l_dasousa

<p>It is identical optics with the Minolta. What you pay extra for is the R mount, better tube constructions, and of course the Leica name. But if you have Leica R bodies and not enough money for the 80-200 f/4, the 70-210 is not a bad lens. It is a 1-touch, meaning the same part turns to focus as push-pulls to zoom. This can be quicker sometimes, but other times a pain. One other thing, if the lens is pushed out to the long end, the hood is pushed also, and can't be pushed back without zooming wide. That is mostly not a problem, except if you use polar filter or ND grad filter holder. </p>

<p>I find the Leica mystique amazing. In all the film vs digital debating for many years, one of the biggest advantage of digital that everyone agrees is ability to shoot colour and black/white without switching film or carrying another camera. Now comes Leica at the end of M9 product life with a black/white-only version, costing $1000 more than the colour version, and people are actually buying it. Amazing. </p>

<p>I think Canon does not service the 1Ds anymore, and I read they no longer sell parts to outside repair shops. But probably some outsiders have some parts for it, and in such good condition it might work a lot more years than any newer Canon you could buy for <$1grand. I thought very hard about 1Ds also, but it is just too heavy for my confort, so I went with second-hand 5Dc. </p>

<p>You can probably still find the original metal-mount 50mm f/1.8 in second-hand such as at keh.com. I have one some 10 yrs, and it has not "crapped out" yet. Also, if I was starting a business to do weddings, I would want my clients to see me not with the same camera as they bought @ Costco for their vacation snaps. I would get second-hand 5D MK-I or if I could afford, MK-II then keep T2i as backup. With 5D you then can use 85mm as she was designed. </p>

<p><br />Appreciate the respondses, but so far doesn't address my question. (Except above about repairs...yes, that's what I figured, it's up to Canon and they probably will repair as long as they have the parts, but they aren't going to make up a batch of new parts.) But I did read something that laws in the EU requires manufacturer to keep 10 years repairs after discontinued. Maybe that's true, maybe that's not.<br /> <br /> Yes, I know Canon doesn't manufacture their own batteries. And I know there are 3rd party batteries and that some of them work just fine. <br /> That is not the issue The issue is when the batteries were actually manufactured. There could be warehouses full of BP511A's enough to supply stores for the next decade, but if those batteries were all made in, let's say, 2010, then by 2015 they will not take a full charge like a newly-manufactured battery. This is due to the nature of LiION batteries, and the only way to even partially slow down the deterioration is to store them half-charged and at <40F temperature. <br /> What I wanted to know is, are these batteries still being manufactured today, not just stockpiled from a while ago.</p>

<p>I finally think I can afford a 5D (mark I) now I see them <$800, but I see where the last camera Canon made who used the same BP511A was the 50D, which now is several years old. I know from reading battery authority that LiION batteries begin to gradually lose ability to take full charge from the moment they are manufactured. </p>

<p>So even though it is still possible, and will be possible probably for some years ahead to find so-called "new" BP511A batteries, I wonder if (especially Canon) still manufactures them, or if what we will buy will be from stock already produced by now?<br>

Also, I wonder if anyone knows how many years Canon typically continues to repair their cameras?</p>

<p>Thanks!<br>

Luis</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I will be shocked if it is anything but an APS-C EVIL that can take R (and probably also M) lenses by adapters. I cannot see Leica spend the money to produce a dedicated DSLR body for a line of discontinued lenses. </p>

<p>Yes but notice on Pan Am there is not everyone smoking, which is not accurate for the time. In the early 60s almost everyone smoked.</p>

<p>You give names to your cameras?! I think now I heard everything!</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=23754">Robin Smith</a><a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="../v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub10plus.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="../v3graphics/member-status-icons/1roll.gif" alt="" /></a>, Jan 05, 2012; 02:06 p.m.</p>

 

<p>the cropped sensor<br>

If you use a full frame body such as a Canon 5D, you can use your R lenses (manual aperture only) quite well. I gave up using R lenses on the 5D mkII after a while as I am a photographer rather than a true equipment fiend. I traded my R glass for good Canon EF equivalents as they work so much quicker than the R lenses via the R-EOS adapters.</p>

 

</blockquote>

 

<p>I also. Except some late APO items, most of R lenses are quite old designs and not better than Canon EF primes. R lenses also are very heavy, and need to open for focus and stop for shooting. Also Canon metering does not so accurately in stop down to small apertures. </p>

<blockquote>

 

</blockquote>

 

 

<p>M3 or M2, I could not tell in the quickness of the unexpected moment. I did see that the self timer was switched on, as the lever was parallel to the lenght of the body. Previous to gifting of the Leica, the woman was using some fixed lens rangefinder with a selenium metercell about the circumference of the lens. I hate to admit I notice such details instead only attending to the pretty girls!</p>

<p>Now you can see why it is so often a question asked on Leica forums "what is a best backup for xxxx?". For Leica, one backup or more is essential to not grow an ulcer. </p>

<p>Questions to ponder of the universe: why the M9 is not weather sealed at least as well as Nikon and Canon bodies with similar prices? Or why Leica does not sell a ziplock bag with red dot for $300 when surely the devoteds would buy him? </p>

<p>Exactomundo! The M9 sensor has on top of him an array of micro lenses which is needed because of the prosimity of the M lenses to the sensor plane, so to turn the light rays in the corners, otherways it will have severely vignetting. Even so, the M9 still needs firmware to complete the correction for especially the wide angle lenses, and even so it does not correct everything completely. Still there are mild red cast on one side with some lenses. So even if physically it will be possible to mount M lenses to focus on the 5D sensor plane, the images would still need huge post process correction, and I am not sure even that would be enough. </p>

