Yes, there was a back called the DMR (digital modul R), with 10MP and no anti-alias filter (somewhat like the M8's sensor). However, it it continues to be very expensive, at about $4k US (usually including an R8/9 body). I thought about getting one for a while, but it finally struck me as insane, especially since I'm not working at the moment.
I think it's really a love-it-or-hate it design. However, it is a well-made and practical camera, and mounts some of the best lenses ever made. Thanks for watching!
I`ve never given the Leica R8 much though as i did not like the aesthetics of it compared to their rangefinders. Your videos has helped me to look a little further into its practical side.
Heh. I figured. Yes, it looks great from some angles, and really odd from others. However, I firmly believe that Leica designed it 100% for handling. I am shooting this camera rather than my Contaxes because it is so comfortable. The Contaxes will be sold, though they are great cameras (actually better features than the R series).
Thanks. The size and weight of the R8 might be a shock to you, compared to your OM-1n. I think you might be able to put the OM-1 inside the R8 like Russian Dolls. I've always wanted an OM-1 but have never taken the plunge.
Hmm, I paid $750 for mine, excellent condition, with the big motor drive, so it's not that expensive. Problem is if you look on eBay: sellers are dreaming. You have to look at the completed listings to get the real prices. (I must admit I had to have the MD battery pack rebuilt. I think that was around $125, but now it's like new.)
i don't know because 35mm cost pretty alot nowaydays even if leica still leica . but i do hesitate too with the canon 1V which is between 450-550 euros and about autofocus or anything it's a monster . So you see for me a young photographer (i'm 20) i thinf digital will be a good solution only because the price is interessting but if it wasn't about money or time who says maybe i would go at LEICA for the good builtness .
Hi, Sorry I’m late for this video but I’m just trying to find more information about the R8( I’m planning to get one soon). Your information is formidable but after some years I would like to ask you about any cons that you find in the R8 if there is one. Also I have a Sony a7 RIii and I read that you can adapt the Leica R lenses and use the manual focus. Thanks for all the information that you can provide .
Thank you and I’m glad you found this video useful. Note that I have a separate video on shooting R lenses on Sony (A7II in my case, but applies to all F-mount). Even if I sell off my Leica SLR bodies I will keep the lenses, both for stills and for video! Re the R8 I’d say these are the main cons: -Weight - Rarity - Batteries in motor drive There are definitely lighter cameras, including prior generations of Leica. Rarity, in the sense of getting the camera fixed if needed. I don’t think Leica made (or sold) a lot of these, but that is a gut feeling, not based on actual statistics. The rechargeable batteries for any high-speed motor drive are probably spent by now, and even replacement is tricky. I had mine replaced by a pro for about $150, and it worked well for about a year, and now will not hold a charge.
What I meant was if you use eBay to gauge the expense of R8/R9 in the US, that's a bad way to figure it out. Check KEH or private sales. I would say any one-lens R8 kit in the US would cost about the same as the price you mention in France (after conversion, of course). After all, 850 euros is about $1200. You can get a good R8 for that, easily in the US. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Are you going to buy one? :-D
Accidentally set the multi exposure bitten and rewound. Forced it a little before I realized I hit the wrong switch. Camera seems to be working normally. Do you have any idea what potential damage this could have done?
does this camera have a bulb setting. I like to do long exposure photography on occasion. Do any other the older R series have a bulb setting? Thanks for the review
Question: I have a Nikon F6, which is hard to fault in terms of "gettin' it done", but it sits in its box while I use a Zeiss Ikon. I need some SLR-ness, but just how much of a dead-end would I be digging myself into with an R9? I haven't even started examining the lenses still available in mint condition, let alone repair issues.
My guess is if your F6 sits in a box, the R9 might eventually do so too. These are big heavy cameras, and the lenses are not as plentiful or relatively inexpensive as those you can get for your Nikon (admittedly I haven't scanned used prices for either in a while, so I might be wrong on that). I'm guessing the F6 is more feature-laden than the R9, too. Repairs are probably a crapshoot on the R8/9, though I'm not really sure. I definitely had to have my motor drive's battery pack "rebuilt", and it needs it again now. That said, the Leica mystique is real and the R series is very nice, so you might just have to let your G.A.S be your guide :-)
Hi i am thinking of buying an R8 with a 28mm R lens for all my travel work as I think it will be much more robust than my M6. Can you tell me how does it shoot whats the end product like as in the image? Thanks, Dominique.
