leica leica

hi

i own Leica R3...
thinking of getting rid of it and getting a Leicaflex SL instead...
is this wise ?!...
seeking your opinion/help...
thanks
regards

Paresh Pandit
Mumbai, IN
19 Jan 2005

 

Maybe. I prefer the all-manual Leicaflex SL2 to the R3.

 

Just to position myself: I own a R3, R4 and M3 and M6TTL. In 99% of the time
nowadays I use the M-cameras because they fit my style of photography best.
On the other hand I have used my R3 extensively. I took it up in the Alps
above 4000m and used in in the humid of the Carribean.It always worked
flawlessly and in my opinion it is on the whole a very underrated camera. It
is sturdy, has a beautifull viewscreen, and a very nice lightmeter system
with both integral and selective metering. Not to mention the aperture
priority automatic exposure. The only problem i can think of is when your
batteries stop. Then it has only 1 mechanical time of 1/100 sec.In use it is
way better than the Leicaflex, although the latter starts te get something
of a cult status but that has nothing to do with the photographic practice.
It is not for nothing that Leica replaced the Leicaflex with the in those
days (1976) much more modern R3. I would stick to the R3 with open lens
metering and the use of the modern Leitz lenses.

Peter

 

Left field solution - get a Canon EF-M with split screen metering, and an
adapter from Fotodiox and put your R lenses on the Canon body. You're ready for
a digital body whenever you want it, and you get to keep all those lovely Leica
lenses..

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

 

"In use it is way better than the Leicaflex, although the latter starts
te get something
of a cult status but that has nothing to do with the photographic
practice.
It is not for nothing that Leica replaced the Leicaflex with the in
those
days (1976) much more modern R3. I would stick to the R3 with open lens
metering and the use of the modern Leitz lenses."

What utter bullshit. The SL2 was very expensive to manufacture and
offered no facility for auto-exposure, which Leitz at the time thought
was important. They chose to adapt a Minolta-made body to save money on
development costs, to avoid reinventing the wheel, so to speak.

The SL2 is a far-better handling camera than the R3, and I don't need
or want auto-exposure. The SL2 is about the most perfect SLR ever made.

 

They are pretty cheap on ebay these days.