Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/05/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The R4 was my first Leica about 4 years ago. Mine is 16xxxxxx and had not had any problems. I have read some of the comments to your post and here is my take. Since buying my R8, the R4 has seen little use. I kept it because I thought that if I am hiking a long distance I would leave the R8 behind, but since the lenses weigh so much, there was no real advantage to that. So my R4 sat on the shelf for a few years seeing very little use. When my R8 had to go into the shop, I had no choice but to use the R4. I cursed at it more that a few times and now that my R8 is back, the R4 will gather more dust. The pictures it took in that time are just fine. My biggest grip is the manual mode metering. Hard to use and I don't like being in spot meter mode only. Next grip is the dim viewfinder. My 54 (almost) year old eyes love the R8. However, I was glad I had it as a backup or I would be would have been w/o any camera. Since they are going for hardly anything, I might as well keep it around. If I could afford it, I'd buy an R9, but I'm saving up my pennies in case the digial back proves to be something that might pan out as a good thing.. Aram > Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 08:11:25 -0400 > From: Rei Shinozuka <shino@panix.com> > Subject: [Leica] why is the R4 so cheap? > To: "Leica Users Group (LUG)" <lug@leica-users.org> > Message-ID: <20040430121125.GB8213@panix.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > i recently borrowed an R4 from bergen county camera, because my SL2MOT > was visiting DAG to have its screen changed to non-split rangefinder. > i just wanted anything that could mount 3-cam lenses. > > to my great surprise, i found the R4 rather likeable. > the only thing i didn't really like > was that in manual you had to watch the shutter speed numbers to the > left and then down to see the set shutter speed. as opposed to a > match-needle or electronic equivalent that would just indicate + or -. > the way the scale changed when you went from aperture to shutter > priority was kind of neat. > > it's no M3 or even an M6, but why are these cameras so cheap? you see > them priced with 3-handles or even in the 2's. i mean, you are getting > a whole camera for around the same price as the M eyepeice magnifier. > > am i missing something? > > thanks, > > -rei