Motor Winder R8 Q's

[Fotobug]

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Have not been able to find this info in the R9 Instructions, or on this site.

 

I just got my first Leica SLR, an R8 with Motor-Winder (from KEH). The motor winder was already attached. Have loaded the correct 123A Lithium batteries. But, I cannot figure out what the fluted button on the end of the right-side of the motor-winder's baseplate is for. I do not want to fiddle with it, lest I break something that makes me pay more than the camera to fix it. I am suspecting that it is some release pin, to/for something.

 

Any illumination you can provide would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

(Geez, this feels as heavy as my Mamiya RB67)

[Guest maddin]

Congrats! That button should be the cover for the remote control connector cable. It unscrews like a normal screw. The bottom of the base plate itself has the connector pins for the additional battery pack.

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[leicapages]

Yes, that seems to the position for the cable release. You can find more information, description and diagrams of the motor-drive and motor-winder on my webpages.

[thrid]

While we are on the subject, how may rolls are people getting from a set of batteries and the Winder?

 

thanks

[Fotobug]

Thank you, Martin and Pascal. That information eases my mind. And as to the longevity of the batteries with the winder -- I don't know ... yet. I'll just make believe that its money well spent to help make good photography. This is the first battery operated film camera that I've owned (mentally, a very big hurdle). Fingers crossed. Thanks again.

[robsteve]

While we are on the subject, how may rolls are people getting from a set of batteries and the Winder?

 

thanks

 

I haven't shot film in a while, but I think the winder went for a long time on a set of batteries. If you were taking a trip, you would most likely make it through the whole trip on one set of batteries. It think it is good for 40-50 rolls of film. I think I may have changed my batteries once or twice a year. The only time I had a problem was a trip to Bryce Canyon in the winter and it was -14 degrees. When the drive slowed down, I put in new batteries and had no problems. The batteries initially in the drive were not new for that trip and I didn't change them again after that.

 

Robert

[garyp]

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Recently, I was out [12F] on a overnight camping trip and it took a couple of seconds for the display of one of my R8s to come completely alive the next morning.

I finished out a roll or two with those batteries, but changed them later in the day.

I normally change them every 6 months as a matter of course. That would work out to about 50 rolls, pretty much in line with what Robert said.

[thrid]

thanks for the information, gents.