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What Do You Think Is the Best Film Body Leica Has Ever Made?


rick123

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Steve,

 

Not familiar with an R8 or R9, except that is a huge thing and the v/f is dimmer and smaller than my SL.. :-)

 

True - I've just checked my SL and R8 - although there isn't much brightness difference between the two cameras I have which probably says something about my SL.

 

But if AE, a stepless shutter and more sensative/accurate meter is the reason to choose an M7 over an M6, doesn't the same apply to the R8/9 and SL? Wouldn't you get better exposured photographs using an R8 which has these features?

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... if AE, a stepless shutter and more sensative/accurate meter is the reason to choose an M7 over an M6, doesn't the same apply to the R8/9 and SL?

 

The SL and SL2 have a stepless shutter except between 1/4 and 1/8 sec, and between 1/30 and 1/60 sec. I find the SL (and SL2) viewfinder much quicker and easier to focus accurately outside the central focusing aids than the R8.

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Sorry William.

 

If you are not familiar with a modern Leica SLR, how can you claim that an R9 is complicated?

 

No..., but obviously more familiar than you are... :D :D :D

 

"Precise exposure

 

The Leica R9 features selective and integral metering as well as a sophisticated multi-field metering system. The various exposure programs provide added speed, flexibility and reliability. A built-in flash exposure meter guarantees the right exposure at all times in the studio. The result is perfect exposure control whether you're shooting in analog or digital mode."

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True - I've just checked my SL and R8 - although there isn't much brightness difference between the two cameras I have which probably says something about my SL.

 

But if AE, a stepless shutter and more sensative/accurate meter is the reason to choose an M7 over an M6, doesn't the same apply to the R8/9 and SL? Wouldn't you get better exposured photographs using an R8 which has these features?

 

Your SL may need a CLA.

 

The SL has a semi-spot meter and the CdS cell reads color very accurately. I use it only for macro, where as Doug mentions, it does critical focus very well with a groundglass screen. You've seen some of that output. For my other snaps, I just prefer M's and M lenses.

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Hi

 

I would like to submit that the M6TTL is the "best" film body Leica has ever made.

 

It doesn't have the depedency on electronics like the M7, but retains the same large "right turning" shutter speed dial corresponding to the metering arrows, the quick film rewind lever intead of the knob, and adds TTL flash as a bonus.

 

Best of all unlike the M7 it will still function at all shutter speeds without a battery.

 

A real functional M! I know, I'm in the minority here on this :p

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No..., but obviously more familiar than you are... :D :D :D

 

"Precise exposure

 

The Leica R9 features selective and integral metering as well as a sophisticated multi-field metering system. The various exposure programs provide added speed, flexibility and reliability. A built-in flash exposure meter guarantees the right exposure at all times in the studio. The result is perfect exposure control whether you're shooting in analog or digital mode."

 

You seem to be deliberately, and entirely, missing the point, William. It's obvious you've never used one, so please stop spreading falsehoods about the cameras...

 

There is nothing complicated about an R8 or R9 at all.

 

Set it to "A" and it's as easy to use as your beloved M7. Ditto, set to "T".

 

You should try a Canon if you want to see something complicated.:rolleyes:

 

Anyway, back on topic, the best film body ever made by Leica is the one you use to take photographs with. If you really want one that forces you to think about what you are doing, then an M2/3/4 is the way to go.

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My Leica M purchases have been in the following order:

MP-M7-MP-M7(swapped for BPMP) In the end I realised I had to have both, so got an M7. I could do this whimsical see-sawing because, being self-employed, after each purchase I got to claim 17.5% of the price back as VAT. So selling them on cost me almost nothing.

Then I wanted to sell one film body to clear a space for M8 (Mk2) and decided to keep the M7. The more I use the M7 the more I realise it's versatility over the MP. However, my first year spent with the MP made me a much better photographer and my experience with it has enabled me to use the automation of the M7 to geater creative effect.

 

Seb

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A stepless shutter on a mechanical camera must have been quite a feat of engineering.

 

Don't the SLs take the nasty mercury batteries that are now unobtainable? If you want to bring it up to scratch, you would no doubt have to have a modern battery conversion done and the meter re-calibrated anyway, so it may not cost you any more to get all of it fixed.

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You could be right Andy, it's a question of whether I'm going to use it enough to justify the expense - I have a Sekonic 508 handheld meter, so I can live without the meter working. With a combination of film M6 and R8, digital 5D and hopefully soon an M8, I don't know if it's going to be used all that often.

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A stepless shutter on a mechanical camera must have been quite a feat of engineering.

 

Don't the SLs take the nasty mercury batteries that are now unobtainable? If you want to bring it up to scratch, you would no doubt have to have a modern battery conversion done and the meter re-calibrated anyway, so it may not cost you any more to get all of it fixed.

