Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Deniz-- You know about Leica glass, and you know about your professional needs. The R8 is a wonderful camera, and like all cameras lends itself well to specific applications. Although some of those at least seem to me a better fit with amateur use than professional. We have some happy professional R6 and 6.2 and R8 users amongst other professionals on the LUG. I am sure they'll chime in. This is a pretty helpful place. I would think that the utility of auto-focus would be something I would want as a professional [even as an amateur] in some specific applications. I moved to Leica from a Nikon F3HP, and have been very pleased with my R8. I bought it primarily for the glass, and I have not been disappointed. These lenses are sharp, and color rendition is striking and very consistent, lens to lens. The R8's meter, in its manual and auto-exposure modes, continues to please in terms of how closely the exposed film is recorded to the image I held in my mind's eye when I decided to trip the shutter, even using a wide variety of film. I feel more in control of things than I believe I would with the automatic functions of the F5 or F100, but mine has only been a passing look at these cameras. I miss the F3's MD-4 motor drive, which although about 15 years old, is faster than Leica's Winder or motor drive. But if your photography employs these tools primarily as electric thumbs, and speed in terms of frames per second is not critical, either electric film advance will suffice. The Nikon zooms seem big because they are likely faster than most Leica zooms. And they contain more technology. All three cameras have big bodies. The R8 seems easy to hang onto, and fits naturally in my hands. It's extremely well balanced with several of the R lenses, which pop into focus in most situations on a plain groundglass focusing screen. Once my fingers unlearned reaching for F3 controls, and learned where the R8 controls are, they seem intuitive and useful. If rapid fire motor drive is essential, or very fast zooms are important, you might be wise to stay where you are. Certainly more of the features marketed to professionals today are found in both Nikons. With your experience, you know whether you will employ the wide variety of features your current cameras possess. My suggestion would be to spend a week or two on assignment with an R8 to determine if you can be happy with the combination of features contained by the R8. There is a lot of contradictory confusing information going around about the R8. It is a distinctive design. Most like it very much, or do not like it very much. The proof is in using it. For me, the beauty of the R8 is that it functions well the way --I-- use my camera, gives me the amount of exposure automation I occasionally use, and it gives me SLR utility and Leica glass...a great combination for me. Try one, it's the best way to know for yourself. A good dealer will let you have a trial run. Hope this helps. Enjoy the light. Greg Bicket - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html