RE: [Leica] lens sample variations

["Richard W. Hemingway" <rheming@attglobal.net>]

Dan,

>Did you give up your R kit, or do you mean your permanent M outfit?  I also
>remember your saying that you got a much higher hit rate with the 80/1.4R
>than you do with the 90 apo M.  It does seem to me that the R8 ground glass
>would be a much easier way to shoot a mid-tele, but I like street-shooting
>and the R is a bit cumbersome for that (still want one, though).

Yes, I did, somewhat to my dismay. I only have the M outfit now.  You are
correct, I believe that I did have a higher hit rate with the R8 and the 85
and 35 1.4's than I do with the M.  I found the exposure system in my last
R8 to be smack on and in aperture preferred it handled just about
everything quite well.  In doubt I used spot measuring.  Your may remember
that I had an R8 with these two lenses and gave it up as being too heavy to
carry around and went back to the M6 (and second 35/1.4 that I wasn't quite
satisfied with).  I increasingly found that I wished I hadn't switched and
found that Don Chatterton still had the two lenses in his inventory.  So I
sold the M and bought the R8 and the two lenses.  I also bought Ted's
winder which worked perfectly. I still think that the 35/1.4 R is at least
a match for the 35/1.4 asph-M.  I loved the pics that I got with these two
lenses and think that the R8 is be far the best SLR that I have ever used.
However, the weight again started to get to me and I found I had back pains
and hip pains from carrying it around.  I finally became convinced that I
had to give it up as I found that I was leaving it home more and more. So I
went back to the M6 TTL with the 24/2.8 asph, 35/1.4 asph. and 90/2.0
apo/asph.  All three lenses are extremely good and I find that I can carry
it all around without much problem.  (I was going to buy a 24/2.8-R before
I sold the outfit - another 15 oz.  I would have carried it all with me).
Another reason for going back to the M was that I have an eye problem and
it was harder to focus with the R than with the M, but exposure was better
with the R than with the M).

Anyway that is my sad story

Dick