Re: [Leica] R8 and 180mm f/3.4 Apo

[Leon Davenport <leonjdav@pacbell.net>]

Dear Larry.

Have you seen the R 6.2?  It is a nice little package that uses all those
wonderful lenses.

Leon.

> From: Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@marketingcomm.com>
> Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2000 14:35:06 -0600
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] R8 and 180mm f/3.4 Apo
> 
>>>>>>>>>>> 
> My feeling exactly and I believe with the new motor attached it gives
> small handed folks a greater reason to go back and reassess the R8,
> where they dismissed it early as "too big for my hands!"
> <<<<<<<<<<
> 
> As someone to whom the R8 has felt completely wrong ergonomically, I
> suspect you're right.
> 
> First off, I don't want to offend those to whom the R8 feels completely
> righty. I realize you're out there and love the camera. And more power to
> you, because there's plenty more about the R8 that I do like (that
> viewfinder view is the best I've encountered in an SLR). But I, personally,
> have found it a miserable machine to handhold.
> 
> I never really understood why it felt so wrong to me until a post on the
> LEG explained it. Other big, fat (and I don't use those words in a
> deragotory way; I've been described that way too!) cameras have the shutter
> release placed in a forward position, so that when the thickness of the
> camera forces your fingers apart, the release falls naturally under a
> forefinger. The R8, however, forces my fingers apart then forces me to move
> my forefinger back to reach the shutter release. For me, quite
> uncomfortable, causing my hand to cramp after a relatively short time.
> 
> But now the motor drive adds a forward shutter release. While I've not
> handled the motor drive yet, I'll bet that release solves the problems that
> have caused my discomfort with the camera.
> 
> Unfortunately, the motor drive, based on published specifications, makes
> the R8 a far bigger and heavier beast than I'd want to carry (a Nikon F5 is
> too big and heavy for my needs as well). So I'm still waiting for the Leica
> SLR that will inspire me to invest in the fabulous R lenses.
> 
> Larry
> 
>