I’m not sure why you think it would be much more robust, unless you’re talking about rangefinder calibration (?). But the R8 is a great camera. The image with a 28mm will not likely disappoint. I’m happy with mine, and still shoot my R lenses on my Sony digitals, too. Do some searching on flickr.com and see what you think.
I don't think the R8 is any more or less fragile than the M6. It is cheaper, however, so less painful to lose. However, for travel you might consider the fact that it is quite heavy, as are its lenses. Just something to keep in mind.
It makes sense: If you don't mind not having shutter priority and program modes, If you prefer the handling of the R8/9 bodies vs. "classic" bodies, if you want 1/8000 (!) of a second top shutter speed, If you prefer "classic" styled bodies with mechanical innards, it makes more sense to get the R6.2.
I need to amend my prior comment! I think I got my wires crossed WRT shutter priority and program modes (must have been thinking of the Contax "MM" vs. non-MM lenses in that system). My apologies! So, regarding "electronic" lenses, I'm guessing you mean the ROM lenses? I don't think you really miss anything at all on the R8/9 without the ROM lenses, and would spend a lot more money on the ROM lenses. Hopefully that answers your question, and hopefully I got it right this time! :-D I never shoot in aperture-priority or program mode, so now I'm curious to go home and see if they work just fine on my 3-cam lenses on the R8. I'm guessing they do (otherwise, why would they have those modes at all?). I'm charging up my R8's motor drive anyway, so it will give me an excuse to fire off a few frames.
You can use no ROM R lenses in the R8 whitout any problem. The ROM only send to the camera the information about Focal range of the lenses(ex. 50mm,80mm,etc) and max/mim aperture of the lenses, nothing more. However no ROM lenses works just fine in the R8 I have some R lenses no ROM in my R8 no problem at all.
Definitely with the motor drive battery pack, I've had issues. I had it re-built once, and it was good for a while, but needs to be re-done again. I haven't had any issues that I recall when using the body without the drive, though.
Hello, question, I sold my d3 because I got tired of digital, I was thinking of buying a Leica R8, as the camera is good for taking pictures has concerts? Thanks bye
OK, I think it depends on your shooting distance. If you are relatively far away, manual focus should be fine -- your subject will remain at a relatively fixed distance to you. If you are close up with a wide aperture, trying to get action shots, you will need to be good at manual focus (unless you use a very wide lens, which will give you enough DoF to make focusing easier). Remember concert photographers in the old days used manual-focus cameras :-). The good shots will be all the more rewarding!
Simon Johnson I still have the R8, and I still think it's a great camera. Unfortunately the motor drive battery pack has gone south again, but I like winding it manually so no big deal. But speaking of shooting, I've kind of lost interest in 35mm. If you look through my photo video history you can see me moving up in format over the years. I shoot 4x5" now, if I shoot film. Anything else feels too small and fiddly :-)
Mike Thomas cheers for the update. I shoot with a Polaroid 190B which has been converted to use 5/4 dark slides. Are. You Analog printing or scanning your 5/4 negs? If so what method are you using for scanning?
Simon Johnson When I started I was scanning on my Canon 9000F scanner, which kind of sucked because I had to scan in two passes and stitch. It was always a bit of a trick to get the scanning passes right. These days I put the negs on a light box and shoot four frames with my Sony A7II and a macro lens. Yes, I still have to stitch, but once the rig is set up, the actual negative capture goes very quickly. This has worked well enough for my standards. Would love to see some of these negatives properly wet printed, but it will probably never happen. Those Polaroid conversions are interesting. Makes for a nice portable solution, eh?
auxmike No thoughts on reliability, really. I haven't put mine though heavy use. It's definitely a big camera, but smaller than my Sony A900, so I guess it's all relative.
