Leica R8/ vario elmar

[belgiumreporter]

The R8 is somewhat of an inbetween model looking like a modern AF camera but exept for the exposure modes is all manual. I realy love shooting with it as the matrix mode metering comes in many cases very close to what i had in mind making the shot. In the past my main problem with the R8 was I didn't had 3cam wideangle lenses to fit. Things changed when I bought the vario elmar 28-70 wich proved to be a great walk around lens. It isn't very well suited for critical architecture work, nor is it the sharpest and brightest in the leica R lens line up, this keeps prices down on the second hand market and allowed me for a nice bargain. Loaded with Ilford delta 100 I took the R/8- vario elmar for a walk around town and came home with some nice shots(IMHO)

[paulhofseth]

i agree. at the time many complained tat the R8 was too big and lumpy, but it is no more so than canon EOS or the full size Nikon Zs. Also, the lenses do not need electronic corrections to behave and the shortcomings of autofocus do not occur. I use the 21-35 as well as the 35-70and a longer zoom on my Z7 and occasionally take a film out of the fridge to excerzise the R. The rom-feature of the lenses is abolutely useless-

 As for pices, thay have gone up quite a bit since when I bought at the time when the Rs were abandoned by Leitz.

p.