 

There is a voltage regultor adapter that may work for the SL, if it uses the type of Mercury batery my Nizo Super 8 camera used. The adapter is called an MR-9, and it uses readily available bateries and converts the voltage to the proper 1.35V constant.

 

The adapters should give you years of use with readily available batteries. Check them out here:

 

In the U.K.

The Small Battery Company

 

In the US:

MR9 Adapter- The PX-13 Solution

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I have had MPs and M7s and over the last three years and deliberated which suited me the best. I have bought and sold them many times - being self-employed I can claim back 17.5% of the purchase price which covers most of the depreciation. Eventually, I realised I needed both. Recently I decided to sell one to fund an M8 (Mk 2) and chose the MP to sell.

Ironically, the MP made me a better photographer, teaching me about light and exposure and has helped me utilise the automation of the M7 to much greater creative effect. So for me it's the M7, with thanks to the MP!

 

Seb.

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There is a voltage regultor adapter that may work for the SL, if it uses the type of Mercury batery my Nizo Super 8 camera used. The adapter is called an MR-9, and it uses readily available bateries and converts the voltage to the proper 1.35V constant.

 

 

The MR-9 adapter didn't work for me. Re-calibrating the meter to use a 1.5-volt 625s silver-oxide cell is a 15-minute job. I've done it on several SL bodies.

 

Steve Unsworth, SL meter repairs are often trivial. It's not a complex system. I've done several repairs, do you need my snail-mail address again?

 

;-)

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Sorry,

I appear to have posted the same entry twice. I am not becoming senile, I looked for th efirst thread and couldn't find it so I wrote another on the same subject.

Seb.:confused: :confused:

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Very interesting topic.

 

My first SLR a Minolta Srt-101 was a manual and of-course so was the SL to which still remains a favourite of mine,

however the problem with Slide film it has a very tight exposure tolarance as Steve mentioned,

so over the years I missed some good shots because the subject was moving to fast and by the time

I focus, compose, match meter and then release the shutter I JUST WASN'T QUICK ENOUGH.

 

I always considered Leica metering to be excellent so over the years having owned the

R3,4, and 4s mod 2, I soon got to like the AE feature and thats the reason why I never

got a Leica M untill the M7 was released which has terrific AE metering, actually FANTASTIC.

 

With the SL now retired, it's all AE Leica Cameras for me as I find the metering to be

most suitable for my type of photography.

 

My most used Camera is now the R7 as it's always in my work bag so naturally gets used a lot,

and I MUST SAY I GET MOST OF MY AE EXPOSURE TARGET SPOT ON WITH IT.

 

William,

 

I also agree with Andy, there is nothing complicated about using the R8/9

They are superb machines that are able to meet any photo requirement except perhaps

low light shooting and remember these two models are the only Film Cameras that can

be converted to Digital, and IMHO have no EQUAL.

Thats why I consider them to be the BEST as they are so versertile and adaptable for the future needs in Photographing imaging.

 

On this forum the R8 was canned, and before it was long announced, (DMR) I stated that the R8 had more to it's argonomics

and it's design, it had room to grow it's creators had more intentions or was it just luck that you could build and attach a Digital back to it.

Just about all the Magazines called it ugly and it will never compete with the likes of the NIKON F5/F6 or the Canon 1V, well in the Digital world they are all dead ducks nobody wants them.

 

So whats the best Camera that Leica has built, Leica has told us, check out their web site on the SLR's for their statement and I could'nd agree more.

Thats why I consider myself lucky, I own both the R8/9.

 

Ken.

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Doug/William, thanks abotu the info on the stepless shutter on the SL, you learn something every day :-)

 

I have a non-working meter in mine, do you know if this is an expensive repair (and I realise that it probably depends on what's wrong with it :-)?

 

Had a circuit board replaced in my SL three years ago by Krauter during a CLA. Cost was $185. The whole job with new battery compartment was $385. The camera is black chrome and nearly mint/mint, so it was worth it to me. If you have any de-silvering problems with the prism or mirror, it might not be worth it to you to repair. I only use the SL with the 60/2.8 or rarely a 135/2.8, otherwise I prefer M's. The SL balances beautifully with the 60/2.8 which is the reason I bought it in the first place. Almost like using an M since an SL is relatively svelte.

 

Ken,

 

I am no SLR man. :) If I wanted to carry a tank around, it would be a Hassy... :rolleyes:

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William.

 

As you know Cameras are built to a job requirement.

The Leica M is a pocket camera designed for street shooting.

The Leica R is for the heavy work, can you amagine 180mm 2.8 weighing in at 1875 attached to your beloved M5.

What's the heavest M lens, is it the 135mm f/3.4. weighing in at 450

The lightest R is the 50mm f/2 at 250, and the heavest is over 6 kilos.

You certainly need a tank to carry and hold that weight.

 

It's horses for courses.

 

Also No pun intended William.

 

Ken.

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