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Leica R4 returning for 2020.

dave.gt

Well-known member
Now and then, a rotation of gear occurs because of different needs associated with projects, time of year, or just simply because it is good for the soul. The trusty old R4 has languished for too long. I have too much 35mm film, and I need a change-up.

No lens though.

A Cron will be all I can afford and that will be after the hospital bill is paid for in January. Any leads toward a good lens for purchase in January would be appreciated.

In the meantime, who on this forum still has a Leica R? I miss my R8 and 80 Lux, but the R4 has its own charm.:)
 

KeithDM

Well-known member
It is the turn of my R5 to be next to be loaded (probably with Tri-X given the time of year and dismal UK weather).
Lenses? All Elmarit primes (35, 60 Macro & 90), plus the 21-35mm Vario Elmar.
Good luck with your lens search.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
In the meantime, who on this forum still has a Leica R? I miss my R8 and 80 Lux, but the R4 has its own charm.:)
Sadly, I have never owned an 80 Lux. Come to think of it, none of my Leica R lenses are Summiluxes. :cry::cry:

Gary
SL2, R3 Safari, R4, R5, R6.2, R7, R8, R9.
A few R Summicrons, Elmarits, Vario-Elmars and Telyt-Rs, but I don't have any of the really good Leica R APO lenses.

Last of the line....
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
... who on this forum still has a Leica R? ...
Abashed hand raises from the back of the class... :)

Yeah, I still have a Leicaflex SL and an R6.2, last of the mechanical shutter bodies. A full complement of lenses too: 15, 19, 28, 50 (2), 60M, 90, 100M, 135, 180, 2x telextender, plus focusing bellows and ELPROs. I use the lenses often with the CL; have used them with Sony A7, Leica M-P240, and SL as well.

All wonderful stuff. I haven't shot much 35mm film in a while, concentrating on 120 roll film, Polaroid, and Minox in film recently. But it'll cycle back at some point. :D

G
 

camping

Member
I have a similar "collection" as Godfrey. Most of the lenses are ROM.
I also have the R9 and other bodies.

I have not used film in a while but have used the lenses on the Sony 7II.

I am presently finishing a 15 year book project on the History of the economics of Money, Gold, Crypto that will be printed in January.
I used the 60mm to photograph numerous ancient coins etc. The book will have over 4000 images and will be printed in duotone for the 3D rendering of the coins.

Paul
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Sadly, I have never owned an 80 Lux. Come to think of it, none of my Leica R lenses are Summiluxes. :cry::cry:

Gary
SL2, R3 Safari, R4, R5, R6.2, R7, R8, R9.
A few R Summicrons, Elmarits, Vario-Elmars and Telyt-Rs, but I don't have any of the really good Leica R APO lenses.

Last of the line....
Sigh... the R8 was such a nice camera. I do miss it. But hope springs eternal!:)
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
I have a similar "collection" as Godfrey. Most of the lenses are ROM.
I also have the R9 and other bodies.

I have not used film in a while but have used the lenses on the Sony 7II.

I am presently finishing a 15 year book project on the History of the economics of Money, Gold, Crypto that will be printed in January.
I used the 60mm to photograph numerous ancient coins etc. The book will have over 4000 images and will be printed in duotone for the 3D rendering of the coins.

Paul
Wow, 15 years???!!!
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Sigh... the R8 was such a nice camera. I do miss it. But hope springs eternal!:)
I had a black one: a lovely SLR indeed. But it was fussy, and I decided to keep the all mechanical Leicaflex SL and R6.2 instead since service and repairs on the R8 are now difficult. The Leicaflex SL and R6.2 have been 100% solid and consistent; they get used too little right now but are always a known quantity.

The Leica SL (and now SL2) have been the digital R in my mind since it first shipped, and my SL was as consistent and reliable as the R6.2 and Leicaflex SL have always been.

G
 

glenerrolrd

Workshop Member
Dave

If you want an R4 I can make you a family price deal . I have 3 R4 bodies . Two are the R4S and one is the std R4 . I bought all of these 25 years ago and used two of them to photograph with K64 . One gotcha on the R4 bodies is that they use individual diopters ..so if you need correct for viewing ...you need to locate a diopter first . I was lucky and found a +1.0 but since then not a one has been listed on eBay .

This summer I started a project “Safe@HomeSummer” to document our family activities during the CV19 shutdown . As a part of that I started an effort to real learn B&W film photography . I am in the middle of testing different films ...Fuji Acros II,Illford HP5+ and Tri X Pro 400 . I am testing different B&W labs to evaluate both the film and the processing . I order the largest machine scans and then finish them in LR . More on that later .

I acquired a Leica R6.2 which was the last all mechanical R body ...what a GEM and they can be found for well under $1000.

The R bodies are still one of my favorites and I am fortunate that I never sold off my R lenses . The 35/50/80 summilux lenses are all terrific .

Roger
 

Tim Floyd

Active member
CameraWest is great, but if you contact them directly their prices are discounted from the eBay prices and they're great to deal with.

I still have my original R5, R6 and R8, which I bought used (I buy almost everything used).

Since these cameras are so much less expensive now, I decided to finally buy the camera that I couldn't afford in the 70's - the Leicaflex SL and SL2, each for a couple of hundred bucks a few years ago. Probably more now. I finished off my collection with an R3 because I owned a Minolta XE-7 (poor man's R3). That was a great camera.
 

dave.gt

Well-known member
Wow, great to hear that so many are still using R cameras, and lenses.:)

Roger, thanks for the heads up...I have an R4 with no lens and I have no idea if it even works but the battery shows good and the shutter sounds ok. IIRC, I had a wonky flashing red light at some setting but I forget if it was program, or what. I may indeed need an R4 replacement.

I will look at it this evening and check in with you soon. Oh, btw, that 6.2 sure sounds like a sweet camera, and I am happy you found a good one!:)
 

anyone

Well-known member
I got a 90/2 and 50/2 - really nice lenses with lots of character, and I am considering to extend towards the 35mm. I use them with a Sony camera, but might also get at some point an analogue R body.

The 50/2 (mine is made in Canada) is really inexpensive and a great performer.
 
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