R8 Questions

[cary]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am considering purchasing a R8 and have noticed that prices are very affordable. Is it a good user? Using 3 cam lenses what features do I lose instead of using ROM lenses? I am a retired Industrial/Scientific photographer, and use a M3, IIIA, and IIIF.

[earleygallery]

I am considering purchasing a R8 and have noticed that prices are very affordable. Is it a good user? Using 3 cam lenses what features do I lose instead of using ROM lenses? I am a retired Industrial/Scientific photographer, and use a M3, IIIA, and IIIF.

 

Hi,

 

ROM, R only or 3 cam lenses will all work. ROM told the camera some stuff about the lens if you were using TTL flash (i.e. on a zoom what focal length it was). ROM had more use with the DMR digital back, recording lens details in EXIF data.

 

The R8 is good but an R9 is better and prices aren't much different these days so I'd go for the R9 in preference. Or my favourite R, the R3.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[masjah]

ROM lenses also have another property. Every ROM lens has its own aperture closing dynamics and exact value individually measured and recorded on its ROM chip. This allows the last ounce of performance and accuracy out of the R8 or R9 shutter and metering systems. Also, with a ROM extender, the modified aperture is automatically computed and displayed in the camera viewfinder, since an onboard microprocessor in such an extender talks to both the lens and the camera. On balance therefore, for an R8 or R9, I would be inclined to pay the extra and get ROM lenses. As James says though, three cam and R cam only lenses will also work perfectly well.

 

I entirely agree with James about preferring an R9 over an R8. (Apart from anything else, as well as the extra features, there have been reports of failing meter cells on older R8's, and the repair is uneconomic)

[dpitt]

R8 is almost the same as R9 in use. It is a great camera. Just bear in mind that R8 as well as the R9 will be totally loss if something major breaks. Repairing can be costly and will easily go over the price an other R8. The R9 has a bit better reputation, but is almost double the price in my part of the world.

 

So I would rather go for the R8 and replace if you are so unlucky to break it. It is a great user, together with the R9 one of the best SLR's ever made, and very reliable, even in lw temperatures. Great viewfinder and ergonomics.

e.g. http://photo.net/equipment/leica/r8

[TomB_tx]

I picked up an R8 last year out of curiosity. I normally use M4 or M6, or IIIf for film, but also used Leicaflex SL and R4 for long lenses and macro. If you are used to an M3 or IIIf the R8 (or 9) will seem huge and heavy. I always preferred small cameras, but the R8 feels very good to use, and fits R lenses well.

Still, when I want an SLR it's usually the R4 I grab.

[gbealnz]

My experience almost mirrors Tom's, except I don't have an R4.

The R8 is weird, but it is wonderful, awesome to use, and while HUGE and heavy, it just works, I love it.

Mine is married to an R28-70, and I am finding this a wonderful combo.

Gary

[jip]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I use the R8 a lot with the Leica Summilux-R 80mm my favorite portrait lens every (I prefer it over the 100mm Summicron on the Leica S even though they get me the same 'thing' EEEEEK!) 

[T.E.]

I've been using the R8 since 2001 after my old R4 was beyond repair after years of good service. I particular like the R8 because of its size and shape that many others despise so much. The big sized body goes well with bigger lenses and its shape simply fits in my hands. Before buying, try to get "hands on" experience whether you like it or not.

So far the R8 has been performing without flaws, something I cannot say about my R7. It is tempting to consider buying a R9 not because of its few improvements over the R8 but because it is the newer model. So a late R9 will probably still be in working conditions when the older R8 models will have reached the end of their lifetime.

 

Btw: the R8 has the smoothest shutter of the R cameras Ive used (4, 6.2, 7) I guess it is the same with the R9.

 

Thomas

Edited September 15, 2016 by T.E.

[spydrxx]

I had an R8 for several years after owning an R3, bought it in anticipation of adding a DMR, which never happened. I agree it is a marvelous camera, although heavy and unusual looking. Eventually I traded it for a Sigma digital with a foveon sensor and converted the lens mount to the Leica R mount. Absolutely wonderful coloration in all of my shots with this combo, beating my much more modern bodies today, but in the end I grew to hate the very slow buffer, and moved on. Personally, if I was you, I'd go with a M8 over the M9 if the cost differential is great...both are highly electronically driven and the cost of repairs is, if they even can be done, is quite high.

[Georges]

Both the R8 and the R9 are great cameras "as long as they last".

 

I understood from a dealer in Amsterdam that the electronics can no longer be repaired, thus the low prices.

[jip]

Both the R8 and the R9 are great cameras "as long as they last".

 

I understood from a dealer in Amsterdam that the electronics can no longer be repaired, thus the low prices.

 

 

They can be repaired but it's very uneconomical. It's just a cheap camera because it's a dead system. 

[ramarren]

I bought a nearly-new R8 a couple of years ago and have enjoyed using it quite a lot. Who would have imagined that a $2000+ body in 1998 would be worth less than $200 a mere 12 years later. Sad. I stick with three-cam lenses for compatibility with my Leicaflex SL body.

 

Of course the real jewels of the R system are the R system lenses. I bought a bunch of them a few years ago when they were at rock-bottom prices and use them mostly on the Leica SL today. Superb lenses. :-)

[fernando_b]

I bought a nearly-new R8 a couple of years ago and have enjoyed using it quite a lot. Who would have imagined that a $2000+ body in 1998 would be worth less than $200 a mere 12 years later. Sad. I stick with three-cam lenses for compatibility with my Leicaflex SL body.

 

Of course the real jewels of the R system are the R system lenses. I bought a bunch of them a few years ago when they were at rock-bottom prices and use them mostly on the Leica SL today. Superb lenses. :-)

On R8 and leica lenses I agree 100%. Sad, also, that a roll of slide cost to me 9 Euro to buy and 10 to process.

Fernando.

Edited October 6, 2016 by fernando_b

[andybarton]

If you are going to buy an R8 or R9, buy the R9. They don't suffer from the meter problems that R8s do. My R8 had a faulty meter and a trip to Solms at the time led to a quote for a repair that was about twice what the camera was worth.

 

You also need to be careful about tripods and R8s. The socket in the base is just within tolerance. any tripod screw that is just out of tolerance will wreck the shutter. Manfrotto paid for mine to be fixed but you may not be so lucky.