Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/29
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Nice to see the R users speak up and defend the gear.
Gene
"Dan States"
<dstate1@hotmail.com> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Sent by: cc:
owner-leica-users@mejac.palo Subject: Re: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?
-alto.ca.us
07/28/2003 10:51 PM
Please respond to
leica-users
My R cameras (r4 bought very used and R8 bought new) have been drenched in
water, sweat, Deet, dust, snow and once a large dollop of bird shit. I
have
used my R8 at -27F for 5 hours straight without protection. I have left
them
in my car on hot summer days for weeks on end. They have been dropped on
wood floors, car floors, carpet floors and end tables. They have never
required service. They have never failed me.
I wish I could say this about my Nikons, Contax or even (god help me) my
M6.
If you don't like the idea of a manual focus SLR, fine, get something else,
but to claim the R8-9 cameras are anything less than the very best and most
capable optical instruments in 35mm photography is ignoring fact.
Best grumpy wishes
Dan States
Grand Forks ND
>From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>Subject: [Leica] M camera NOW R camera ?
>Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 16:19:34 -0700
>
>I don't know how this got off M camera's to R but here goes. ;-)
>
>Gene offered:
> >> It is highly the opinion of those on this list and elsewhere that
Leica
>R
> > cameras a total junk. I beg to differ, I have an SL and a R4SP that
>have
> > operated for 15 years with only one of them having a single failure and
>the
> > lenses are the best I have used to date and I have used both Nikon and
> > Canon cameras and lenses, I won't buy another one. <<<<
>
>Hi Gene,
>Like you with R cameras I've had flawless operation from them, SL to the
R8
>and bucnch of models along the way. Other than one camera of three... an
>R4 that gave me extreme grief! It was in for service more times than a
hive
>has bees that I finally got so ticked off paying for shipping I arranged
>for
>a couple of the national TV network crews and the wire service guys to be
>on
>hand to record me smashing it to smithreens on the front steps of the
Leica
>office in Toronto.
>
>Leica Canada of course thought I was kidding the day I flew in and opted
to
>invite me out for lunch while the service dept had another go at fixing
it.
>I accepted their invitation but said unless I had a replacement camera
when
>we returned from lunch the smashing would take place. They of course
>laughed
>and thought I was kidding.
>
>Upon return the TV and wire guys were waiting for me and you never saw a
>quicker replacement R4 appear in your life! :-) Fortunately my smash
threat
>worked 100% and yes the replacement was a later model R4 and worked like a
>dream.
>
>If one says they're going to do this as a threat you must have the balls
to
>carry it through, because if they call your bluff, you then must smash the
>camera to absolute pieces. Because if you don't, you loose the benefit of
>the news coverage as an aid and for ever after any complaints you have
will
>more than likely be waved off as just a weak whine.
>
>My good fortune was I had a couple more R4's that worked beautifully and
at
>the time some extra dollars from very well paying assignments so I didn't
>care, but I was determined to smash it until there wasn't anything left
but
>bits on the steps if they hadn't given me a replacement.
>
>And the R8's with motor drives I now work with, 3 machines, I've used
since
>the R8 came on the market and eventually motors were attached and have
>driven them since.
>
>Like the M6's I've not had much grief at all while working the daylights
>out
>of them. It still amazes me since 1996 when the R8 came on market there
are
>still whiners and wieners bitching about a camera many of them have never
>ever put a roll through, let alone a few hundred, but they supposedly know
>every damn whine in the book about a perfectly excellent camera.
>
>The R cameras have worked very well for me and sure they don't have some
of
>the bells and band-aids of the Nikon & Canon but who the hell cares, if
you
>use them hard like a good woman they'll look after your picture taking
>needs
>quite nicely.
>
>And one other thing for some of the guys who shoot sports around here, but
>use other gear because of their necessity to use auto-focus is a crock.
>Because a number of my ex-wire service colleagues turn off A/F on their
>Canons while shooting action!
>
>And in my case I've never used an A/F camera at any of the major
>international games and still came home with some damn fine in your face
>sharp action pictures. Actually I did the same thing working with a Speed
>Graphic shooting CFL and NFL football games a wee while back. ;-)
>
>Sorry no M content in that one, but I'm with Gene! ;-)
>
>ted
>
>
>--
>To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
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