<p>Fotodiox adapter is inexpensive, and the lens release switch is enough sized (better so than the very expensive Novoflex adapter) that you need only one, leave it on the camera. I mean each lens does not need his own adapter. In this way you can see how performs your R lenses, and if stopdown and manual focus are ok with you. I found out focus was perfect ok for me on Canon standard screen, but also I found out stopdown is a great slowness. Like many others said, in time I exchanged one after another all my R lenses for Canon lenses, and found out they are as good and some cases better. I don't know what it is the problem with the EF28 f/2.8, I like this lens as fine as my R-28. But my R-28 was the older type (48mm filters). </p>

<blockquote>They did the exact same thing with the M8 and M8.2...add a sapphire screen and black dot (or in this case, no dot), and then charge quite a bit more!</blockquote>

<p>The M8 cost $5500 when the M8.2 came about, at $6400. For this $900 increase, one got not only the false vulcanite and sapphire screen, but also completely revisioned framelines and a more durable and quieter shutter. The M9-P has only the sapphire, plus some cosmetic changes, at a cost of $1000 more.</p>

<p>The new 21mm lens sounds to me like at least a considerable addition. Since I think 1980 when it was the first Elmarit, Leica have suffered without a 21mm of comfortable size such as was the Super Angulon. I am however not benefitted from this most sadly, because today the price of any new Leica lens is beyond sickening me. Lucky Mr. Kobyashi has made for me his nice little C-V 21mm Skopar!</p>

<p>Like it is with automobiles, if you do not enjoy to suffer severe depreciation, let the first owner suffer it for you.</p>

<p>There is only one possible answer why Leica have abandoned the R system and that is their analysts have documented to the board that there are not enough potential buyers to make such profitable. Not even to adapt some existing body from another maker, for full functionality with the R lenses. If there was a chance they could make money, they would do it I think. </p>

<p>I think Leica is in the best place to assure the future of film. They already have a body of customers who are willing (maybe even eager) to pay $2000 for a 50 Summicron (the same lens which costed <$1000 just few years back). Surely a Tri-X clone @ $50 per roll would not bother these people to pay, for the privilege to shoot their M2/M3/M4/M6 etc. Leica could set a lab in the Leica agency in each region (ex. Allendale NJ in the states) and do processing by mailorder, for merely another $50 per roll (plus shipping, of course). Or they can sell also D76 enough for 1 gallon @ $50.<br>

Surely for those who reject digital and believe film is superior, money should not be an object.</p>

<p>The last <em>new</em> Leica I bought was an M6 in 1996 for $1800 in Gray Market from Jim Kuehl, who has long ago retired. I sold the M6 last year, and bought a secondhand M8 from KEH. I like how they grade their merchandises, it was an EX but looks to me like new. Also it was with 2 weeks to decide at no restocking fee, and 60 days warranty after. Currently Leica new prices is insane. </p>

<p>I spoke lengthwise with a famous Leica repair shop and was told the MP inside is almost not different to an M6, that the promise of better quality is pure marketing fantasy. Are you thinking to a secondhand MP? Because when you wished one in 2003 it was US2350, now the same exactly camera is new US4995!!!</p>

<p>I agree. A little selfparody is ok once a while. Seeing from the senstive raw nerve responses from a few, maybe even the parody is badly needed.</p>

<p>Generally I see items (not just cameras) sells at significantly higher prices on eBay than on forums, where it draws a smaller number of viewers and typically people try to low-ball prices. However on eBay there are fees who subtracts from the final amount. </p>

<p>There have always been a certain number of people Leica could count on to buy their newest items regardless of price, specification comparisons to other brands, reliability problems, and production delays. Between the economy and age/mortality, that number has been declining. With the M9 it looks though Leica has tapped a bigger market, but perhaps only they have tapped more of the original market, by satisfying baulkers who would not accept the M8 with its crop and need of IR filters. After the disappointments of the M8 Leica is now feeding a pented up demand, but even they dole out M9 shipments slowly, eventually the demand shall be met. Then they must offer something new. Many typical Leica customers will become bored and want something new and fresh to play with, and to feel they make envious their buddies with the expensive latest new Leica. So Leica to survive must be already hard working on the next version as I am confident they are. I am welcoming this happening, because it will be why I will able to afford myself an M9, as those rich boys rush to dump their "obsolete" M9 for the next model. I think when there is a succession to the M9, then the M8 will again drop heavily down in money worth. When there is the chance to buy a mint, almost not used M9 for a fraction, there will be little reason anyone to buy a crop and IR filter body like the M8. I will just guess to predict a succession to the M9 at the next Photokina.</p>

<p>The M4 was design when film leaders were twice longer as now. This is the cause of misloadings. If you will trim double length the leader, as would do for screwthread Leicas, you will never have misloadings. Or, careful when loading to be certain the film slides as far toward the top as possible (into a grove there) so the sprockets are sitting upon the sprocket wheel. The M6 keeps the same design as the M4 even though Kodak and the rest shorten up the leaders many years ago. </p>

<p>The M2 is ok to load until you dropped the spool and he rolls under a car or into the sewer drain. This both has happen to me before! </p>

<p>There is available secondhand a faster loading spool and guide for inside the baseplate for the M2 and M3, this works almost as good as the M4. But for M3 you must recall to pull up the spool to recharge the frame counter.</p>