Beater Leica R8

[blockend]

Why is there tape over “B”?

See post #12

 

[Huss]

Further use update - the design really is something else. With camera to eye, I have not used anything that is this easy to change metering modes or metering patterns. Adjusting the exposure in manual mode just by turning the shutter speed dial with one finger, or turning the aperture dial is perfect, and the readouts in the VF - the same.
But I just don't get how this camera is this heavy! Still waiting to finish this film..

 

[Huss]

Final update! The tape worked! No more scratches. And I know it was the tape because even though I unloaded the film part way through the roll to perform the maintenance others had suggested, the film was scratch free from beginning to end.
Super cheap, easy fix. I wonder how often I need to replace that tape.

 

[blockend]

Glad you fixed it.

 

[Huss]

Glad you fixed it.

Thanks! And for less than pennies (not sure how much a 1/2 inch piece of sellotape costs!)

From my scratch free roll courtesy of Summicron 50, Fuji and it's lovely C200 film:

 

[logan.egbert]

Question for you, @Huss: Do you know if there is any reason why the hotshoe on an R8 would not fire a wireless trigger? I have an Orlit and a Flashpoint trigger and the hotshoe will not fire either of them. Maybe because they're both designed for Sony cameras, but that never stopped them from working with my old Hasselblad H2.

I still have a week or so to return the camera and find another if it's just a matter of the hotshoe being broken.

 

[Huss]

Sorry Logan, I have only used a direct flash with it and it works fine (SF24D). If you are in the Los Angeles area you can try your wireless trigger on my R8 (and R9) to see if it works on them.

 

[locutus]

My R8 will fire cheap Yongnuo triggers just fine.

Have you tried triggering using the PC port instead of the hotshoe?

 

[film_man]

Question for you, @Huss: Do you know if there is any reason why the hotshoe on an R8 would not fire a wireless trigger? I have an Orlit and a Flashpoint trigger and the hotshoe will not fire either of them. Maybe because they're both designed for Sony cameras, but that never stopped them from working with my old Hasselblad H2.

I still have a week or so to return the camera and find another if it's just a matter of the hotshoe being broken.

If the triggers are designed for another camera (like Sony in your case) then it is down to chance if they work with another camera system. The only hotshoe they will probably work for sure is one with just the big central contact (without the the smaller ones around it). Otherwise the trigger will try to communicate with the camera via the other contacts as well and it won't know what to do. You can try putting some thin tape on the small contacts on the edges of the hotshoe and see if that works.

 

[logan.egbert]

Sorry Logan, I have only used a direct flash with it and it works fine (SF24D). If you are in the Los Angeles area you can try your wireless trigger on my R8 (and R9) to see if it works on them.

I'm in Portland, but thanks for the offer!

My R8 will fire cheap Yongnuo triggers just fine.

Have you tried triggering using the PC port instead of the hotshoe?

I did. I was able to trigger a Godox trigger, but not the Orlit one I actually use using the PC-Sync. I think the Orlit trigger's pc port is broken.

If the triggers are designed for another camera (like Sony in your case) then it is down to chance if they work with another camera system. The only hotshoe they will probably work for sure is one with just the big central contact (without the the smaller ones around it). Otherwise the trigger will try to communicate with the camera via the other contacts as well and it won't know what to do. You can try putting some thin tape on the small contacts on the edges of the hotshoe and see if that works.

This is probably the best explanation. Thanks, I'll try that trick with the tape.