teddy
Jose Morales
Nice photos, thanks for sharing! Why don't you try some E6 through the R9 - like Velvia or Provia and show us the results!
I believe in Slide film to show the true power of a lens.
Huss
Veteran
Thanks! I'll get round to that.
Steve M.
Veteran
I've been shooting R glass on my Nikons for many years and find it very easy and convenient. True, you have to shoot in stop down mode, but after a while it became second nature on my Nikkormat. On the later bodies with AE and AE lock, you focus, stop it down to where you want it, and the camera figures out the exposure. A very fast way to shoot. I went this route because the R bodies just didn't work for me, and I love the Nikon bodies. Most of all I love the R lenses. My beater 90 2 Summicron is probably the best lens I've ever shot with. The pics from it are magical.
Those shots from the 35-70 are great.
Those shots from the 35-70 are great.
chrism
Well-known
I did this experiment last year - an R9, with 28, 50 and 90 lenses. The weight turned out to be a problem, in that with the 90 Cron attached I couldn't hold the damn thing still enough to use the microprisms to focus it - they shimmered anyway as the camera was moving! At least it was easy to sell. I'll stick to the F6 and try to forget how nice the Leica R lenses were (when they were focused).
Larry Cloetta
Veteran
It is said that mass, like in an M3, serves to steady a camera, which it does.
It is also said elsewhere that mass makes a camera difficult to steady for sharp pictures. Personally, I have never had an issue with steadiness with an R-8, which is an extremely well damped camera, and R lenses, and I am an old weakling.
Am reminded of advertising for cars in the Fifties and Sixties which touted their “road hugging weight.” Some likes it, some don’t.
It is also said elsewhere that mass makes a camera difficult to steady for sharp pictures. Personally, I have never had an issue with steadiness with an R-8, which is an extremely well damped camera, and R lenses, and I am an old weakling.
Am reminded of advertising for cars in the Fifties and Sixties which touted their “road hugging weight.” Some likes it, some don’t.
gdi
Veteran
I have a couple of R lenses and have been thinking about getting an R6.2, but this thread got me thinking. But 6.2s keep going up in price and R8's keeps going down, so I have an R8 coming from KEH in a few days. They started a sale on film cameras this morning and a chrome R8 set me back less than $350.
That seems cheap enough to give one a shot. But I guess I'll have to start scouting for a couple of lenses for it - I only have 35 (VIII) and 28(VII) Elmarits. Both those lenses are very nice (especially the 28), but relatively slow at F2.8.
That seems cheap enough to give one a shot. But I guess I'll have to start scouting for a couple of lenses for it - I only have 35 (VIII) and 28(VII) Elmarits. Both those lenses are very nice (especially the 28), but relatively slow at F2.8.
Huss
Veteran
Hmm, I haven't had any issues. And there are replacement focus screens if you don't like the microprisms.
I prefer my R9 to my F6. Everything is exactly where it needs to be with no menu diving or needing to reprogram it if you have pulled the battery for a couple o weeks.
The problem with the R9/8 is that they showed up too late.
Skiff
Well-known
The R9 is really an excellent camera.
I've tried one some years ago and was very tempted, especially because of the excellent R lenses.
But then Zeiss introduced their new ZF / ZE (now Milvus) lens line.
And theres was / is the unsurpassed Nikon F6.
After a very long and intensive test I've found the F6 being even better than the amazing R9. And with the Zeiss lenses there are now lenses for the Nikons on the same quality level as the Leica R lenses.
Therefore I've taken the Nikon F6 and Zeiss (and Nikon, Sigma) lenses. And I've never looked back.
+1.
The current reversal films Provia 100F, Velvia 50 and 100 surpass every other color negative film in sharpness, resolution and fineness of grain significantly.
With reversal film you really see what a lens can deliver.
But of course you should avoid a quality decreasing imaging chain like scanning: First you loose lots of detail in the scanning process (especially with lower quality scanning options like amateur scanners or using digital cams), and then by looking at it on a computer monitor which is further reducing resolution to a huge extent (the resolution of monitors is tiny compared to what films and sensors really can resolve).
You get the full detail rendition by using an excellent slide loupe (from Schneider, Rodenstock, Leica, Peak etc.; for resolution control 10 - 15x loupes are best) and of course by using a slide projector with an excellent projection lens. The optical quality you get by this is absolutely outstanding!
And the best projectors are very cheap today.
I've tried one some years ago and was very tempted, especially because of the excellent R lenses.
But then Zeiss introduced their new ZF / ZE (now Milvus) lens line.
And theres was / is the unsurpassed Nikon F6.
After a very long and intensive test I've found the F6 being even better than the amazing R9. And with the Zeiss lenses there are now lenses for the Nikons on the same quality level as the Leica R lenses.
Therefore I've taken the Nikon F6 and Zeiss (and Nikon, Sigma) lenses. And I've never looked back.
+1.
The current reversal films Provia 100F, Velvia 50 and 100 surpass every other color negative film in sharpness, resolution and fineness of grain significantly.
With reversal film you really see what a lens can deliver.
But of course you should avoid a quality decreasing imaging chain like scanning: First you loose lots of detail in the scanning process (especially with lower quality scanning options like amateur scanners or using digital cams), and then by looking at it on a computer monitor which is further reducing resolution to a huge extent (the resolution of monitors is tiny compared to what films and sensors really can resolve).
You get the full detail rendition by using an excellent slide loupe (from Schneider, Rodenstock, Leica, Peak etc.; for resolution control 10 - 15x loupes are best) and of course by using a slide projector with an excellent projection lens. The optical quality you get by this is absolutely outstanding!
And the best projectors are very cheap today.
GarageBoy
Well-known
I always thought of R cameras as cameras you have to put up with just to use the R lenses (like contax and contarex) - the R8 is actually pleasant to use, if a bit big. My only gripe is the flimsy feeling back door (maybe its use me)