Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi B.D., This is based on having just shot 3 rolls in the R2, but I am a fan. You are right, I am a fairly serious Leica devotee, and my primary cameras remain the M6 and M7. But I must say that if I were to make an objective assessment of R2 vs.M6/M7 and consider the price difference, then the R2 would win. It is an extremely well-made camera that feels nice and solid in your hands, something which could not necessarily be said about previous Bessas. It has a 1/2000 shutter speed as well as the 1/125 flash synch speed. The viewfinder is every bit as good as a Leica one, and the finish of the black R2 I bought is excellent. Having said all this, there are two areas where it falls short of what I am used to with the Leicas: - - shutter release is not as smooth as a Leica. It is not rough, but it is clearly no Leica. It is also significantly louder. - - the rangefinder patch is not quite as contrasty as on an M6 or M7. But overall, this is an excellent rangefinder camera. The first roll I shot was a test roll of slide film, and to test the rangefinder I mounted the R2 on a sturdy tripod and took pictures of an inanimate object--one of our garden gnomes--at a distance of 1 meter with the 90mm Apo Summicron. In other words, a rather stern test of the rangefinder's capabilities, which the R2 passed with flying colors. Even at f2 the focus is exactly where I wanted it to be. So the problems with Leica lenses on the Konica Hexar that we have previously discussed here do not seem to apply to the R2. If someone is on a budget (and who isn't?) then I heartily recommend skimping on the body by getting an R2 and getting a good Leica lens, rather than the other way round. It is, after all, the lens that makes the image. Nathan "B. D. Colen" wrote: > Nathan - Lovely work as usual, but more to the point... > Knowing that you are a serious Leica devote, I'd be interested in reading > your assessment of the R2. > > Thanks > > B. D. - -- Nathan Wajsman Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch mobile: +41 78 732 1430 Photo-A-Week: http://www.wajsman.com/indexpaw2002.htm General photo site: http://www.wajsman.com/index.htm - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html