Excellent video! I have an R8 along with the Digital Module R and it is fantastic! The 10MP CCD sensor designed in partnership with Kodak and Imacon captures incredible colors through the R glass. Leica was the first to make an interchangeable digital back for a film camera, and the switch to and from digital is seamless. The R8 and R9 are underrated cameras but they growing in popularity which I am excited to see! Don't miss out on the photographic experience these cameras offer! Thank you Bellamy for spreading the word about these cameras!
Video @ 5:07 - "parabolic pattern Fresnel sub-mirror" - It's a rather large 'piggyback' mirror hinged to the back of the main swinging mirror. It serves to reflect the image/lighting into the exposure cell which is located in the FLOOR of the mirrorbox.
I got one of these for £300 at the tail end of 2019. I can't believe they have been going for what some people pay for a Pentax K1000. It's an extraordinary camera.
Just picked one up myself for £340 in box - me being a dumbass I thought my Leica M mount Summicron would adapt but no 🙃 don’t think I can afford to get glass for the thing, guess it’s just gonna sit and look pretty
I love the way you've paired the curved and chunky body with the sharp square lens hood. Huge fan of yours and I'm loving all the recent videos you've been putting out!
I had the R8 with a 50mm f2 Leica lens ,i used it at my daughter's wedding on the Greek island of Kos ,it was a delight to use ,it was probably my biggest photo mistake when I sold it a few years later , I really miss it years later
It is the most athestically pleasing looking camera there is, only 2nd to the F5. I love my F5 to death. But I will be picking one of these up. I remember the first time I saw it in the camera shop in 1998. I was in awe of it. It has stood the test of time.
Nice review! My father has both the R8 and the R9, so I've had the chance to play a bit with them. The design feels like a forerunner of the digital medium-format Leica S1 and S2. I wouldn't go as far as to call them ugly as many people do, but their ergonomics doesn't really work for me - they actually feel quite gigantic and awkward in my hands (side note: my hands are not small). My R6.2 feels much better - it has that shutter lag, sure, but that doesn't bother me much. The R8 and the R9 are pretty capable beasts, but nowadays what scares me about them is their (lack of) serviceability. My father had problems with the motordrive's battery, which could never be replaced, and that was quite a few years ago. Curiously, Leica seems to want to forget they've ever created the R8 and the R9 - they got rid of all spare parts, selling them to Fototechnik Paepke in Düsseldorf, and the latter issued a while later a statement saying that the electronic parts are basically all used out, which makes these cameras basically worldwide unserviceable. If some electronic component fails, you've got quite a fancy paperweight on your hands. It's actually not hard to find an used R8 (the R9 is much rarer and sells at a premium), and from time to time I entertain the idea of getting one, but the ghost of unserviceability keeps haunting me. That's one of the many reasons I prefer fully mechanical film cameras like the R6.2 if I'm to use the gorgeous R glass. Problem with the latter is, since the video/cine folks started adapting them their prices (which have never been really low, but still less expensive than M glass) have skyrocketed.
I have to say I never really understood the criticism of the camera's looks. When you consider the Canon and Nikon outputs at the time it's really quite a measured and sleek design without a big protruding pentaprism or massive grip. People just be haters. I've had mine for about 8 years now and I can honestly say it's the most comfortable camera to hold and use I've come across, especially as someone with larger hands. Lenses are expensive but older 3cams can still be had for reasonable-ish prices; used to be better before the mirrorless crowd discovered them!
I got my R9 Last year. Pretty much the same camera. The repairing part is the one that scares me more. But It looks super solid and the ergonomic is fantastic! Thanks for this video, there is not too much about this camera online so every piece of advice counts. Thanks again
@@japancamerahunter We have both as well. We often entertain selling the R8 and just keeping the R9... but one is black the other anthracite... so keep em both??!
I shoot with a Canon EOS1 + Grip / booster, and people have always commented on the huge size of the camera, but the ergonomics are fantastic. I'll never get rid of it even though dare I admit it, I do shoot on digital mainly, but even then it's with Canon 90% of the time.
When I first saw this camera at a camera trade show when I was a kid, I thought it was the coolest looking 35mm camera I'd ever seen. I still do. Ended up buying an R9 because I was too much of a snob for the "made in Portugal" text on the R8. Lens prices and availability are a problem. It's not a camera that makes a lot of sense on paper but I just love it. Keep the videos coming!
I got one a year ago. It is actually very good to hold - and the R lenses are amazing. After shooting 9 films it got a problem with the shutter. Now it is sitting in the cabinet, waiting for me to decide what to do 😒.
