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Thinking of buying an R9 with DMR. Foolish?


vickko

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I am thinking of buying an R9 with DMR.

 

Is that becoming a foolish decision? With dying batteries, lack of support for repairs, firmware, ...?

 

Does anyone have one for sale? So far, there are a couple on ebay and one at a USA dealer.

 

 

Vick

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Thanks Doug.

 

You, Tina Manley and Gene Duprey are the main users that are tempting me to try out an DMR.

 

You three obviously know what you're doing, with both M's and R's and digitals from Canon and Nikon. So if the three of your converged to DMR's, after so many years of development cycles from Canon and Nikon, there must be something there.

 

....Vick

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I am thinking of buying an R9 with DMR.

 

Is that becoming a foolish decision? With dying batteries, lack of support for repairs, firmware, ...?

 

Does anyone have one for sale? So far, there are a couple on ebay and one at a USA dealer.

 

 

Vick

 

Hi Vick,

That's not foolish at all.

Last autumn I was on the verge of selling my R8/DMR and some (not all) R lenses. I had already prepared the photos and the text for the sale offer but somehow I couldn't make up my mind, then I dropped the idea and today I'm very happy about that, I even look kind of guiltily at the camera and lenses from time to time, as if they might know what I had planned to do.

I also use an Olympus DSLR, but (after more than 45 years of Leica-R-photography) only my Leica-R-gear gives me that feeling of being totally familiar with the equipment; the well-known sound of the aperture click stops, focussing by hand and not by wire/electrically, mastering the camera and not being mastered by countless controls, menus and sub-menus, working with R bodies and lenses just gives me pleasure.

 

All the very best for 2011

 

krauklis

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Yes it is a completely foolish idea. To invest in a system that is now 5 or 6 years old, the company that made it has abandoned both the camera, digital back and lenses, lack of new batteries and dealing with the foibles of the camera and back. And to top it off it's not even full frame, which most of the poster on this forum alway harp on.

 

You would be better served buying something in the Canon, Nikon or Sony brand.

 

But you already knew that. Otherwise you would already have a Leica R8 or 9 and the DMR.

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Whether purchasing an R9/DMR is foolish or not depends on personal valuation of many factors. If you value convenience and speed then buying the R9/DMR would be foolish. If you value image quality it might not be, depending on what image quality you're looking for.

 

I'm not going to tell Vick or anyone else what to value. I'll explain what I value and why and I'll assume reader can decide if my valuation and experience is applicable to his own needs and preferences.

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Vick,

 

I'm like Doug. I won't be selling either of my two DMRs or my seven batteries or three chargers. The IQ is great, it's easy to use, just like your old R camera and the glass is truly wonderful (or at least a lot of it is). If I were in your shoes, I'd have to think whether I would be prepared to drop a hod load of dollars on a DMR and a backup DMR. If you buy a DMR, you will end up buying another one.

 

Good luck,

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Abandoned:confused: I don't know where you get that from - the camera,lenses and DMR are normally serviced and repaired by Leica, and will be in the forseeable future.

 

Yes it is a completely foolish idea. To invest in a system that is now 5 or 6 years old, the company that made it has abandoned both the camera, digital back and lenses
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I can't imagine buying TWO DMR's. Backup?????

 

I bought the second as a backup because after seeing the luscious image quality it can produce I didn't want to be without it even for a moment. Accidents happen, and any equipment eventually needs periodic service so there will be times it will be unavailable.

 

I bought my backup DMR 18 months ago with a damaged R8 for US$3000. After un-twisting the R8's shutter blades it has worked well until last month when the DMR refused to turn off. Leica's estimate for repair is $155, due to return shortly.

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A seller on Ebay apparently has two for a $1700.00 buy it now. A little too good to be true IMO. After looking at other items offerde by the seller he gas an R7 with three lenses as a kit, one of which I believe is an apo telyt of some kind. I didn't read most of it as it too has a buy it now for $1700.00.:rolleyes:

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Um, can you post the ebay number?

 

Vick

 

A seller on Ebay apparently has two for a $1700.00 buy it now. A little too good to be true IMO. After looking at other items offerde by the seller he gas an R7 with three lenses as a kit, one of which I believe is an apo telyt of some kind. I didn't read most of it as it too has a buy it now for $1700.00.:rolleyes:
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I'm glad you got one!

 

I sold my R9/DMR a little while ago (had to :( ) and have been regretting it ever since. Of all the SLR systems I've owned, that combo was tops all-round. I still miss the colour of the DMR.

 

Oddly, I haven't sold any of my R lenses yet... I'm still hoping for a new solution. Sigh.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hope the Mods do not delete this reply as this may help someone obtain a DMR/R9

 

There's an R9 with DMR just listed on MW Classic today ie latest stock for just £1875 which is a lot less than other well known dealers sell them for when available. http://www.mwclassic.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_NEW_ARRIVED_21st_JANUARY___LEICA__LEICA_COPY_1.html

 

dunk

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