Films cam , in early years , nikon , canon , and many funny brands , do had released .markets , are so busy ....lenses, too.flash lights .on .cables too.battery ' ....in.
As a professional fashion photographer, I do want to show those images I shot with R8, R9 and R8 attached with DMR. Especially, when those stupid amateurs insult this brand. I've used them for 5 years. They are still perfectly function. The sensor of the DMR is a"true 16bit colour" sensor. Which means the sensor capture an image with 16bit colour mode. Images you get from shitty cameras as 5D mkIII or D800 can be compared with it. I know well about this because I tried comparing them on the same shoot many times. Also, the light metering system on R9 is so accurate that I feel very confident shooting only in films. When my another assistant come back from his holiday, I think I'll ask him to shoot a behind the scene for me so as to show it on youtube. If my DMR is going to be gone in the future, the camera that's good enough to replace it has to be a Mamiya Leaf with Schneider lenses, only.
I would love to see more images shot with the R8/9 and the DMR. I dream of owning one sometime. As an amateur, I can't justify the expense, unfortunately. They are selling for $3k US still on eBay.
Mike Thomas Dear Thomas, I just already uploaded some images I shot with DMR on my IG. The ID is "Punkboy1324". Sorry that I haven't uploaded many images. I just started playing ig haha! Most of them were exported right away from flexcolor after I adjusted WB,or converted them to be b&w. It's true that it's pricey. I bought it from a fashion photographer whose eyes aren't good enough to shoot manual focus anymore. He agreed to sell it to me because he's known me before. A battery of DMR runs out very quickly within 200shots. You can make it more than 1,000shots if you shoot in jpeg-fine. Buying from a professional is a better idea because most of them have more than 3 spare batteries.
Mike Thomas Instagram. It's an application for a smart phone. You can just go to ---> instagram.com/punkboy1324 Or, you can go to www.kongpantumachinda.tumblr.com/ I posted bigger size images there. Cheers! P.S. Many of those images I posted on the second link can be enlarged when you click on them. Especially, those with landscape framing.
Yes, there was a back called the DMR (digital modul R), with 10MP and no anti-alias filter (somewhat like the M8's sensor). However, it it continues to be very expensive, at about $4k US (usually including an R8/9 body).
I thought about getting one for a while, but it finally struck me as insane, especially since I'm not working at the moment.
I think it's really a love-it-or-hate it design. However, it is a well-made and practical camera, and mounts some of the best lenses ever made. Thanks for watching!
I`ve never given the Leica R8 much though as i did not like the aesthetics of it compared to their rangefinders. Your videos has helped me to look a little further into its practical side.
Great video, informative as always. Keep sharing your knowledge on cameras, it's fascinating!
I think the R8 is the best looking amongst all the R series SLR. And it really isn't ugly, I quite like the design.
Heh. I figured. Yes, it looks great from some angles, and really odd from others. However, I firmly believe that Leica designed it 100% for handling. I am shooting this camera rather than my Contaxes because it is so comfortable. The Contaxes will be sold, though they are great cameras (actually better features than the R series).
Thanks. The size and weight of the R8 might be a shock to you, compared to your OM-1n. I think you might be able to put the OM-1 inside the R8 like Russian Dolls. I've always wanted an OM-1 but have never taken the plunge.
Wow! That thing is SO much better looking than their new SL2 digital camera. Great review. You've talked me into it - if I can find one.
Very nice review. Finally of someone that providing useful information in very user friendly mode :) Thank you
Vadim Becker And thank YOU for your comment!
Hmm, I paid $750 for mine, excellent condition, with the big motor drive, so it's not that expensive. Problem is if you look on eBay: sellers are dreaming. You have to look at the completed listings to get the real prices.
(I must admit I had to have the MD battery pack rebuilt. I think that was around $125, but now it's like new.)
Yes, it has bulb. I assume the earlier Rs have it too -- any self-respecting SLR has it ;-).
The designer of the Leica R8 is called Meinzer. He designed the Leica cameras in the past 20 years :)
Hehe. There's more to come. I just need to edit more video.
You can get a shift lens (actually 2 of them) for the Leica, but not for the Contax. That does it for me.