I recently acquired an R8 in very good condition (refurbished) and I am quite surprised at how capable it is. I was worried that it would feel too big and heavy mainly because of reviews like yours that make that claim. This is actually smaller and lighter than my Nikon F4 and really not significantly different in size from my Contax RX or Canon T-90. I find the ergonomics much better than expected which mitigates the size and weight substantially for me. Definitely better overall than my R7, SL2 or SL. I was honestly getting to the point of selling off all of my R gear when I picked this up, now I am not. Not a moment too soon as I really like the R glass rendering. Maybe I should encourage anyone who reports on the R8 to drive its popularity down so I can still afford a 2nd R8 body!
A brilliant move selling off that autofocus system to Minolta. I am not sure if that is the autofocus system that Minolta implemented, but they eventually went bankrupt because Honeywell sued them for using their autofocus system (they won big time).
Nice video. Would love to see you do a review of the Contax RTS III if you come across one. A camera I've always loved but with two flaws; 1. The viewfinder readout is difficult to read in strong light. 2. The AE lock can be switched on by accident relatively easily. I think it is one of the greatest sounding cameras of all time.
In my opinion the R8 was a bit of a failure . 6 years earlier Contax released the RTS III, that can do all the R8 does, has a built in motor drive, a high eye point, 100% viewfinder, a built in flash meter, a film flat sucker, and looks rather pretty, instead of rather ugly. It ended up being dubbed “the black diamond”. Rather more flattering than “the hunchback”.
The meter of the R8 is so most sensitive that if you put the camera in front of a TV for example in selective mode you will see the values are constant change because the light emitted by TV change all the ways...Amazing sensitive!
My Minolta XDS (built ~1977) also has a diopter, but I don't have to detach a part of the eye peace... you know,...ergonomics....Incidentally, I own the XD7 since 1983. 1990 I purchased a used Leica R 5. I didn't know then about the Minolta / Leica cooperation and had a very ...”pronounced" deja vu experience 😉
I dont care what people say, I think the R8 is a very sexy looking camera. love mine. their ergonomics are wonderful, for me anyway, I dont have to take my eyes from the viewfinder to change any of the settings. and like yourself, I'm a big Nikon fangirl, so it will never replace them...but it will always be one of my favourite cameras. if you do decide to get another lens, have a think about the 90mm F 2.8 Elmarit. I have one, and given the right settings they can produce images that almost have a 3D look to them.
This was the first leica I ever bought. Great inovations but it's viewfinder is too small and does not give you full field of view. Will never sell mine but it's been retired in favor of the m6.
Hello - these camera has come down in price to around 400 - 600 range... you can get r lens for not so much money.... Do you think this is a good system to get into film photography compared to the likes of Nikon fm3?
I don't trust the aesthetic sense of people who say this camera is ugly. Unusual != ugly. It's a very coherent, unified design with some great lines on it. Very good looking. I would really like the idea if I liked big 35mm cameras which I definitely do not. But it's a far better looking camera than some that are swooned over due mostly - in my opinion - to their place in camera history than a genuine first-impression of aesthetics.
But it is not digital! User must have a dark room & agrandisor to establish to shots am I missing something? Only photography studying faculty students msy be interested in ha? Leica is a legend esoecially lensesthe perspective light observation I wish I could try some moment R8 to see myself
I love how R8 looks. I really do. However, that's the only thing I like in the camera. I hate everything else about it. By far the worst kit in my collection. For starters, it is full of gremlins: light leaks (in a NEW camera!!! - everything looks intact, pristine, I can't even source whether the leak comes from no matter how hard I try), exposure meter logic (Nikon's matrix metering is better), blank frames and on top of that it is impossible to hold comfortably even in my gorilla-sized hands. Dials have sharp edges. You can't carry the camera by the grip like you would do any other electronic body of the 90's. The multiple exposure flick has a tendency to decouple the advance lever from the mechanism, so it moves freely without resistance. It's a mystery how the lever returns back to working order without damaging anything. The frame counter doesn't work. It always shows "00". The shutter button travel is far too long and given the size and the sheer mass of the body, the camera still trembles like a tectonic plate after every exposure. The mirror damping is a far cry from what Nikon has acheived with their isolated shutter assembly with mirror balancer in F5 and F6. I also don't like the shutter sound, but that's a personal nitpick. All-in-all, there are no better film cameras than F5 and F6, so I will cherish them for years to come unlike the R8, which, maybe, I will sell sooner or later. There are valid reasons why this initially uber-expensive camera has dropped to $400 in price in recent years. It is difficult to find the Nikon F6, but you are blessed to choose from dozens of R8s and R9s on various selling boards - people don't hold onto them and there are really valid reasons why it is so easy to find a camera made only in 32000 (R8) and 9000 (R9) units. Leica quality is a myth.
