Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/08/22

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] R8 Question
From: telyt560@cswebmail.com
Date: 22 Aug 2000 10:28:06 -0700

On Tue, 22 August 2000, "Steve LeHuray" wrote:

<SNIP>

> I have had 30 years trouble free experience with 5 Nikons and I doubt that is
> possible with Leica R's. While the M's are the standard for rangefinder
> cameras the R's are really not more than novelties in the reflex world.
> 

<SNIP>

> Steve
> Annapolis

Steve,

I don't doubt the reliability of your Nikons.  But to be fair, compare comparable models:

Nikon F, Leicaflex SL
Nikon F2, Leicaflex SL2
Nikon F3, Leica R3
Nikon FM2n, Leica R6.2

There are some differences in features but for the most part each pair is comparable in chronology and technology.

Early production of both the Nikon F2 and Leica R3 were trouble-prone.  Otherwise these are all regarded as extremely reliable cameras.  If you have functional meter heads on your Nikon F bodies in a dusty enviornment you've been extremely lucky.  The dirt roads of Alaska killed mine.  This is a very common problem with the F's meter heads.

If you want to compare the R8 to a Nikon, compare it to a modern electronic model, some of which have had patterns of failure similar to the R8 problems, except with the R8 you can at least rewind and remove the film when it dies.

Doug Herr
Sacramento
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt
- --------------------------------------------------
Visit the Northwestern Alumni Association portal 
page at http://www.nualumni.com  to get free 
web-based e-mail and many other exciting features.