First SLR, SL, R6 or R8??

[Norse]

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Hello all.

 

I hope some can help me.

 

Now I am using an ols Pentax Spotmatic, my fathers camera and I do like it.

Works good and feels ok.

But, I want something new.....A Leica.

Have only tried a SL for a short time, so I need some help from you guys, what to go for?

 

What do I need?

 

I shoot family photos, landscape, nature, the camera follow me where I go. 

I am ar far from a expert user, but I do like the manual handling on the one I have now.

A camera that is not hard to use and has  good quality.

 

What I have been looking at is: R6, R6.2, R8 and the SL.

 

All help, tip is welcome.

 

Thanks for looking.

[jip]

I use the R8, a lot! It's heavy but it's amazing. I also use the Leica S system digitally so compared to that the R8 and it's lenses are light weight. 

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[Locutus]

The R8 is great but i can imagine its very much a love it or hate it affair. Ergonomics wise something like the R6 or SL is a lot closer to a Spotmatic.

 

Keep in mind that with the SL you will need some solution for the battery.

[steed]

Given the complexity and electronic dependency of the R8, I would recommend the SL, which has produced 000's of great pix for my family. While the R8 is very desirable, and undoubtedly a fantastic performer, i am skeptical of the long term repair/reliability prospects for the R8,

Good luck.

John W

[earleygallery]

As a manual body it's hard to better a Spotmatic. The 'gain' with buying an R body is to use Leica lenses. 

 

The SL is similar vintage and operation to your Spotmatic. As noted they need to be modified to take newer batteries or you buy an adaptor. 

 

The later R bodies - apart from the R6/6.2 offer you AE options, and other features which may or may not be important to you. 

 

My favourite is the R3, a very underrated camera. All R's apart from the R8/9 are based on Minolta bodies, although the R3 was significantly reworked by Leica and the shutter action is particularly nice for an SLR. All I can say is try one next to an R4 and you'll see what I mean. 

 

Be aware though that very few people will now service/repair R bodies, and most repairs are going to be uneconomical - so I'd suggest buying from a dealer with warranty. The Leicaflex/SL/SL2 are different and shutter repairs can be done. 

Edited March 2, 2016 by earleygallery

[masjah]

Given their relatively modest s/h price differentials, if you decide that the R8 ergonomics and features are for you, I would always take the extra step and go for an R9.

[Norse]

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Hello all.

Thanks for helping me.

 

First, I do like my old spotmatic, but the shutter is not working 100%, so that made me start to look for a "new" camera.

 

But, was the R6 not made 100% by Leica, body and all?

 

Regarding the Leicaflex, SL`s, have heard some are not so happy with the battery/adaptor, tru? 

Or, just not using the right battery/adaptor?

The AE options is not something I need, so with all this in mind, I guess maybe I shall look more for a R3, Sl, Leicaflex.

What do keeps me from the early R`s is, how is the electronic today?

Ups, no masjah recommends the R9.....Ah, not easy these.

 

(I was at first thinking about going for M camera, but after trying one I did find short range photos a bit, "odd", hard, so I figured a SLR is more for me. Or, maybe it is just me who needs more time with the RF.)

 

Thanks for looking. 

[LeicaBraz]

Spotmatic was my seriously first camera. I loved it and still have.

As for a Leica equivalent, would suggest the R6.2

SL: used the mercury batteries. Can be adapted to modern ones or you can use shorter-lived Winn cells.

R*: have one; use one. Maybe form factor rather outlandish compared to Spotmatic.

R6.2: perfect, and has a real "Spotmatic" function. Fully mechanical so battery need only for the better and the self timer.

some advances on R6; tick more expensive. A great camera.

 

Hope you didn't expect a straight, only one, uniform answer!

Best regards and good luck.

[Norse]

Hello.

Thanks for the help.

No, I am not seeking a straight answer, that can not be given in my mind, wheat I do seek is help, inputt from users who have used and still are using these cameras.

That will help me make up my mind. 

But, short life on the Winn cells, how short lived are we talking about?

 

Thanks. 

[MacSpikes]

My pick is the R6.2 An amazing simple and rugged camera. Full manual, still works when the batteries are dead.

[earleygallery]

Hello all.

Thanks for helping me.

 

First, I do like my old spotmatic, but the shutter is not working 100%, so that made me start to look for a "new" camera.

 

But, was the R6 not made 100% by Leica, body and all?

 

Regarding the Leicaflex, SL`s, have heard some are not so happy with the battery/adaptor, tru? 

Or, just not using the right battery/adaptor?

The AE options is not something I need, so with all this in mind, I guess maybe I shall look more for a R3, Sl, Leicaflex.

What do keeps me from the early R`s is, how is the electronic today?

Ups, no masjah recommends the R9.....Ah, not easy these.

 

(I was at first thinking about going for M camera, but after trying one I did find short range photos a bit, "odd", hard, so I figured a SLR is more for me. Or, maybe it is just me who needs more time with the RF.)

 

Thanks for looking. 

 

Firstly, you could easily have the Pentax fixed with a CLA. But assuming you still want a Leica, all R bodies were made by Leica but they are all based on Minolta designs (and some internals will no doubt supplied by Minolta).

 

However Leica redesigned certain aspects of them.

 

I had a fault with my R3 (owned since new and of sentimental value). Leica won't touch it, and the repair guy at Aperture refused to work on it also. Regardless the cost of repair would far exceed the cost of replacing it with another body.

 

The R6/6.2 has a mechanical shutter but one of the repairers I spoke to said it wasn't like the shutter in the earlier Leicaflex models and can't be serviced as they can (I think it's a replace rather than repair module). Apparently the shutter in my R3 can't simply be swapped with a working shutter from another body because the whole thing needs to be calibrated to work on auto exposure mode.