Thats because with the glass being so good, many R mount lenses are being adapted by people who use them to shoot video. a shame really. hopefully they wont drive the prices too much higher. would like to get a couple more for my R8.
Entertaining presentation of an interesting camera! Bellamy, your show is like the "Top Gear" of cameras 😁
Excellent video! I have an R8 along with the Digital Module R and it is fantastic! The 10MP CCD sensor designed in partnership with Kodak and Imacon captures incredible colors through the R glass. Leica was the first to make an interchangeable digital back for a film camera, and the switch to and from digital is seamless. The R8 and R9 are underrated cameras but they growing in popularity which I am excited to see! Don't miss out on the photographic experience these cameras offer! Thank you Bellamy for spreading the word about these cameras!
Video @ 5:07 - "parabolic pattern Fresnel sub-mirror" - It's a rather large 'piggyback' mirror hinged to the back of the main swinging mirror.
It serves to reflect the image/lighting into the exposure cell which is located in the FLOOR of the mirrorbox.
The design of the R8 body is what essentially informed a lot of Panasonic Micro Four Thirds body designs, the G series, the GH series for example.
check the Exa series ...
I got one of these for £300 at the tail end of 2019. I can't believe they have been going for what some people pay for a Pentax K1000. It's an extraordinary camera.
The price of Leica R lens is a hidden excuse!
Just picked one up myself for £340 in box - me being a dumbass I thought my Leica M mount Summicron would adapt but no 🙃 don’t think I can afford to get glass for the thing, guess it’s just gonna sit and look pretty
I love the way you've paired the curved and chunky body with the sharp square lens hood. Huge fan of yours and I'm loving all the recent videos you've been putting out!
I had the R8 with a 50mm f2 Leica lens ,i used it at my daughter's wedding on the Greek island of Kos ,it was a delight to use ,it was probably my biggest photo mistake when I sold it a few years later , I really miss it years later
That large shutter speed dial and “ugly” looks really remind me of the Leica M5. Very utilitarian, and both don’t actually look ugly to my eyes.
I find the M5 to be both ugly and unergonomic. The R8 is both beautiful and ergonomic.
I simply love my R8, and it‘s a beauty, not ugly at all. 😁
I also love mine, even after 20 years is a beautiful camera and a joy to use.
It is the most athestically pleasing looking camera there is, only 2nd to the F5. I love my F5 to death. But I will be picking one of these up. I remember the first time I saw it in the camera shop in 1998. I was in awe of it. It has stood the test of time.
super underrated camera in the leica lineup, but I wonder how repairable they will be in the future…
Nice review! My father has both the R8 and the R9, so I've had the chance to play a bit with them. The design feels like a forerunner of the digital medium-format Leica S1 and S2. I wouldn't go as far as to call them ugly as many people do, but their ergonomics doesn't really work for me - they actually feel quite gigantic and awkward in my hands (side note: my hands are not small). My R6.2 feels much better - it has that shutter lag, sure, but that doesn't bother me much.
The R8 and the R9 are pretty capable beasts, but nowadays what scares me about them is their (lack of) serviceability. My father had problems with the motordrive's battery, which could never be replaced, and that was quite a few years ago. Curiously, Leica seems to want to forget they've ever created the R8 and the R9 - they got rid of all spare parts, selling them to Fototechnik Paepke in Düsseldorf, and the latter issued a while later a statement saying that the electronic parts are basically all used out, which makes these cameras basically worldwide unserviceable. If some electronic component fails, you've got quite a fancy paperweight on your hands.
It's actually not hard to find an used R8 (the R9 is much rarer and sells at a premium), and from time to time I entertain the idea of getting one, but the ghost of unserviceability keeps haunting me. That's one of the many reasons I prefer fully mechanical film cameras like the R6.2 if I'm to use the gorgeous R glass. Problem with the latter is, since the video/cine folks started adapting them their prices (which have never been really low, but still less expensive than M glass) have skyrocketed.
I have to say I never really understood the criticism of the camera's looks. When you consider the Canon and Nikon outputs at the time it's really quite a measured and sleek design without a big protruding pentaprism or massive grip. People just be haters. I've had mine for about 8 years now and I can honestly say it's the most comfortable camera to hold and use I've come across, especially as someone with larger hands.
