Leica R8/R9 - anybody using them?

[Dawid Loubser]

Every time I read something on the Leica R's, it is, more often than not, not very positive. For example:

http://www.auspiciousdragon.net/photography/articles/photoarticle030.html

Sure, they make great lenses (but those lenses can be fitted to many other cameras using adapters) and I have to wonder what the advantages of the Leia R is? When I compare a R body to a Canon 1-series, apart from the fact that you can adjust exposure in 0.1-stop increments (vs. Canon's 0.3 - but who needs less anyway with the dynamic range afforded by RAW?), it seems (sorry to sound harsh) to be an expensive and un-ergonomic brick. This, however, is based on what I read (I've never held one - but if you tell me it is a more solid, better designed camera than a 1-series then I won't believe you...)

Am I missing something? Anybody who has used both? With the DMR digital back it seems to be even more of a hack, with poor integration between the body and back, and all sorts of ergonomic issues.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Dawid,

Just look at the images Colin has made with that camera. They speak for themselves.

Yes, the superbly fine Leica lenses can be used on an a Canon but unless you are using a 1DIII, only a Leica DMR or an M8 has the extra BIT depth to give you that robust deeplly rich file to make your art from great to magnificent,

Even on a 5D the pics would likely not be as dynamic.

I've only tried the Leica R for an afternoon and was impressed immediately with the bright open viewfinder allowing one to see what is coming into the shooting frame. I was looking fore the wheel to move the focus confirm point to somewhere other than the middle, no such luck.

This camera cannot be compared to a Canon camera since the latter are optimized for the hunt, like cheetahs, fast and deadly accurate. The Leica DMR is for the artist or the street hunter, wedding photographer and the like. Nothing matches the fine Leica wide to 100mm lenses and that's what these cameras are for.

I am not sure one can easily find a DMR digital back for an R8 or R9 anyway!

For your work, you'd be happy.

However, you must borrow or rent one for several weekends to really get the feel.

Solms does fix thing so the 5 week repair turnaround is one of those things. After all, this is a precision handbuilt camera. I believe that someone had bought Colin's camera and returned it!

Asher

 

[Dawid Loubser]

Hi Asher,

Lenses aside (as I agree, Leica has some wonderful lenses) I am not so sure that the higher bit depth makes up for the seemingly disastrous higher-ISO noise?

For example, in Uwe Steinmueller's DMR review, the ISO 800 looks terrible... And that's the highest it goes.

It certainly looks like a very appealing camera in specific situations (I can imagine low-ISO studio work, etc) but, in my mind, I can't imaging even for street work, how it could really compare to the best Canon offers (at a far, far cheaper price)...

I'm not trying to be a "troll", just making an observation that maybe there's a reason we see so very few of these cameras around? I wonder how many they sell per year? (must be significantly less than the rangefinders, a market at least in which they have their own niche).

The thing that would really appeal, in my opinion, is the solid build quality, but again, have read a few reports of cameras failing - so I'm not sure that it would live up to all conditions thrown at it?