the F100 that has a large
grip on the right side. Certainly the F5 is bigger and heavier. The only
distinction is that the R8 contours the "grip" so that it part of the
body instead of an appendage.

I agree that the high-end manual focus SLR market is a niche one after
you subtract Nikon and Canon from the equation, so I hope Leica doesn't
have unrealistic expectations for the R8. It seems to me to be a good
professional tool, but I'd bet that the M cameras outsell it
significantly over both the short and long term.

As an aside, I also did consider the Nikon F3, but it does seem that
Nikon is orphaning the manual focus lens line.

Rolfe Tessem