 

I bought another R3 body at auction for (I think) £60, although someone here sent me a link to a company in Germany who can apparently repair the R3 but at a cost of something in the region of 500 euros, due to the hours it will take.

 

However with the price you can pick up most of the R bodies for today I really don't think repair costs are an issue, and generally they're very reliable cameras anyway.

[TomB_tx]

I started with Pentax (H1a) in 1965, and moved to a Leicaflex SL in 1969. I can't say my pictures were any better, and the Pentax ergonomics and size were better, but the SL had such precision mechanism it was very nice to use. I added an R4 when it came out, and generally liked using it more than the SL, as it had more the smaller size and shape of the Pentax. I still use the R4, but use a Pentax MX more, as its small size is very nice.

Overall though I prefer the Leica M series. I got an M4 before I got the SL, and the RF fits better for most of my use, but for long lenses and macro I switch to SLR.

For normal and wide angle my old eyes can focus the RF much better.

[spydrxx]

Longtime M user, but eased into SLRs. My first Leica SLR was a SL, but I quickly moved to a SL2 which I still contend was fantastic for a camera of that vintage. I bought a lens for it (if I remember correctly it was a 90) on Ebay, and the seller threw in an R3. I assumed it was trash, probably didn't work, so it sat around for a while untouched (cosmetically it wasn't very pretty). Anyway one day I decided to see what an automatic Leica could do. First, I was impressed by the viewfinder, not quite as impressive as the SL2, but very good. Next, I was totally taken aback by the always, on-the-spot, exposures in the automatic mode. Nevertheless, I sold it when a surgeon friend told me he was selling his R8 as he could no longer participate in photography due to a terminal illness. After many hours of talking with him, we reached a deal and I became an R8 user. The features and functionality of that camera were far beyond my skill level....it just did everything well, and I changed the focusing screen easily for one which better met my needs than the standard one. Its ergonomics did require some adjustment for me, and I found that my clumsy fingers sometimes knocked things out of whack. I increasingly kept going back to the SL2 and leaving the R8 at home. Finally sold the R8 and kept the SL2 for about 5 more years. Negatives for the R3 and SL2 - no built in diopter adjustment...my ever changing eyeglasses prescriptions made the built in diopter adjustment of the R8 a very positive feature at no extra cost of add-on corrective lenses. Positives all around....the Leica glass...if you thoroughly research the versions, and are willing to pay the inflated prices, you will have outstanding glass which can really add sparkle to your shots, especially if you shoot slides. Flip side - your old Spotmatic with a 1.4 Super Takumar on it is pretty impressive (I got one after my run with Leicas). Long response to your question, but factor it in with the others in making your decision.

[Norse]

Thanks all for helping me.

Very good tip here and I like that, gives me more information before I buy my next camera. 

 

Yes, I know the spotmatic can be fixed, but I am afraid the cost will be to high.

Same with the R cameras and repair I have learned. Sad, but thats life.

The R3 is getting more interesting, I can use it fully manual when I like, more than one have recommended it....Hm.

Need to se if I can try one out, a R3 and a SL2

[nikau]

I have an SL2 and and R6.2. I love the SL2 for its simplicity and "feel". I love the R6.2 for the extra features it brings. Given that batteries for this camera are readily available I'd suggest going for one, or the R6.

[Norse]

Hello.

Thanks for the information.

Yes, the batteries. Well, I can use Winn cells I am told, but they are rather short lived, am I told. BUT how shorted lived are they?

 

Right now I am leaning more and more over to the R3 or one of the R6`s.

[philmcm]

I think it all depends where you're coming from and what you're used to. My camera of choice was for years the Minolta XD-7. I dreamed of owning a Leica but they were way beyond my price range. I bought a cheap SL2 years ago but it never worked properly (my fault for not testing it before I bought it) and consequently I never felt the love for the old brick that I'm sure I might have done otherwise. Eventually when my finances did settle down a bit (read: kids flew the nest...) I bought an R6.2, which was a very natural progression from the Minolta, obviously. Absolutely stunning camera, I love it to bits and can't EVER imagine parting with it.

 

A few years later still I invested in a new R9, which I fully expected to be such a big step up that I'd never look back and the 6.2 would eventually languish in a drawer somewhere. But somehow it didn't work out like that. The exchangeability of the lenses and the sheer practicality, beauty and sentimental attachment to the 6.2 meant that I now keep one for colour work and one for black and white. 

 

If forced to go down to just one camera my head would tell me the R9 is the right choice to keep - but my heart would tell me the 6.2. And I have to confess, in my life the heart usually seems to win out every time.

[Norse]

Thanks, a very good point to take in mind....Listen to my heart......

But, what to do when the left and right side do not say the same thing......Well, during the next days, my mind and HEART will come to an agreement. 

[jankap]

What about the Leica T? A digital camera!

But you should take the Visoflex II too.

Film is out! (I ´m waiting for the storm now)

Jan

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[Brenton C]

Wish I'd seen James' comments on the R3 before I bought my R4. I'm not complaining--I love the camera. I just think the R3 would be more up my alley.

 

And speaking of alleys, I noted some conflicted interest in the M cameras. See if you can beg a loaner for a day. I had a bit of trouble at first with focussing, til it occured to me to use lens tissue on to clean the viewer and other rf glass bits. 

 

I've been an slr guy for 40 years, but I have to tell you, the M is a love affair waiting to happen.

 

I suspect you will be a happy man with a wife and a mistress. Uhh, I mean an R and an M.