I love my R9/DMR

[AbbeyFoto]

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Not so long ago I got myself a R9/DMR combo and some more R lenses. I have been playing with a number of systems in recent years and I have concluded no system is perfect for me. Horses for courses as they say. If I had to choose one system it would be the Leica M series; if only one camera the M9. I would not be happy to be limited to one system and certainly not one camera. Truth is I would not wish to be limited to even two systems or cameras. If I were limited to two Leica systems it would be the classic M and R series. The R series would have to include the R9/DMR. So if two Leica cameras it would be M9 and R9/DMR.

 

I have played with a number of Leica R cameras and almost always I was less than comfortable. For film I would favour my SL2 with a Luigi case/handgrip. Until I purchased the R9/DMR set I couldn't find a better Leica R solution. I have to suggest, for me at least, the R8/R9 comes into it's own with a DMR. Overall I am really enjoying this system. Yes there are niggles but it is a positive experience. Lets get the niggles out of the way.

 

1. Crop factor: On the downside the angle of view of a lens is significantly reduced and I am not making "full" use of that excellent glass. On the upside I am using the best part of the best glass and I have a Leica M like frame in the finder so I can see around the potential image. I really love that as I do on the Ms.

 

2. Batteries: This is a real issue. The original DMR batteries are in short supply and some will need rebuilds. Fortunately, there are some guys out there that can help. Michael Bass Design offers various options, some more elegant than others, but they work. (Thanks to Thorsten Overgaard for the link.)

 

3. In today's terms the pixel count may seem limited, but I do not believe this is a killer issue. The IQ is high and the count is more than adequate for most of my photography. As an aside: I still think the M8 is a great camera despite it's issues. I did not give up mine to get the M9. Yet for me the R9/DMR camera has the edge over the M8 camera; as to glass the M and R systems compliment each other.

 

On the plus side this system works for me ergonomically and produces fine images. I am used to using large cameras and in many ways I struggle with the undersized cameras that are popular, despite their many attractions. Have you tried to adjust the dioptre on a Sony Nex 7? Ugh!

 

There is some great Leica R glass out there and many on this forum discuss solutions to making good of that glass with modern non-Leica digitals. I have spent a good deal more on R glass than R cameras and I look at these alternative uses of R glass. My current backup is a Canon with a cheap ebay adapter - it works but I prefer the R glass on the R9/DMR as they were designed to work together. With a charged battery or two I would prefer the DMR over the Canon backup. Truth be told Canon has some stunning glass too and they are designed to work with their bodies. Yet the Canon is there if I need it. No need to change my R lenses in any way.

 

Let me drive home one point: Leica has some of the best glass around and we love that, but for me that glass works best on Leica cameras. Yes, I like the fact that I have backups but in terms of sheer enjoyment in taking photographs I prefer a system over a patched up mix of systems.

 

I am not preaching and I know others have come to different positions. I am not aiming to judge those choices. If you have the option and funds to try a R9/DMR + lenses solution and do not need to produce "wall filling posters" you will be not be disappointed.

 

Let me stress, mine is NOT for sale :-)

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[jaapv]

The battery rebuild service recommended by Leica is pretty good.

The real downside of the system to me is that the electronics/sensor are no longer repairable. It means that I will use my DMR until it dies; and that will be it.

As for the image quality, I find it does outperform the M8, and about holds it own with the M9. That is not bad for a system that was introduced in 2004 imo. Some of my very best photographs were made with the DMR.

[sheikhrafiq79]

i really agree, and i m desperate for r future.

[steveclem]

Jaap, I understand the electronics company were bought out by Zeiss or some rival to Leica but why should this render the DMR unrepairable,surely electronics are just bits of wire and PCB's ,no?

Or is it a copyright/intellectual property issue here?

[graeme_clarke]

My understanding is that the DMR was built by Imacon, a Danish company that was owned by Hasselblad in Sweden. Imacon made film scanners and Hasselblad 6x6 film cameras so competed in diffrent markets to Leica. The firmware and post processing software sent with the DMR (Flexcolor) were Imacon products. The sensor was made by Kodak and is no longer produced. Imacon/Hasselblad were sold to a far eastern owner who, I believe, regarded the DMR as competition for the new Hasselblad digital cameras they produced. Hence they cut support to Leica for the DMR - so there haven't been replacement parts and firmware upgrades for several years. For a time Leica had spares such as sensors and motherboards and could repair a broken DMR but as there is no more stock now, major faults to these components are likely to mean the end of the unit. The supply of new batteries too has dried up but refurbishment in Germany or the USA keeps them going.

 

I'm in just the same position as Jaap - I got mine a few weeks after they were introduced - there was quite a waiting list at the time. Its fitted to an R9. Despite its quirks, it produces some lovely pictures, particularly when using lower iso settings, with minimal post-processing (See Thorsten Overgaard's site for advice).

 

So, with tender loving care I hope it keeps going...

 

Graeme

[wildlightphoto]

My understanding is that the DMR was built by Imacon, a Danish company that was owned by Hasselblad in Sweden.