Lenses are expensive but older 3cams can still be had for reasonable-ish prices; used to be better before the mirrorless crowd discovered them!
I was always intrigued as to what you would say about this dark horse of a camera
It’s definitely in the regular lineup. Especially once I get a 50mm for it.
I got my R9 Last year. Pretty much the same camera. The repairing part is the one that scares me more. But It looks super solid and the ergonomic is fantastic!
Thanks for this video, there is not too much about this camera online so every piece of advice counts. Thanks again
Very nice!
@@japancamerahunter We have both as well. We often entertain selling the R8 and just keeping the R9... but one is black the other anthracite... so keep em both??!
I just got my Leica R8 with a Summilux 50mm F1.4 lens, The construction was fantastic. The view finder was bright and clear. I love it very much.
Thanks for sharing
I shoot with a Canon EOS1 + Grip / booster, and people have always commented on the huge size of the camera, but the ergonomics are fantastic.
I'll never get rid of it even though dare I admit it, I do shoot on digital mainly, but even then it's with Canon 90% of the time.
Wonderfully informative as always!
Glad it was helpful!
I have this camera with 3 lenses, designed superbly.
When I first saw this camera at a camera trade show when I was a kid, I thought it was the coolest looking 35mm camera I'd ever seen. I still do. Ended up buying an R9 because I was too much of a snob for the "made in Portugal" text on the R8. Lens prices and availability are a problem. It's not a camera that makes a lot of sense on paper but I just love it. Keep the videos coming!
My R8 had Made in Germany printed on the back?
The hump shape reminds me the golden friendly aliens in 5th element. Dream of having one some day.
Seriously great review today Bellamy!
Many thanks!
I'd like to see your take on the Leica M5
I want one so badly but lenses for it are so expensive :P
Great review as always Bellamy! Please consider doing a review of the Contax S2b if you ever come across one. Have been listing after one for years!
Subbed! Thx for talking about these ‘quikier’ cameras
Thanks for the sub!
I got one a year ago. It is actually very good to hold - and the R lenses are amazing. After shooting 9 films it got a problem with the shutter. Now it is sitting in the cabinet, waiting for me to decide what to do 😒.
I got mine last year as well the R9, wichis pretty much the same. The repairing part is the only thing that scares me :(. Besides that I love it.
What a beefy camera. My precious…
Love my silver R8) Best friend for 35 film) Thanks for review )
I recently acquired an R8 in very good condition (refurbished) and I am quite surprised at how capable it is. I was worried that it would feel too big and heavy mainly because of reviews like yours that make that claim. This is actually smaller and lighter than my Nikon F4 and really not significantly different in size from my Contax RX or Canon T-90. I find the ergonomics much better than expected which mitigates the size and weight substantially for me. Definitely better overall than my R7, SL2 or SL. I was honestly getting to the point of selling off all of my R gear when I picked this up, now I am not. Not a moment too soon as I really like the R glass rendering. Maybe I should encourage anyone who reports on the R8 to drive its popularity down so I can still afford a 2nd R8 body!
A brilliant move selling off that autofocus system to Minolta. I am not sure if that is the autofocus system that Minolta implemented, but they eventually went bankrupt because Honeywell sued them for using their autofocus system (they won big time).
I always thought it was one of the most beautiful SLRs
Exactly! I really don't get it how it got flak for its looks. I kinda would think it'd gotten flak for not having AF or auto winding as standard.
Nice video. Would love to see you do a review of the Contax RTS III if you come across one. A camera I've always loved but with two flaws; 1. The viewfinder readout is difficult to read in strong light. 2. The AE lock can be switched on by accident relatively easily. I think it is one of the greatest sounding cameras of all time.
cool camera!
In my opinion the R8 was a bit of a failure . 6 years earlier Contax released the RTS III, that can do all the R8 does, has a built in motor drive, a high eye point, 100% viewfinder, a built in flash meter, a film flat sucker, and looks rather pretty, instead of rather ugly. It ended up being dubbed “the black diamond”. Rather more flattering than “the hunchback”.
Thanks man! This is truly. A beautiful body. Too bad I don’t see more of them in the field.
You and me both!
The reason you don't see them often in the field is that these are junk cameras. Photographers neither have time, nor will to deal with this Diva.
The meter of the R8 is so most sensitive that if you put the camera in front of a TV for example in selective mode you will see the values are constant change because the light emitted by TV change all the ways...Amazing sensitive!
parabolic pattern fresnel sub-mirror.
i`m pretty shure the X-men have one of those LOL
My Minolta XDS (built ~1977) also has a diopter, but I don't have to detach a part of the eye peace... you know,...ergonomics....Incidentally, I own the XD7 since 1983. 1990 I purchased a used Leica R 5. I didn't know then about the Minolta / Leica cooperation and had a very ...”pronounced" deja vu experience 😉
Never understood how Leica could make such beautiful rangefinders, and then their SLR's look like... this...
