Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/21

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Subject: RE: [Leica] R8 wanna-be owner questions and some rambling...
From: Randy Jensen <randy@jamzcheer.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 09:29:58 -0700

The ROM contacts also transfer f/stop info on variable f/stop lenses.  I
have the 28-70 ROM and when you zoom the display changes to reflect the
actual f/stop and not the 28mm version.  Did that make sense?

Also, as to the problems with early R8s, my chrome one started acting really
strange the other day.  I even asked the USA Leica president about it at the
Leica botique opening in Monterey.  He said to send it in and there'd be no
charge - but when I got home I decided to clean all the contacts on all my
cameras and it hasn't had a problem since.  There's 22 contacts between the
body/back and body/winder.

Overall I really love the R8.  It's fast, quiet (so easy to disengage the
winder during a wedding reception), the viewfinder is bright, etc.  I also
have a R6, but it's the R8's I grab first.

And now it appears that the R8/R9 will not be obsolete in the next couple
years as digital "takes over."

BTW, it took over 20 years for digital recording (audio) to really take over
analog, and there are still lots of musicians who prefer Dolby SR and big
tape.  I forsee the same thing with photography.  They will both have their
place for artists.

There also seems to be a big change back-over to film in wedding
photography.  Guess the photographers don't like that half-stop latitide.
Portra is EXTREMELY forgiving.

My $0.02.
Randy
www.randyjensenphoto.com

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Tom
Christiansen
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 6:32 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] R8 wanna-be owner questions


Folks,

Now that the R9 has been on the market for a while it almost seems like
people are willing to give you money for buying their new R8s... Maybe now
is a good time to move into the Leica R system.

I have a few questions:

1) I notice that some lenses are sold as 1 CAM, 2 CAM, and 3 CAM lenses.
Which ones work with the R8?

2) I have seen several claims that you loose some functionality when using
lenses without ROM contacts. Exactly what is communicated via those
contacts and which functionality do you loose by not having the ROM
contacts?

3) Are the 1 CAM, 2 CAM, 3 CAM lenses really just M lenses which have been
retrofitted to fit the R system?

4) Is there any way to estimate the production date from the serial number
on the bodies?

5) I understand that some of the early production R8 bodies had some bugs
in them which were weeded out in the later production runs. Does anyone
know of an approximate date of production or serial number for the start of
the new, bug-free batches of R8's?

6) Any comments, concerns, user testimonials, common bugs on the camera or
associated lenses?


Thanks,

	Tom

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