Sold My Leica R3 for your Leicaflex SL2 WITHDRAWN

[J Durr]

I just got this R3 and have decided that I like the 'flex SL2 better. Anybody want to trade?
As nice as mine in black or silver. I will keep the summicron.

Thanks

 

[gone]

As one Mississippian to another, I'll tell you, that's a beautiful R3. I agree, the Leicaflex models are in a somewhat different league, but the R3 is a fine camera. I loved the metering on mine, and they have a nice shutter sound too.

 

[J Durr]

As one Mississippian to another, I'll tell you, that's a beautiful R3. I agree, the Leicaflex models are in a somewhat different league, but the R3 is a fine camera. I loved the metering on mine, and they have a nice shutter sound too.

Thanks, I plan on shooting with her tomorrow.

 

[guangong]

I doubt you will get any responses for a trade. The SL2 is in a class by itself. However, the R3, if working, should work long into the future. The R3 has many nice features and is a very capable camera.

 

[J Durr]

As one Mississippian to another, I'll tell you, that's a beautiful R3. I agree, the Leicaflex models are in a somewhat different league, but the R3 is a fine camera. I loved the metering on mine, and they have a nice shutter sound too.

Thanks

 

[J Durr]

I doubt you will get any responses for a trade. The SL2 is in a class by itself. However, the R3, if working, should work long into the future. The R3 has many nice features and is a very capable camera.

Thanks

 

[BMbikerider]

I doubt you will get any responses for a trade. The SL2 is in a class by itself. However, the R3, if working, should work long into the future. The R3 has many nice features and is a very capable camera.

The R3 is, underneath the name and black paint a modified Minolta XE1. I have the Minolta version and it is still soldiering on. It had a service a month ago and there was very little wrong with it so the engineer told me. Apart from lubing and re fitting new seals it is like new, your Leica will last a good few years yet.

 

[flavio81]

I just got this R3 and have decided that I like the 'flex SL2 better. Anybody want to trade?
As nice as mine in black or silver. I will keep the summicron.

Thanks

So, a Leica for your Minolta, is that fair?! Calm down, I'm just trolling...

But consider your R3 is probably easier to service than a SL2, will probably never suffer prism desilvering (unlike the SL2), and the shutter is probably more reliable (the tried and true Copal vertical shutter, in Minolta-Leitz version). And it has the auto mode, which is useful for candid shooting.

It's also based on the Minolta XE which really is an awesome machine, the first time I held one i was impressed. I am going to get a Leica SLR someday and I would have it very hard to decide between the Leicaflex series and the R3.

The subsequent R series aren't that nice, they are more mundane (R4,5,etc) or they are tacky pointless mounstruosities (R8). The R3 still has a German spirit dwelling inside.

 

[flavio81]

The R3 is, underneath the name and black paint a modified Minolta XE1. I have the Minolta version and it is still soldiering on. It had a service a month ago and there was very little wrong with it so the engineer told me. Apart from lubing and re fitting new seals it is like new, your Leica will last a good few years yet.

I'd say "upgraded Minolta", it has better optics and a more sophisticated metering system, plus it was built by Leitz so it probably has even better quality control and fit and finish.

The XE is a great machine, if someday I start a Minolta system i'll base it around an XE.

In fact, now that i think it... it would be an interesting project to fit a Minolta mount on a Leica R3... Minolta optics are underrated.

 

[binglebugbob]

I understand Leitz rebadged some of the Minolta lenses for the Leica SLRs. a 35-70 and a 70-210mm. and maybe others, can't remember.

 

[J Durr]

So, a Leica for your Minolta, is that fair?! Calm down, I'm just trolling...

But consider your R3 is probably easier to service than a SL2, will probably never suffer prism desilvering (unlike the SL2), and the shutter is probably more reliable (the tried and true Copal vertical shutter, in Minolta-Leitz version). And it has the auto mode, which is useful for candid shooting.

It's also based on the Minolta XE which really is an awesome machine, the first time I held one i was impressed. I am going to get a Leica SLR someday and I would have it very hard to decide between the Leicaflex series and the R3.

The subsequent R series aren't that nice, they are more mundane (R4,5,etc) or they are tacky pointless mounstruosities (R8). The R3 still has a German spirit dwelling inside.

You are good ..... I love my M3 (with no electronics). And I am no newbie to trading....."you get what you pay for".
I will do some more testing with the R3 and then decide. Somebody said it has a learning curve to get the hang of the "automatic" mode.
I will let y'all know how it shakes out...........

 

[beemermark]

I loved my Leica R3's. All three failed at some point (and this was over 20 years ago). Still have two laying around that don't work. No the R3 is NOT a Minolta XE. While Minolta and Leica "collaborated" on these models the electrics are different (something Leica had to do their way and their way was the wrong way. Same issues with the early R4's). Back when I was hoping someone would fix my R3 I was told by one of the "great" Leica repair people that most failures were due to poor soldering connections and when a repair was attempted in the rat nest of wires all that happened was more soldered joints would break. Usually after the original issue was corrected and the repair person was attempting to squeeze the rat nest back underneath the prism. So getting my Minolta XE, or my SL-2 , repaired doesn't seem to be an issue. Not sure of the status of repair options on my R7.

 

[gone]

I don't know about the SL2, but I was told by Sherry Krauter some years ago there were no more prisms for the Leicaflex Standard I had at the time. The prism was fine on mine, but she had a later model Leicaflex on her website I was interested in. Not sure if the SL2 prism is different.