Good user R body?

[alexander_nichols]

What is a good bet from R3 to R7? (I'm not considering the R6 models

because of their price. AE is also good to have.)

 

What is a reliable, affordable choice? I know Jay had numerous

problems with many, if not all, of them, still I'd like to take a

chance.

 

I have bookmarked Doug Herr's page and this one http://www.angelfire.

com/biz/Leica/page6.html but they don't exactly answer my question.

 

Thanks in advance!

[canfred]

Hi Alexander , the R3 is quite reliable and cheap perhaps a little old now. Stay away from R4 but the better choice among all would be RE.

[working camera]

Actually they are all good.

 

Jay was a freak when it came to Leica R bad luck. Fortunately he bought up all the bad ones.

 

But an R4s or RE sounds like what you are looking for. These don't have some of the nice little features of the top end models... like the little illuminator light for the aperture ring VF display, for example.

 

There's not much between the R4 R5 and R7 but they are not models I've had great experience with.

 

I think it is pretty much accepted that any of the original problems which surfaced in early production R4s and 5s, have well and truly been ironed out by the owners having them fixed under warranty. It's a fair assumption anyway.

 

I know it has a bad rep but I would not look past an R3 if you find a good one.

 

But its hard to recommend any from the scant info provided.

[a aa]

Having owned multiple examples of all R models from the R3 to the R7 (no R8s or 9s) and the Leicaflexes before that, I would advise you to avoid R4s unless you are sure they work well, and get the the latest and cleanest R body you can afford. The R7 is my favourite, but a good friend prefers the R5 because of its slightly smaller size.

 

Do not overlook the R3, it is a very nice camera to use, and is very reasonably priced. No TTL flash - if that is important to you - until you get to the R5.

 

As for the old Leicaflex vs. R debate, I can truthfully say that while I admire the Leicaflexes as perhaps the best built of all 35mm SLRs, the R bodies handle better for me, and and are better users. BTW, I factor in the finders when I say I prefer the R bodies.

 

Regarding reliability, I don't know who Jay is, but have never had problems with any Leica Reflex body other than the R4.

 

Hope this helps.

[mark_andreani_gowen]

I currently have 1 R4, 1 R4 MOT, and one R4s body - very little problems with them in 5+ years on wonership - and one of the R4 was practically mint. `You'll probably need to get the light seals (around the back door and film compartment window) changed, as the foam tends to perish over time, but this is a cheap service job .. all my travel film work is shot on them, no plans to use anything else at present for 35mm ....

 

Mark

[a aa]

I bought two R4s when they first came out and had all kinds of problems with the electronics, and later with the depth of field preview mechanism. I still have an R4 which needs to be repaired. The cost of repair exceeds its market value, so it sits on the shelf.

 

An R4 that has been repaired will keep working well. So the trick is to find one that has been fixed at someone else's expense.

 

The DOF mechanism is, IMO, a weak link on all R bodies.

[doug herr]

Aside from dead bodies purchased for parts, I've had 4 R bodies in the R4-series and they've all been reliable with regular service (approx every 10 years). Of these my favorite is the R4sP because of its idiot-proofed controls and manual shutter speed display in the viewfinder (lacking in the R4s). The R-E and R5 add built-in viewfinder diopter correction, a limited TTL flash capability and a better viewfinder display, at the cost of lower viewfinder magnification. I rather liked the R-E I used for a while, though it had some problems related to damage inflicted by the previous owner.

<P>

A camera that has seen regular use and no obvious signs of abuse is a better bet than one that has not been used much, particularly in humid enviornments.

<P>

One thing to watch for in the R4 through at least R6.x and possibly R7 is damage near the tripod socket. This is a weak area in the camera's main casting: the tripod socket can break the main casting if there's too much stress on the socket. A proper repair is quite expensive so you might see a poor repair (as I did on the R-E) where the main casting was simply glued back together and nearby circuit boards fall where they may. Check the baseplate for wrinkles, check to be sure the tripod socket is aligned properly with the baseplate, and if allowed before purchase remove the base plate (take battery cover off, remove 3 tiny phillips screws) and inspect the main casting near the tripod socket.

