Leica R reliability

I remember Leica R in the windows of camera shops of the 80ies here in Austria.

The prices were so higher than other systems that it was dizzying. There was no sensible relationship discernible. You paid a multiple for a Leica R standard lens than for one from Minolta, which was hardly worse. I thought to myself at the time that anyone who bought a Leica already had their Porsche in the garage. Accordingly, the customers were people with budgets and they were well served.

The image that resonated with me at the time was that Leica was intended for the elite photographers, which is of course nonsense. A brilliant marketing success to date.

@Andreas Thaler I'm all in agreement with your sentiments. I only have some Rs and "lower end" lenses because they all became reasonable. At the time of their production years, all of them were non takers for me.

And I started with an SL2 actually, that came with several lenses. That got me interested in R line more than anything. For many reasons, in spite of SL's uniqueness in every way, I have found Rs to fit me well (and better), handling wise. Yet, they are not my first choice.

Of course the Leica R is something fine, otherwise I wouldn't have any of it myself And the quality of the optics is proven.

Today, this is no longer an issue given the low prices.

"Ask the man that owns one." was a Packard advertisement motto. People did just that and Packard went out of business. I have owned Nikon since 1964. After Leica M4 and M3 I was seduced into the Leicaflex system and eventually acquired SL and SL2. On a whim also bought a "Standard". Prisms on all SLs became discolored, giving viewfinder a yellow filter look. Replaced prism on SL2 (How many prisms do repair people still have on hand?) The electronics for my R4 died; I'll continue to use R5 until it dies. On the other hand, my two Nikon F and F2 (all with prism without meter) have gone on and on since '60s and 70s flawlessly. I attribute this outcome to superior mechanical design and materials. At the time of my purchase I assumed that Leicaflexes would possess equal or even better design and materials. Indeed, manufacturing cost of SL2 was more than selling price. Time has revealed my folly. I should add that one reason for getting Leicaflex was the ability to use many of my Leica lenses with adapters.
Unfortunately, Leica users were resistant to the Leica M5 (my wife's favorite camera), which doomed Leitz because unable to recoup development and manufacturing costs. Eventually various parts of Leitz were sold as brand names to various manufacturers.

Paepke Fototechnik in Düsseldorf/Germany


still repairs Leica R.

@guangong But that does not discredit what Leica R was and is.

SL2, in m y luck, has nothing in the finder, same for SL, but original Leicaflex (which I bought for cheap, because they had lenses attached) all 3 have prism issues, but those were not what market wanted, Then SLs had proven to be a flop too. But wouldn't they? Can't just run on a brand name, take on strong holds, and at a much higher price point with virtually zero history.

Andreas Thaler said:

Paepke Fototechnik in Düsseldorf/Germany

Service (English) – Paepke Fototechnik

paepke-fototechnik.de

still repairs Leica R.

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A couple of years back I asked them about putting a 3rd cam in one of the lenses. If I remember correctly that was no longer possible (probably lack of parts).

Yes, it's true that Salgado used the R system, but he used a lot of systems including Canon and Leica M and I think even Pentax 645. We first met decades ago when I volunteered as a photographer with MSF and met up last time he was in town

blee1996 said:

The Leica R5 is my favorite: just enough automation, still compact and solid, affordable, and dependable (so far). I have Minolta SLRs from that era, and I can definitely tell you that the Leica R5 is of a different class in terms of quality and finish. I pair my R5 with Elmarit-R 60/2.8 macro lens, and pretend that I were SEBASTIAO SALGADO making masterpieces.

...

The 135/2.8 is one of the most affordable Leica R lenses, and renders beautifully wide open for portraits. The 60/2.8 is still reasonable, and versatile for my carry-everywhere needs.

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R5+ 135/2.8 is surely a great combo, for EUR 500-600 you can buy a wonderful portrait outfit.

gorbas said:

Question for Leica R users, from your experience, what R body is the most reliable now, after 40+ years? How even older Leicaflexes are holding?
Is it possible to use "newer" 3 cam lenses on older Leicaflexes?
Also looking for some Leica R dedicated website or forums recommendations.

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I own an R5 which is not usable anymore, first lightleaks at the door, after repair the electronic circuits didn’t work anymore shortly after. Then I owned an R6.2 which has the reputation of being as reliable as an M4, which I own a long time now without problems, but it ended in the bin because the mechanism of the mirror in combination with the shutter was unrepairable. Then I tried the R7 for quite some time and without problems. On forums the message is often that it is the most reliable of the magnificent 7 (although the R1 and R2 didn’nt exist as such). I traded it in to afford my APO 35 M. My son has the Leicaflex 2 which is still working as it should. But it is quite a bulk.
The R8 is not as reliable as the R9, which is too expensive. In the end I decided to use my M10-R for the R lenses I love.

As always it's a common human desire to extrapolate out and hope everybody else is as miserable with their camera experience as you are. But stuff happens and complaints about the Leica R series are many on the internet, but equally we don't hear from people who haven't got something to complain about. On that ratio if you haven't got hundreds and hundreds of thousands of complaints you can be assured the actual number of gripes are far fewer than some people imagine or hope for. I have a Leica R-E, a short run version of the R5, and it's fine, and if it goes wrong the cost of another is less than the cost of a service and less than the cost of an equivalent Nikon body. And light leaks on the seals of any older camera can be repaired at home unless the prime directive is to moan about it.

"Ask the man who owns one" - so true. A lot of internet wisdom and urban legends around, and confirmation bias. Camera forums are usually full of posts asking for technical help. But that is not limited to one brand, or model.

My view: but a R body from Leica Classic or a comparable, reputable dealer with a warranty and right to return the item if not satisfied. Yes, it will cost you more than a bargain from Ebay from a private seller who "knows nothing about the camera" so he "could not test it".But so what? The pro dealers now want 300-500 EUR for a R body. Cheap enough, if you use it for another 10-20 years.