Yeah and he manufactured sailing boats aswell and built himself a beautiful car.
I met him last Thursday, he is an awsome guy!
Awesome...I love to see what you've added to your camera collection. Keep them coming because I live through you. lol...
i don't know because 35mm cost pretty alot nowaydays even if leica still leica . but i do hesitate too with the canon 1V which is between 450-550 euros and about autofocus or anything it's a monster . So you see for me a young photographer (i'm 20) i thinf digital will be a good solution only because the price is interessting but if it wasn't about money or time who says maybe i would go at LEICA for the good builtness .
Hi,
Sorry I’m late for this video but I’m just trying to find more information about the R8( I’m planning to get one soon). Your information is formidable but after some years I would like to ask you about any cons that you find in the R8 if there is one. Also I have a Sony a7 RIii and I read that you can adapt the Leica R lenses and use the manual focus. Thanks for all the information that you can provide .
Thank you and I’m glad you found this video useful. Note that I have a separate video on shooting R lenses on Sony (A7II in my case, but applies to all F-mount). Even if I sell off my Leica SLR bodies I will keep the lenses, both for stills and for video!
Re the R8 I’d say these are the main cons:
-Weight
- Rarity
- Batteries in motor drive
There are definitely lighter cameras, including prior generations of Leica. Rarity, in the sense of getting the camera fixed if needed. I don’t think Leica made (or sold) a lot of these, but that is a gut feeling, not based on actual statistics. The rechargeable batteries for any high-speed motor drive are probably spent by now, and even replacement is tricky. I had mine replaced by a pro for about $150, and it worked well for about a year, and now will not hold a charge.
What I meant was if you use eBay to gauge the expense of R8/R9 in the US, that's a bad way to figure it out. Check KEH or private sales. I would say any one-lens R8 kit in the US would cost about the same as the price you mention in France (after conversion, of course). After all, 850 euros is about $1200. You can get a good R8 for that, easily in the US.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. Are you going to buy one? :-D
Thanks for that. Looks like he also did design for Revox. Good stuff.
Accidentally set the multi exposure bitten and rewound. Forced it a little before I realized I hit the wrong switch. Camera seems to be working normally. Do you have any idea what potential damage this could have done?
I have a Leica R8 i replace the batteries but it wont go On what could be the problem ,, if you can help me i would appreciate
Thanks for watching!
Ha! typo. It was can't. Leica made a bold move making it look so much different than a normal SLR, I probably just need time to get used to it.
What are the difference between the R and M mount lenses?
does this camera have a bulb setting. I like to do long exposure photography on occasion. Do any other the older R series have a bulb setting? Thanks for the review
Stay tuned for more...
Question: I have a Nikon F6, which is hard to fault in terms of "gettin' it done", but it sits in its box while I use a Zeiss Ikon. I need some SLR-ness, but just how much of a dead-end would I be digging myself into with an R9? I haven't even started examining the lenses still available in mint condition, let alone repair issues.
My guess is if your F6 sits in a box, the R9 might eventually do so too. These are big heavy cameras, and the lenses are not as plentiful or relatively inexpensive as those you can get for your Nikon (admittedly I haven't scanned used prices for either in a while, so I might be wrong on that). I'm guessing the F6 is more feature-laden than the R9, too.
Repairs are probably a crapshoot on the R8/9, though I'm not really sure. I definitely had to have my motor drive's battery pack "rebuilt", and it needs it again now.
That said, the Leica mystique is real and the R series is very nice, so you might just have to let your G.A.S be your guide :-)
Looks like a Kine Exakta camera design, with as you said, raised shoulders.
What a beautiful camera. Congratulations.
Definitely. I just can't see taking a risk on it at the prices they fetch.
Nice video. I think the R8 actually looks very cool!
Leica SLR started with Leicaflex than Leicaflex Sl than SL2
Very colorful worlds , early years ....1990 .....leica , Hasselblad , and more ....carry around .show on .and off .
did they have a digital back to the r8? do you have this?
thanks
Heh. I've reached my limit. No more room (or money). I'm going to have to start divesting!
