Durability of Leica R8 in Humidity, and battery life of the R8.

[c_d5]

I'll be going back to Indonesia on the 7th. I might be going to the

area that is hit hard by the Tsunami and earthquake with the mission

dept of my church. Doing something with the relief effort. The

equipment I am planning to bring is probably my R8, 28-70, and 50/2.

A couple of question. How does the R8 hold up in humid environment?

How long does the battery usually last? Any recommendation of what

kind of flash I should take?

[joseph_barbano]

The CR2 batteries should last at least a year; but bring back-ups. R8 should be OK in humid environment; bring a back-up body if you can. Bring plenty of zip-lock bags. Bring a late model (low trigger voltage) Vivitar 283. Avoid a canvas camera bag; use ballistic nylon. Canvas absorbs humidity and odors. I recommend buying an Olympus Stylus Epic P&S. Cheap, good lens, weatherproof. Good luck.

[matt_m__toronto_]

hey chisso,

take care over there. why not bring along that beat up m4?

cheers,

m

[ben z]

I've shot about 30 rolls of 36 exposures in my R8 in the months since I got it and I'm still on the batteries that were in it when I bought it which were at least 3 yrs old because that's how long it had sat on the dealer's shelf waiting for a buyer. Seems like mine isn't a battery-eater. Most cameras with as few features as the R8, i.e. no power winder/rewinder or built-in flash, take just the small button batteries and last a very long time. Seems like the two CR2 batteries are overkill, maybe that's why they last so long.

 

As to humidity I don't know, other than I've been using it in southern Florida with no problems but I'm not down there in the humidest times of the year. I would never trust any single camera for a major trip, least of all an R8 given all the reported troubles they are prone to. My wife has a Canon Rebel Ti and I got an R-EOS lens adaptor so it could be my backup. You could pick up a Rebel (any one is fine, you won't be using autofocus and you'll be leaving the stainless steel adaptor permanently over the plastic Canon flange, though the Ti's is metal)for maybe $100 plus about $90 for a great adaptor from fotodiox on ebay. Lots cheaper than a second R body, plus you'll have a built-in power winder, and the Rebels take the same batteries as the R8.

[paul_neuthaler]

Take an old M if you have one and make certain to expose it to everything -- water, dust, heat, humidity -- or it might freeze up!

[c_d5]

Hi Matt, Paul. Yeah...I would probably bring along a Nikon FE10 for a backup.

 

I love my old M2 too much to let it get beat up more. :-)

 

Joseph, Ben. Thanks for the advice. I am sort of wary about fungus growth on thse lens. And the R8 failing down on me. But, I guess, it should hold up.

[robert_speirs]

Hi

Wow is this how confident we are with a leica r8 it does not inspire confidence is the camera that bad? perhaps you should trade it for a nikon f5 or am i losing the point of the r8.

robbie