Leif Mohlin Posted January 29, 2022 Share #1 Posted January 29, 2022 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Just bought a dream in a R 8 in as far as si can see good shape. i Shot one 36 photos the first day to test and sent for development. Coil get everything to work and all felt fine. One week later next time. I observed that zi had not put the camera on off. The batteries were flat now I got proper batteries yesterday and to my surprise there is nothing in the window on the backside. I can’t set ISO for example. Is there a button or a trick to make the rear screen to work (sn the small buttons there ?) the first time I had to push one time on then to see the ISO as I remember. bought the camera from a a collector of M related stuff so he has no idea. Add photos on how it look. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited January 29, 2022 by Leif Mohlin I had to reduce the size of photo no 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/329198-new-to-r8/?do=findComment&comment=4370968'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 29, 2022 Posted January 29, 2022 Hi Leif Mohlin, Take a look here New to R8. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Leif Mohlin Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share #2 Posted January 29, 2022 Sorry for typos.. Wrote this on a small iPhone and I can see now that there are some irritating typos. But it seem to be to late to edit. So I am sorry for this and will read a bit more careful in the future. Leif Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted January 29, 2022 Share #3 Posted January 29, 2022 Try pushing one of the ISO buttons. It's a long time since I used my R8, but I rather think that the first push will bring the display to life, and subsequent pushes will change the setting up or down. To set it to read the ISO automatically from the DX code on the cassette, I think you have to scroll up and up to one step beyond the maximum manual ISO setting. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 29, 2022 Share #4 Posted January 29, 2022 And clean all contacts using Isopropyl Alcohol. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Mohlin Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share #5 Posted January 29, 2022 Thank you. I have of course tried pushing the buttons without success. Clean all contacts is a very good next step. chers Leif Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technician Posted January 29, 2022 Share #6 Posted January 29, 2022 Excuse me for hijacking the thread. What a snowflake camera. Can't even survive the battery drain. Don't get me wrong, I want to love the camera, but every time I take my R8 for a shoot, she throws issues at me to endure. I was dreaming of R8/R9 for 10 years. I am not rich, the prices were ridiculously high for me all this time, but I kept on dreaming. When I finally managed to get one, all I felt is sheer disappointment. Basically, I was dreaming of the wrong camera. She doesn't love me back. The frame counter in my R8 doesn't work. It shows "00" no matter how many shots I took. The winding mechanism weirdly detaches from the gearing if I accidentally wind the lever 5/6 of its full travel. Then the lever moves freely like a flag flapping in the wind. How on Earth this can even happen? The camera gives no less than 2 blank shots per roll for no particular reason. The shutter fires but the mirror stays in down position and I don't feel the mirror slap. The weirdest thing is when I fire the camera without film being loaded inside, everything works solidly as if nothing happened. I also get the light leak to the left of the frame. Couldn't source whether it comes. The worst thing is that my item looks like new, no signs of use can be found anywhere on the body and the sample is of late production ones with serial number starting at 277xxxx. Did I mention the sheer force the mirror slaps with when it rises up? After extensive use of Nikon F5 and F6 with their isolated shutters and mirror assemblies with balancers, it's a huge step back. Also, I don't find R8's light meter to be reliable. All my electronic Nikons (F5, F6) and Pentaxes (MZ-3, MZ-M) get a proper exposure if an operator (me) doesn't fail to erroneously override its readings. Leica R8 overexposes by a mile. To add an insult to injury, I gave Leica an attempt to redeem itself by buying simplier, older R4s Mod. P in pristine condition, because I really do admire the quality of Leica R optics. I want to continue using my Vario-Elmar 35-70 mm f/4, but the R4s Mod. P I got had a focusing issue: when the lens is being set at infinity, split prism images don't align. The camera went back to seller. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Mohlin Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share #7 Posted January 29, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) Well thank you "Technician"... my "problem" might really just be bit of Isopropylacohol.. who knows. Let us start there, and then there might be something else. But that Is a bit of the charm with a quarter of a Century old high end design. I can understand your frustration, but maybe I don't love to hear this the first time I have an issue with a first time camera... cheers Leif Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technician Posted January 29, 2022 Share #8 Posted January 29, 2022 Leif, the problem is than Leica won't service R8/R9 even if you will give them all the money you have. They have no spare parts. They've sold their spare parts inventory to some obscure company named Photo Arsenal, that won't sell them to you too. No matter how hard you try to convince them you need these spare parts. At this point, Leica R8/R9 is irrepairable. There's hope that your R8 will wake up after thorough cleaning, but if not, your best bet is to return your sample back to seller and take your money back. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 29, 2022 Share #9 Posted January 29, 2022 2 hours ago, Technician said: How on Earth this can even happen? Maybe because it is 25 years old and you have no idea about the life it had? As for repairs, even if the parts were available, the cost would be so high that you would be better off to buy a couple of working examples. It is easy enough to find a spare part donor camera for peanuts anyway. I would agree with your advice to return to seller if simple cleaning does not work.He should have tested it before selling instead of pleading ignorance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technician Posted January 29, 2022 Share #10 Posted January 29, 2022 (edited) Jaap, with all due respect, you're stating the obvious, but your response is of no help. First, it's 20 years old. Mine was made in 2002. Second, mine has no wear scars whatsoever. No scratches, no dings, no dents, nothing. Third, what you said is not possible explanation due to pristine look my R8 has. If the camera was dropped, somethng else would go wonky — the prism, the mirror assembly, the focusing screen, etc — these are sensitive parts that go out of alignment upon the fall. I had some reflex cameras with focusing issues and those definitely had some impact scars. On the R8 I've the issue with mirror not flipping up prior the exposure start, indeed, but that happens only when film is loaded. No matter how many times I tried to fire the shutter sans film, the camera responded as it should. Back to lever issue. The more plausible cause is due to the construction feature. I didn't disassemble the camera, nor I would do so, so I don't know for sure, but it seems like the free movement is possible by design. Germans have done silly engineering mistakes in the past as my other case with Oberkochen-made Zeiss Distagon showed, but I digress. The lever can move freely with no engagement with the gearing whatsoever. It takes some effort to engage the lever back to start winding the film back on take-up spool. No other camera does that. When the Rolleiflex SL35M dropped on tarmac due to strap ring failure, its lever shaft broke in half, rendering the lever immobile. The R8 lever is just flapping with no resistance, until I engage it back by pushing the multi-exposure button and firing the shutter back, wasting a couple of frames in the process. If anything, this is strictly shitty design, if something like that can happen at all. Edited January 29, 2022 by Technician 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Mohlin Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share #11 Posted January 29, 2022 Anyway- mine needed a bit of alcohol- one small “drink” later and now it is up and running. Sorry for your experience of course. Now I am going to take stills with Red Scale film when our youngsters with relatives are coming for dinner. have no experience of R8 and no experience of Red Scale. What can possibly go wrong? ….. ???Thanks one more time for your time and help. Very appreciated. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 29, 2022 Share #12 Posted January 29, 2022 39 minutes ago, Technician said: Jaap, with all due respect, you're stating the obvious, but your response is of no help. First, it's 20 years old. Mine was made in 2002. Second, mine has no wear scars whatsoever. No scratches, no dings, no dents, nothing. Third, what you said is not possible explanation due to pristine look my R8 has. If the camera was dropped, somethng else would go wonky — the prism, the mirror assembly, the focusing screen, etc — these are sensitive parts that go out of alignment upon the fall. I had some reflex cameras with focusing issues and those definitely had some impact scars. On the R8 I've the issue with mirror not flipping up prior the exposure start, indeed, but that happens only when film is loaded. No matter how many times I tried to fire the shutter sans film, the camera responded as it should. Back to lever issue. The more plausible cause is due to the construction feature. I didn't disassemble the camera, nor I would do so, so I don't know for sure, but it seems like the free movement is possible by design. Germans have done silly engineering mistakes in the past as my other case with Oberkochen-made Zeiss Distagon showed, but I digress. The lever can move freely with no engagement with the gearing whatsoever. It takes some effort to engage the lever back to start winding the film back on take-up spool. No other camera does that. When the Rolleiflex SL35M dropped on tarmac due to strap ring failure, its lever shaft broke in half, rendering the lever immobile. The R8 lever is just flapping with no resistance, until I engage it back by pushing the multi-exposure button and firing the shutter back, wasting a couple of frames in the process. If anything, this is strictly shitty design, if something like that can happen at all. I have a few R8s in a box somewhere. I'll dig them up and check. