Leica R-3 Electronic

[PFMcFarland]

I found a less expensive entry point into the Red Dot Club. Now I just need to get some more lenses for it.


Leica R-3 by P F McFarland, on Flickr

PF

[Julio1fer]

Looks like a nice machine. I have never seen one of these in the flesh. Does the reflex series have the cult and jewelry status of the RF Leitz?

[minoly]

Phil, Congratulations on the R3! It doesn't look like it has been used that much. I'll be eager to see some photos made with it.

Bill Delehanty

[LarryD]

Pretty looking. I will keep my eye open for lenses.

[PFMcFarland]

Thanks, all. The R-3 was made in response to the belief that Leica had fallen way behind on their SLR offerings in the Leicaflex line. The R series didn't gain the cultist following, Julio, because at its core it is a Minolta. A Minolta built like a tank, that is. All brass construction, it improves on the Minolta designs with what appears to be mostly mechanical controls, though in reality it is an aperture priority automatic camera. The metering system though is designed to be able to use it in manual aperture or shutter priority modes by the clever inclusion of the meter needle with the shutter speed indicator scale on the right side of the viewfinder. The indicated shutter speed on the scale is only an approximation of the actual speed when in Automatic mode, as the metal bladed vertical drive shutter is then step-less.

It has +/- 2 stops of compensation, spot or center-weighted metering, DoF preview, self timer, frame wound indication in the frame counter, easy to set double exposure facility, X and M flash sync, 1/90 sync speed (also the default speed when the batteries fail), a single pin hot shoe built into the prism hump, viewfinder blind for long exposures, and film can window on the back.

The biggest attraction though for users of the R line of Leica SLRs are the legendary lenses. And of course their quirky ways of operation, such as the lens hoods that also act as Series filter holders, such as on my Elmarit 1:2.8/28 3-cam Ver II which uses the VII size.

Another reason the R series doesn't garner the attention the M rangefinders do is that most of them were made in Portugal. It just doesn't have that Wetzlar cache. But I don't care. To celebrate my purchase, last night I had Chile Chicken Verde with black beans and polenta for supper. It was a consignment sale, and doesn't appear to have many miles on it. The only faults I can find are the need for new seals soon, and the red dot is missing on the lens. It's loaded with some Kodak T-Max 100, and a yellow filter is in the hood. Now I just have to wait for the weather to cooperate a bit.

PF

[LarryD]

You would think that anything with a red dot would be made in India. On a serious note I have a friend in Australia and all he uses are Leica SLR cameras.

[Julio1fer]

I have noticed that Leica R users are loyal followers. Good luck with the lenses, PF!

[OpenWater]

Very slick looking camera. And nothing wrong with it being derived from a beefed-up Minolta. The lenses do make people go weak in the knees.

[titrisol]

in the early 90s a firend got an R5, It was such a great camera!
He only had 1 or 2 lenses, and at some point he found an Angenieux zoom that was adapted for Leica R
Congrats!!!

[Brazile]

Between the R3 and the dinner, you're doing great...

Robert