Had one for a while... moved it off and kept my Leicaflex SL2 and a R6
How do you like your SL2 compared to the R6? I'm looking for one.
I dont care what people say, I think the R8 is a very sexy looking camera. love mine. their ergonomics are wonderful, for me anyway, I dont have to take my eyes from the viewfinder to change any of the settings. and like yourself, I'm a big Nikon fangirl, so it will never replace them...but it will always be one of my favourite cameras. if you do decide to get another lens, have a think about the 90mm F 2.8 Elmarit. I have one, and given the right settings they can produce images that almost have a 3D look to them.
Love your videos Bellamy! Where did you get that Nikon slr workmat(?) I’m a bit of a Nikon fanboy and would love to get one.
It was a gift from a friend many years ago. I have no idea where to get one unfortunately. They were given out to Nikon dealers.
"Seriously cool"
This was the first leica I ever bought. Great inovations but it's viewfinder is too small and does not give you full field of view. Will never sell mine but it's been retired in favor of the m6.
Thanks for sharing
what lens is that
Leica M’s should have a built-in diopter.
Hello - these camera has come down in price to around 400 - 600 range... you can get r lens for not so much money.... Do you think this is a good system to get into film photography compared to the likes of Nikon fm3?
Absolutely. But be prepared as they will break eventually and cannot be repaired.
Where are the results of the pictures taken with this camera ?
☺️☺️
I don't trust the aesthetic sense of people who say this camera is ugly. Unusual != ugly. It's a very coherent, unified design with some great lines on it. Very good looking. I would really like the idea if I liked big 35mm cameras which I definitely do not. But it's a far better looking camera than some that are swooned over due mostly - in my opinion - to their place in camera history than a genuine first-impression of aesthetics.
This seems quite like the MZ-S high end pentax camera.
Nice 16710 👑
16700, but thanks :)
@@japancamerahunter Ahh. Duh. GMT-Master, *not* GMT-Master II ;)
Lens 28mm?
21mm Super Angulon.
1:42 😂
Bi think they are really cool. But, like you I’ve had a love affair with Nikon
But it is not digital! User must have a dark room & agrandisor to establish to shots am I missing something? Only photography studying faculty students msy be interested in ha? Leica is a legend esoecially lensesthe perspective light observation I wish I could try some moment R8 to see myself
I love how R8 looks. I really do. However, that's the only thing I like in the camera. I hate everything else about it. By far the worst kit in my collection. For starters, it is full of gremlins: light leaks (in a NEW camera!!! - everything looks intact, pristine, I can't even source whether the leak comes from no matter how hard I try), exposure meter logic (Nikon's matrix metering is better), blank frames and on top of that it is impossible to hold comfortably even in my gorilla-sized hands. Dials have sharp edges. You can't carry the camera by the grip like you would do any other electronic body of the 90's. The multiple exposure flick has a tendency to decouple the advance lever from the mechanism, so it moves freely without resistance. It's a mystery how the lever returns back to working order without damaging anything. The frame counter doesn't work. It always shows "00". The shutter button travel is far too long and given the size and the sheer mass of the body, the camera still trembles like a tectonic plate after every exposure. The mirror damping is a far cry from what Nikon has acheived with their isolated shutter assembly with mirror balancer in F5 and F6. I also don't like the shutter sound, but that's a personal nitpick. All-in-all, there are no better film cameras than F5 and F6, so I will cherish them for years to come unlike the R8, which, maybe, I will sell sooner or later.
There are valid reasons why this initially uber-expensive camera has dropped to $400 in price in recent years. It is difficult to find the Nikon F6, but you are blessed to choose from dozens of R8s and R9s on various selling boards - people don't hold onto them and there are really valid reasons why it is so easy to find a camera made only in 32000 (R8) and 9000 (R9) units. Leica quality is a myth.
It resembles an overweight Exakta Varex.
The sheer cost of glass for this - no third party ones either - is a serious downside you seem to have forgotten.
Did you miss the part about me selling a kidney to fund the glass?
Thats because with the glass being so good, many R mount lenses are being adapted by people who use them to shoot video. a shame really. hopefully they wont drive the prices too much higher. would like to get a couple more for my R8.
pls fix audio
K
Really annoying guy.