[ronald_wills]

I've not had one problem with my R5, R6, or R7. The R7 is my favorite by a smidge. Love

those lenses. Good luck.

[fotografz]

R7 is also my favorite.

[john_graham3]

I had an R4, R5, R7 and R8 at one point or another. R8 was leaving streaks along the length of the film, Leica replaced something under warranty and it cured the problem till just before I traded it, by which time it was out of warranty. The R4,5,7 worked perfectly except for all 3 of them eventually the stopdown preview tab became sticky. Leica quoted me something like $250 each at the time. Since I rarely used that I never bothered to have them fixed, I just pulled the tab back out by hand whenever I needed to. I had thought about getting a Leicaflex SL but all of my R lenses were R-cam-only except for two, and one of those was a no-no on the SL (but ok on SL2). I ended up getting into Canon EOS and never looked back. Stay away from the crappy snapshooter zooms and the rest of the EF lenses are pretty darn good (well, maybe today the 16-meg FF DSLR brings out things in the WA's that weren't that evident before).

[SCL]

Last year a kind soul gave me an R3 along with a lens I bought from them. I had intended to turn around and sell the R3 immediately, but stopped to shoot a roll of film -- all on the automatic setting. I was pretty shocked at how well the pictures came out given I really put the camera to the test. Consequently I keep the R3 as a backup. Therefore I'm joining several others in suggesting if you insist on the R series rather than a SL (my favorite), that you consider a clean R3 as they are really pretty cheap, leaving you some $$ for good lenses.

[ronald_moravec1]

R4 and R5 models do not have the nice mirror dampening action of the 3,6,7. I hated my 4s, but use the 6, 6.2, and 7 regularly. R4sP has some improvements onver the R4S.

 

My choice is 6, 6.2 or 7 or stay away from R`s.

[vinay_patel]

Keep in mind that while prices of the R lineup are high in part because all of them are almost totally still repairable, the cost of any repair will probably be more than the cost of replacement, though for some reason for some people putting another $300-500 into a camera that can't be recovered if the camera is sold, seems like a good decision. If it were me, I would choose between the SL and R3, both of which I would consider disposible in the event of a catastrophic failure.

[mingus1]

weren't some R models "Minoltas" ?

[nemeng]

I stronly doubt you'll be able to afford a R7 if the R6/6.2 is too "pricey".

 

In which case, I'd opt for either the R5 or R-E as both fixed the snafus in some of the R4's (plural, not "R4s"!).

[wendell_kelly]

"If it were me, I would choose between the SL and R3, both of which I would consider disposible in the event of a catastrophic failure."

 

The cost of a competent CLA on a Leicaflex SL is $180. I don't see why this would render the SL "disposable" considering the build quality of the camera, which is similar to that of the Leica M4.

[steven_moseley1]

Hi..

 

Andrew..over here in the UK R7's cost HALF the price of R6.2's..so far, far more affordable, but I think this differential varies from country to country. My R-E has been very good,

Cheers Steve.

[bob_lazzarini]

Alexander,<p>

I'm in agreement with craig about Jay behaving as he did <i>"when it came to Leica R bad luck."</i><br>

Hopefully and <i>"Fortunately he bought up all the bad ones."</i><p>

 

I've owned an SL2 (pricey); R3 (very economical way to go); and now both a R6.2 (pricey); and a R7 (less pricey).<br>

 

Over the many years that I've used them I have, <i>(so far)</i>, never run into any problems with any of them. <br>

 

The R3 was a damm fine camera... the only reason I parted with it, and the SL2, was to finance my way into medium format.<p>

 

You might read in past posts that the R3 is close to being junk, because it was made by Minolta [to Leica specs of course].<br>

Not true with the one I owned, and FWIW there are more than a few old model Minolta SLRs out there still functioning perfectly in daily use.<br>

It all depends upon how much TLC one gives one's equipment.<p>

 

Just my 2 cents worth...<p>

Good luck with which ever R body you go for.<p>