Re: [Leica] Opinions on the R8

[Eng Yeo <farmboys@xtra.co.nz>]

on 12/9/01 11:32 AM, George Lottermoser at imagist@concentric.net wrote:

> Love the size and balance. Never has an SLR felt so good so fast.
> Love the features - just enough - not too many.
> Love where the controls fall to the fingers.
> Love the bright screen.
> Love the metering options.
> Love the exposures
> 
> Having moved up from 2 R3's which I never fell in love with, but
> they did move a lot of film past the glass many for years, held
> the glass I wanted and gave faultless exposures
> 
> Having also used Nikon F through F5, and had an Alpa 9d back in
> the 70's (I've got to say that the 50 1.9 switar had a signature
> to die for).

I started serious photography since the day I acquired my first Leica and
that was M3.
Over the years I have owned and used various M models.
I remembered how frustrated I was  in waiting for the first Leicaflex to
come on the market (but it kept on being delayed).
Time flies, I had had various Leicaflexes and R models.
Finally I owned a R8 a few years ago.
It is of unique shape. I do wished it to be smaller because being an Asian,
I have smaller hands. But I can live with that.
The balanced is wonderful but a bit on the heavy side (not heavy while
taking pictures......actually ideal weight for taking pictures; .....
but heavy in carrying around between taking photos). I was reluctant to add
a motor drive because of weight and size but when I find the steadiness in
shooting landscape shots with the shutter release on the body (rather than
on top) and the second release at the bottom of the battery pack, I had to
have it inspite of every objections on weights and size.

I agreed with the others on the other features and so I am not going to
repeat after them.

I also love the lenses. I use 100 macro a lot. I also used longer and wider
lenses on R8 (because I feel confident in getting what I see in the reflex
finder). I leave the 'normal' 50mm, 35mm and 90mm to the M model.

I have one big question re this R8. The ROM to me is a big joke. It supposed
to communicate with the flash regarding the focal length in use but in
practice, Leica has only come out with a simple flash where there is no zoom
reflector!!! Don't tell me of other brand of flash. I am talking here of
Leica, its design and its marketing.
Leica said the ROM are for future development. How long has these ROM been
in existence? That is why I have not bought a single ROM lenses! Fortunately
all the older lenses are compatible. Why pay more for features that I cannot
use? If this ROM is of use then I am more than willing to buy the new
generation of lenses. (Leica, see how you could have sold more lenses???)

Don't get me wrong. I am a Leica fanatic. So much so, my daughter has become
a fanatic as well. I love everything and anything on Leica.
I am writing all the above good and bad points hoping that Leica can read
that the fanatics are not blind. (I stopped buying Leica fotography because
the views expressed there are 'blindly' fanatical.)

Eng


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