[Leica] Admiration for Ted and many others!

[creativevisions at verizon.net (Michael J Herring)]

Hi Ted,

Thank you very much for the detailed answer.

As luck would have it, a co-worker has an R8 and he is going to lend the
camera to me, along with a 60mm Macro Elmarit and the 35-70 Leica zoom.
Just for kicks, he is going to lend me his 24-85mm Zeiss for the Contax.
He is very impressed with this lens and he wants me to photograph with
both
systems and then make 5400dpi scans on a Minolta film scanner for
comparison.
He believes the Zeiss lens will hold it's own - even against the Leica
prime.
I am skeptical about this.

Take care,
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Admiration for Ted and many others!


> Michael J Herring asked:
>
>>>>Which Leica R bodies do you recommend for someone who is currently
> shooting with a 20 year old Contax RTS and the following Zeiss lenses:
> 25mm f2.8
> Distagon, 60mm S-Planar Macro and 85mm f1.4 Planar?
> I have been thinking about getting the 100mm macro and a wide angle.
> Some folks have suggested the older Leicaflex bodies as being more
robust.
> What's your take on this?<<<
>
> Hello Michael,
>>From experience of using nearly all the "SLR models to now 3 motor
driven
> R8's" I'd take an R8 or possibly an R9 ahead of all the others.
>
> Now having said that, of course it depends on ones income availability
to
> purchase, say a Leicaflex SL or the R8? If money isn't a major problem
I'd
> go with the R8 as the metering and viewfinder are excellent. For me,
> superior to the Leicaflex SL MOT even with it's very good viewfinder.
>
> The SL is a pretty damn fine camera, I still have the very first one I
> bought in 1969! :-) And yes it still works. It's built like a Tiger tank
> and the metering always worked fine in the 3 I used with motors.
However,
> it's still an old camera and yes as the stories go... "Leica's last
> forever." ;-) However, my bet would be with the R8 if your income allows
> for the purchase.
>
> And given what I'm hearing about "film cameras" loosing value you might
be
> able to find an R8 for a fairly good price.  Then I'd have the "all
matte"
> screen installed or you can buy it from Leica NJ and install it
yourself,
> no big deal.  However, if you're like me I don't finger fiddle with the
> innards of a camera and had Leica in Toronto install them in the 3
bodies.
>
> And if you're thinking of using the 100mm macro on the R8 it works like
a
> dream because the matte screen is so bright and it allows you to focus
> anywhere on the screen. As far as wide angle lenses? I use the 15mm
> probably more than any other wide. I also use 3 zooms, 21-35, 35-70 &
> 80-200 and a couple of prime wides without any problem what so ever.
>
>>>Some folks have suggested the older Leicaflex bodies as being more
>>>robust.
>> What's your take on this?<<<
>
> Well to some degree yes they are, as I said, the Leicaflex SL is built
> like a Tiger tank. So it's still an old camera and I think you should
ask
> yourself how hard will you use it and or bang it around. Probably more
> important to ask is ..... "How hard has it been banged around?"
>
> Then how hard will you use it and how much will you bang it around? By
the
> same token the R8's I use are motor driven tough hard working cameras
that
> haven't failed me, they're well made and for my hands have an excellent
> inhand feel.
>
> I suppose my simple answer would be, if you can get your hands on an SL
> and see how you like the feel and the viewfinder, then do the same with
an
> R8 with the same lenses. Then make your decision.  Mine would still be
the
> R8 providing the monetary situation wasn't a problem.
>
> I trust this helps.
>
> ted
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>


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