Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] BEST WISHES AND TWO QUESTIONS
From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 19:05:54 -0600 (CST)

Hello, Brian
Today my wife gave me a new military style "shooting" jacket--
it's about 25 deg F here, so I tried it out early......Now I 
must see how it repels flames.....

I might be able to help you answer your questions....the answers
won't be popular, I'll be labeled a heretic and an unwashed heathen, 
but that's ok, as I'm right and they're wrong....oh, BTW, I'm modest, 
too.......

Good RFDR cameras: (in order of preference)  Leica M4, M2, M3, Nikon 
SP, S3, Canon VI, 7, P, L.   End of list.
Good SLR cameras: Nikon F/F2 w/standard prism.  Nikkormat FT2-3.
Nikon F3 (maybe).  End of list.

Don't believe it?  Try to buy one of the above cameras.  Only the 
lesser Nikons (Nikkormat, F3) will be available at any >SANE< price.
All the other cameras will range in price from above their original 
NEW price to SEVERAL TIMES their original price.  I ain't talking 
collector's pieces here -- try to buy them from people who are USING 
them.....ain't gonna happen.....

Oh, BTW, I've used Leica, Leicaflex, R (including R4S), Canon (RF/SLR)
Nikon (RF/SLR), Contax (RF), Pentax, Exacta, Prominents, Minolta
(CL/SLR), you name it, I've forgotten some of them.....AND I've repaired 
most of the above.  

After "playing" with dozens of cameras (systems?) -- I'm back to only 
owning gear I >USE<  i.e., Leica M4s and "real" Nikons (F-series, pre 
AF)....I'll add an M6 again, but I'll buy it expecting to have to 
work on it.

Happy Holidays!!
Walt

On
Mon,
21
Dec 1998, Brian J. Given wrote:

> Greetings from a new member and old Leica user!
> 
> I have enjoyed lurking for the last week and want to wish you all a very
> Happy Holiday
> 
> I would also like to ask your opinions regarding the reliability of R-4S's
> and the reproduction potential of the film scanners like the Nikon LS-2000
> 
> 1. I have not had very good luck with new Leicas. Years ago I bought two new
> M-series to add to my M-3, M-2 and M-4.   Unfortunately I bought a pair of
> M4-2's which did not appear to equal my M-4 in quality of build and they
> certainly were not its equal in resale value.  I seem to have made the same
> mistake when I decided to trade the delights of M-series in for the
> practicality (for me that is .. I'm an anthropologist and some automaticity
> comes in handy!) of the R-series.  I traded for a pair of new R4-S bodies
> and collection of lenses. I am very happy with the optics (including the
> Minolta<G>) but have had some reliability problems with the bodies.  With
> only light amateur usage I have had to send in each body because the LED
> readouts went berserk - even with new batteries the LED's would show either
> top shutter speed or off the bottom of the scale with no gradation in
> between, rendering the body unusable.  I now am about to send in a body for
> the THIRD time for repair and am becoming discouraged.  Now I have NEVER had
> a Japanese camera that needed repairs and, even when I was a professional
> photographer, rarely needed cameras repaired.  So this experience with the
> R4-S's is very unusual for me.  A couple of dealers have told me that the
> R-4's have had electronic reliability problems but the Leica distributor
> here says that this was only true for about 1000 R-4s in early production
> and never for the R4-S.  I don't know whether I should get rid the R4-S's or
> not.  Ironically, I bought the R4-S instead of the R4 because I figured that
> a simpler camera would be more reliable.  Is the distributor correct?<G!>
> 
> 2. I am looking at film scanners. I've tried the Nikon LS-2000 with some
> Kodachromes I shot with M-series equipment in India but am only just
> beginning to explore the limits.   I want to use this equipment for two
> purposes.   (a) I want to digitize the Kodachromes before they can fade
> further - i.e. I want to use CD's as a storage medium for digitized and
> therefore relatively permanent images. and (b) I want to replace my darkroom
> with a digital "darkroom" and make all my prints using this medium IF I can
> get professional quality.  What I am not clear about is whether a 2700 dpi,
> 12-bit scanner like the Nikon, used with Adobe Photoshop will be good enough
> quality to replace my darkroom or whether I should wait until the next
> generation of scanner (perhaps 5400 dpi?) is available.  Does it make sense
> to go digital?
> 
> Thanks everyone!
> 
> Brian Given
>