 

IIRC the DMR was developed with Imacon before the merger with Hasselblad.

 

I also feel that the best glass works best with the camera system it was designed for. When Leica discontinued the R system some people paniced and sold their R equipment at fire-sale prices. That's when I bought my backup DMR. I'm delighted with the file quality and I expect to be using a DMR until both of mine are unrepairable.

[andybarton]

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IIRC the DMR was developed with Imacon before the merger with Hasselblad.

 

 

That's true. It was only after the purchase of Imacon by Hasselblad that the trouble started.

[graeme_clarke]

I stand corrected guys!

Graeme

[Jamie Roberts]

IIRC the DMR was developed with Imacon before the merger with Hasselblad.

 

I also feel that the best glass works best with the camera system it was designed for. When Leica discontinued the R system some people paniced and sold their R equipment at fire-sale prices. That's when I bought my backup DMR. I'm delighted with the file quality and I expect to be using a DMR until both of mine are unrepairable.

 

I did agree with this until recently. Now I'm much happier with R glass on a Canon body, and that body is the new 5d3, which is a huge improvement on their line IMO.

 

Note that I can't use all the R glass I would like to there (mirror clearing issues), which is one reason I want to keep the mount of my R lenses intact, just in case Leica has something else R-compatible coming soon

 

We'll see. I loved my DMR, but times are changing.

[jaapv]

Hmmm..I’d rather not think about this...

[Jamie Roberts]

Hmmm..I’d rather not think about this...

 

I understand why but remember I'm shooting the 5d3 now with a limited set of R lenses at this point; I didn't want to do any surgery to lenses or camera. Still, I have a 35 f2, 50 f2 and 50 1.4, and my 80 1.4 as well.

 

I know the APO100 2,8, 180 2,8 APO, and 28 2.8 would also work, but I sold those three recently, since I have other lenses to cover those lengths.

[itn]

I didn't sell my Leica R system and its lenses and I won't sell them.

[urs0polar]

I use my Leica R lenses on a 5D1 if I want to shoot digital; the rest of the time I use an R8 and an R3. I have a real aversion to the Leitax mentality of doing surgery to your lenses. I actually sold my Nikon to get a Canon so that I wouldn't have to do the surgery and so that I could still use film. For those of us who got into Leica R late (for me it was 1.5 years ago), there's a real icky feeling about purchasing a used R lens and not knowing until you get it if it's undergone surgery by an amateur.

 

I feel that Leica R is very much more addictive than Leica M because the glass is (almost) affordable. I agree with the above posters that the R system is very nice when you pair an R camera with an R lens. I love my R8/motordrive

 

I wasn't aware the DMR can't be repaired anymore... would love to have tried one (especially if the files are a bit nicer than the M8, which, when it's spot on, is amazing). A lot of the images that I've seen around the web from the DMR are phenomenal (especially Doug Herr's).

[topoxforddoc]

I think the DMR is wonderful. I love the manual handling of the R8/9 body and the wonderful R glass. I bought two DMRs (actually three, but one was stolen) and I won’t be changing them. Hopefully I’ll be able to cannibalise parts if one breaks eventually.

[jaapv]

I think my DMR is wonderful as well. However I cannot say the same of the R8/9. This is the third camera to break down within 18 months and be economically irreparable (today). First the exposure measuring cell on my R9, then the transport mechanism on my R8 which was new when I bought it a year before and now the aperture linkage on my second R8. These things are really overengineered...:mad: I will just wait and see what Leica brings on May 10th and if unsatisfactory I will go Canon/adapter...

[wildlightphoto]

I think my DMR is wonderful as well. However I cannot say the same of the R8/9. This is the third camera to break down within 18 months and be economically irreparable (today).

 

What rotten luck! I haven't had the same experience. My original R8 was purchased used about 7 years ago and is still working well. The backup R8 was purchased used about 3 years ago. The backup was a 'freebie' with the backup DMR because it had a tangled shutter (film leader got into it). Once I untangled the shutter blades this camera has also been super reliable.

[roguewave]

Japp, sorry to hear about these troubles with your R9's. I sold both my R9's years ago & bought 3 R8's. I like everything about the R8's. A bit simpler and Leica refitted the software for free so all are compatible with my DMR. I use my other R8's for film work. The full set with the Motoro Drive feels exactly the same as the weight of the R8/DMR so I don't feel any adjustment.

 

On a personal note, the images I get with my DMR/R80 Summilux surpass anything else I have tried in a 35mm format. Period. Let's hope Leica has the future in mind so we can go to the next step with an even better body for the R system. I have recently been using my 35 Summilux and I'm discovering a new world of color with this kit. What an amazing lens & with the DMR, the subtlety of the images is astounding.

 

The 35 & 80 Summiluxes are reason enough for me to not only keep my DMR, but to feel good about the future or SLR photography with these amazing tools. Just as an aside, the film work I do with my R8's & TriX400 with lenses like the 24 & 28 Elmarits are hard to beat, as is the full frame negs using the R19 (2nd Version). Long may the R system reign supreme for the world of SLR !