Hi i am thinking of buying an R8 with a 28mm R lens for all my travel work as I think it will be much more robust than my M6. Can you tell me how does it shoot whats the end product like as in the image? Thanks, Dominique.
I’m not sure why you think it would be much more robust, unless you’re talking about rangefinder calibration (?). But the R8 is a great camera. The image with a 28mm will not likely disappoint. I’m happy with mine, and still shoot my R lenses on my Sony digitals, too. Do some searching on flickr.com and see what you think.
Hi by robust I mean the M6 is great but I rather not brake it its precious like my M3 so I thought the R8 is a tank. Thanks.
Dominique
Ps how does the light meter work is it like the M6 a < > indicating over or under? Thanks
I don't think the R8 is any more or less fragile than the M6. It is cheaper, however, so less painful to lose. However, for travel you might consider the fact that it is quite heavy, as are its lenses. Just something to keep in mind.
The entire camera is much more sophisticated than the M6. The viewfinder has lots of information.
Does it make sense to use R8 or R9 with all non electronic lenses? What is the advantage over R6.2 body? Thanks
It makes sense: If you don't mind not having shutter priority and program modes, If you prefer the handling of the R8/9 bodies vs. "classic" bodies, if you want 1/8000 (!) of a second top shutter speed,
If you prefer "classic" styled bodies with mechanical innards, it makes more sense to get the R6.2.
I need to amend my prior comment! I think I got my wires crossed WRT shutter priority and program modes (must have been thinking of the Contax "MM" vs. non-MM lenses in that system). My apologies!
So, regarding "electronic" lenses, I'm guessing you mean the ROM lenses? I don't think you really miss anything at all on the R8/9 without the ROM lenses, and would spend a lot more money on the ROM lenses. Hopefully that answers your question, and hopefully I got it right this time! :-D
I never shoot in aperture-priority or program mode, so now I'm curious to go home and see if they work just fine on my 3-cam lenses on the R8. I'm guessing they do (otherwise, why would they have those modes at all?). I'm charging up my R8's motor drive anyway, so it will give me an excuse to fire off a few frames.
You can use no ROM R lenses in the R8 whitout any problem.
The ROM only send to the camera the information about Focal range of the lenses(ex. 50mm,80mm,etc) and max/mim aperture of the lenses, nothing more.
However no ROM lenses works just fine in the R8 I have some R lenses no ROM in my R8 no problem at all.
Hi Mike! Just a quick question, Have you ever had battery draining problems with the R8? Thanks!
Definitely with the motor drive battery pack, I've had issues. I had it re-built once, and it was good for a while, but needs to be re-done again. I haven't had any issues that I recall when using the body without the drive, though.
Hello, question, I sold my d3 because I got tired of digital, I was thinking of buying a Leica R8, as the camera is good for taking pictures has concerts? Thanks bye
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand your question. The R8 is a great camera and will take the same photo any other cameras will take, only better :-).
I wanted to ask, if the leica r8 which has manual focus, may be fine for photographing concerts.
OK, I think it depends on your shooting distance. If you are relatively far away, manual focus should be fine -- your subject will remain at a relatively fixed distance to you. If you are close up with a wide aperture, trying to get action shots, you will need to be good at manual focus (unless you use a very wide lens, which will give you enough DoF to make focusing easier). Remember concert photographers in the old days used manual-focus cameras :-). The good shots will be all the more rewarding!
Hey Mike, are you still shooting with the R8? If so what are your thoughts now??
Simon Johnson I still have the R8, and I still think it's a great camera. Unfortunately the motor drive battery pack has gone south again, but I like winding it manually so no big deal. But speaking of shooting, I've kind of lost interest in 35mm. If you look through my photo video history you can see me moving up in format over the years. I shoot 4x5" now, if I shoot film. Anything else feels too small and fiddly :-)
Mike Thomas cheers for the update. I shoot with a Polaroid 190B which has been converted to use 5/4 dark slides. Are. You Analog printing or scanning your 5/4 negs? If so what method are you using for scanning?
