Re: [Leica] Superb Leica R8

[Paul and Paula Butzi <butzi@halcyon.com>]

At 09:27 AM 5/29/98 , you wrote:=20
>
> Thomas,=20
>
> I don't get these comments either.=A0 I used the EOS gear before my switch=
 to
> Leica and really don't see that much difference inthe R8 and EOS 1. Both=
 are
> about the same thickness.The EOS 1 was a larger camera.=A0 The R8 fits my
hands
> as well as any other camera has.=A0 IMHO it fits the hand MUCH better than=
 say
> the R4,5,6 Nikon FM2, F3, F2 without motors do.=A0 These cameras I have=
 always
> found almost impossible to use with out the accompanying grips on the=
 motors
> esp when used with long lenses.=20

I've got to agree about the size.  After reading all the gushing,=
 enthusiastic
comments about
the R8 I checked it out last week.  Given that you will all recognize that
such
things are
*personal* judgements, my first impression was (after weeks of nearly
exclusive
use of
an M6) that it was *big* and *heavy*.  Much like my impressions of the eos1n
and the f5.
Nice viewfinder.  Weird control layout, but then I rather like the eos
cameras,
so you can
all discount that with ease.  Different people like different things; that's
what makes horse
racing.


>
> At least with the R8 you can manually advance the film, manually rewind=
 the
> film.=A0 This is a HUGE plus when shooting in places like court rooms=
 where
> noise is a major factor.=20



When I actually had the R8 in my hand, I happily=20
played with the focus ring, the aperture ring, the shutter speed dial. =20
I focused on things near and far.  Delightful.

Then I released the shutter.  The resulting cacophony contravened=20
strategic arms limitations treaties.  The camera convulsed in my hands, in
a desperate bid to escape my grasp. Car burglar alarms sounded.  Merchandise
cascaded from the newly rearranged shelves.  All of the computers nearby
rebooted.  My cell phone rang - it was a direct, emergency call from the=20
Seismology lab at the University of Washington, asking if Glazer's Cameras=
=20
had just demonstrated their newfound nuclear weapons ability, in response
to India and Pakistan.

Now, I recognize that when I went home, and hauled out the Canon EOS=20
slr's, and repeated the experiment, the same horrific result was repeated.
And I'm exaggerating for effect, perhaps, just a teeny bit.  (The Seismo
lab didn't really call my cell phone :-).  And, of course, I've been spoiled
by the wonderful nearly silent 'thup' of the M6.  But there's just not much
point to
complaining about the winder noise when the start of the winder noise
is punctuated by the mirror slap.  Or at least not much; if you were looking
for a quiet camera, you'd not be choosing an SLR.=20

My point is not that the R8 should be downgraded for it's noise - it's that
different applications demand different tools.  There's no point faulting
an SLR for the mirror slap; it's part of the nature of the thing.  If you=
 want
freedom from parallax error, sophisticated ttl metering, truly long focal
lengths, etc. then an SLR is just the ticket.  If you want quiet, it=
 probably
isn't.  An M6 is a nice, quiet, unobtrusive camera.  It's worthless for
macro work and it's worthless for really long focal lengths.  But for=20
it's intended use, it's outstanding. Let's not fault a crescent wrench=20
for being an inadequate hammer, nor a hammer because it makes
a lot of noise when driving nails.


- -Paul