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert E Posted January 29, 2022 Share #13 Posted January 29, 2022 Sorry, but I have to agree with Technician on the R8, very disappointing camera. I laid out a whopping 1300 USD to buy one guaranteed unused in the box. It had all the papers and little things a brand new on comes with. Finish inside and out was immaculate. Purchased some new Duracell batteries to use in it and set out with a roll of 36 exposure film. Immediately had problems with shutter locking and have to rest camera to get it to open again, did this intermittently which made it harder to figure out what was wrong. Looked up on internet and found this was a "known problem" I wasn't aware of. Roll of film had good exposures and blank ones. As stated; Leica won't repair them, too old for warranty to be in effect. Fortunately I was able to return it to the dealer under the return window. Glad I got my money back and never again will I take a chance on one of these. Everyone has this thought in mind that Leica makes superior products, but my experience is typical, they don't always do that. I too wanted to use my mint R lenses, but alas, not with an R body. Purchased an R to L adapter and use them with my SL2, now there's a camera! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 29, 2022 Share #14 Posted January 29, 2022 Well, yes, if a camera has been unused for more than twenty years you can expect all kinds of problems. That price was crazy BTW. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZN Posted January 29, 2022 Share #15 Posted January 29, 2022 As others have commented, an unused for decades electro-mechanical device is bound to have issues. Unfortunately it seems to be more prevalent with the R8. Have purchased 2x used R9s in the last five years. One is flawless and a real workhorse. The other worked fine, but the in-display LCD counter had issues with the first 0 in the "nn" film counter display. Camera still worked alright, but it was annoying enough to sell it off at a loss. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Morgan Posted January 29, 2022 Share #16 Posted January 29, 2022 Just sold my R8, which I bought 2 years ago. Not a single issue at all in that period, superb comfortable and brilliantly made camera. But alas, with the heavy R lenses on top, too much for my poor arthritic hands, so a reluctant decision. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted January 29, 2022 Share #17 Posted January 29, 2022 Bought an R8 in 1997 ... never missed a beat and still in use with my DMR ... with the DMR prefer it to the R9 so sold the R9 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
solareslarrave Posted February 4, 2022 Share #18 Posted February 4, 2022 With the R8 there's a couple of batches that weren't really good. Early serial numbers (229xxxx and 242xxxx onwards) were plagued by problems like the ones you described. The ones with high SN (277xxxx) were more reliable. I have two R8s, both high SNs and (knock on wood) have not given me any grief. I briefly owned a 243xxxx that drained batteries like crazy (two sets in one week), so I returned it to the seller. Regardless of the number, if you managed to get the camera to work, congratulations! I believe the issue with the display in the back is kind of normal. My R8s show a little square all the time and the display reacts when I press the shutter release button slightly. Not the same with the R9! Show us some photos as soon as you can! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif Mohlin Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share #19 Posted February 4, 2022 I intend to use it first on a trip to the real north in Sweden in march with the big family ( 15 hour train- sleeping cars etc) but then follow the election in Sweden this fall. I am volunteering and wor extensively for a liberal party and love to Make an analogue election Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux50 Posted February 4, 2022 Share #20 Posted February 4, 2022 Bought my Made in Portugal silver R8 #272xxxx new in August 2001. Never a problem with it in over 20 years (knock on wood). Great camera and feels very good in the hands.👍 2 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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