Simon Johnson When I started I was scanning on my Canon 9000F scanner, which kind of sucked because I had to scan in two passes and stitch. It was always a bit of a trick to get the scanning passes right. These days I put the negs on a light box and shoot four frames with my Sony A7II and a macro lens. Yes, I still have to stitch, but once the rig is set up, the actual negative capture goes very quickly. This has worked well enough for my standards. Would love to see some of these negatives properly wet printed, but it will probably never happen.
Those Polaroid conversions are interesting. Makes for a nice portable solution, eh?
Mike Thomas thanks for that. We do basically the same thing with a Nikon D810. I'm still deciding on the R8?
Any comments on reliability?
Also, it looks quite "fat"?
auxmike No thoughts on reliability, really. I haven't put mine though heavy use. It's definitely a big camera, but smaller than my Sony A900, so I guess it's all relative.
Finally I've been waiting so long;)
Hello,
I sold mine several months ago, nothing beat range
finder of a M body !
"Can" or "can't"? Hehe, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, to each his own, and all that stuff :-).
Great job as always!!!
Thanks! Be sure to check my new answer to your question re: lenses. And watch out for any updates I might add after I experiment tonite!
no it's not on ebay . it's on professionnal photo store .
Take care that they are out of spare parts for DMR at Leica, so be careful if I choose to buy one of those...
Now , present days , 2022 .gopro 9 .and 10 .....are my best .....better than other brands .believe or not ....
Cool!
I'm with you all the way :-)
Films cam , in early years , nikon , canon , and many funny brands , do had released .markets , are so busy ....lenses, too.flash lights .on .cables too.battery ' ....in.
this is fun how muche it's incrediebly expensive the R8 IN USA because in frrance i found some between 500-850euros =)
I can decide if it's ugly or not.
As a professional fashion photographer, I do want to show those images I shot with R8, R9 and R8 attached with DMR. Especially, when those stupid amateurs insult this brand. I've used them for 5 years. They are still perfectly function. The sensor of the DMR is a"true 16bit colour" sensor. Which means the sensor capture an image with 16bit colour mode. Images you get from shitty cameras as 5D mkIII or D800 can be compared with it. I know well about this because I tried comparing them on the same shoot many times. Also, the light metering system on R9 is so accurate that I feel very confident shooting only in films. When my another assistant come back from his holiday, I think I'll ask him to shoot a behind the scene for me so as to show it on youtube. If my DMR is going to be gone in the future, the camera that's good enough to replace it has to be a Mamiya Leaf with Schneider lenses, only.
I would love to see more images shot with the R8/9 and the DMR. I dream of owning one sometime. As an amateur, I can't justify the expense, unfortunately. They are selling for $3k US still on eBay.
Mike Thomas Dear Thomas, I just already uploaded some images I shot with DMR on my IG. The ID is "Punkboy1324". Sorry that I haven't uploaded many images. I just started playing ig haha! Most of them were exported right away from flexcolor after I adjusted WB,or converted them to be b&w. It's true that it's pricey. I bought it from a fashion photographer whose eyes aren't good enough to shoot manual focus anymore. He agreed to sell it to me because he's known me before. A battery of DMR runs out very quickly within 200shots. You can make it more than 1,000shots if you shoot in jpeg-fine. Buying from a professional is a better idea because most of them have more than 3 spare batteries.
I'd love to see your photos, but what is "IG"? Guess I'm not one of the cool kids ;-).
Mike Thomas Instagram. It's an application for a smart phone. You can just go to ---> instagram.com/punkboy1324
Or, you can go to www.kongpantumachinda.tumblr.com/ I posted bigger size images there. Cheers!
P.S. Many of those images I posted on the second link can be enlarged when you click on them. Especially, those with landscape framing.
realpunkboy Oh, Haha. Instagram. I just don't think of that being an actual photographer's site (no offense). I'll check them out!
Why every leica reviewers talk about leica brand and history instead of the device itself, half of the video is about it....
Sebastian Alfredo Tamayo Rojas Its so unfair how hard it is to get just what you want from free, user-produced videos.
@@mike.thomas I am sorry if it sounds too hard, is just a comment. I understand your point. Greetings.
Digital worlds.wons ...