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  #1  
Old 23rd October 2019, 07:29 AM
Anon01 Anon01 is offline
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Default Who can tell me what Leica SLRs ARE Leica

and not Minolta

I would like at some stage to get a Leica SLR, but I am aware that some are in fact re bodied Minoltas, such as the R3, R4, R5, R6, R6.2, RE, R7,

Any ideas, is there really a LEICA............. LEICA or are they all Minolta's............... sorry Leica owners.

Thanks



.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 07:45 AM
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Rorymcw Rorymcw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannik View Post
and not Minolta

I would like at some stage to get a Leica SLR, but I am aware that some are in fact re bodied Minoltas, such as the R3, R4, R5, R6, R6.2, RE, R7,

Any ideas, is there really a LEICA............. LEICA or are they all Minolta's............... sorry Leica owners.

Thanks



.
I'm certainly not an expert on Leica though I do have one. The reputation for the R series is not great from what I can see. Like you I've been tempted to get one. However the Contax Rts 3 seems a better option as its better engineered and has the vacuum system to ensure the negative is flat. Though it is also electronic. The zeiss lenses are comparable to Leica in quality certainly in the R series I believe.
I have the Minolta Xd7 equivalent of the R4 and although it is a lovely camera it's curse is being fully electronic and a nightmare to repair. Mine has a fault I cannot trace. It will only wind on and cock the shutter if its in portrait. If you hold the camera as in landscape it fails to wind on and cock the shutter. Only a problem if you forget, which I do all the time. I'm reluctant to buy older cameras with electronics as repair is expensive now especially here in Spain.

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Last edited by Rorymcw; 23rd October 2019 at 08:10 AM.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 08:06 AM
Michael Michael is offline
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I have an R6.2 and am very happy with it. It's very well engineered but getting on a bit, of course. That model is, with the R6, the most "manual" of the R series.

I use it with a 60mm macro Elmarit and a 35mm Curtagon, which gives four-way shift and was made for the series by Schneider-Kreuznach.

As these are Leicas, with comparatively fewer bodies sold and therefore available for cannibalizing by repairers, I assume that buying an R needs more thinking about than buying a make that repairers can find parts for; so I'd not disagree with what Rory says.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 08:31 AM
John King John King is offline
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Firstly they are NOT re-bodied Minoltas (not that there is anything wrong with Minoltas per se) The R3 has a similar bodyshell, but strengthened in certain areas but the other internals except the shutter are pure Leica. There is an addition of spot metering as well in the R3. There was a meeting of two minds between the two companies, I believe it was that Leica had little experience with electronics that they went to them for R&D.

The R4/5/6/7 (and their derivatives) are also based on one of the Minolta models, but have been internally reworked up to Leica standards. The R5 and onwards had TTL flash. I believe, but cannot conform that the Minolta TTL flash guns from that period will work on Leica's too (possibly also the early AF ones too until they changed the shoe design.)

The Leica 35/70 constant aperture zoom is a Minolta clone. The optics are identical but the barrel and focussing is pure Leica. Likewise the 70/210 constant aperture Leica zoom, same optic but improved barrel.

For Leica to adopt these lenses into their line up shows that the Minolta brand was not a bad marque and didn't deserve to founder
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Old 23rd October 2019, 08:35 AM
John King John King is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rorymcw View Post
I have the Minolta Xd7 equivalent of the R4 and although it is a lovely camera it's curse is being fully electronic and a nightmare to repair. Mine has a fault I cannot trace. It will only wind on and cock the shutter if its in portrait. If you hold the camera as in landscape it fails to wind on and cock the shutter. Only a problem if you forget, which I do all the time. I'm reluctant to buy older cameras with electronics as repair is expensive now especially here in Spain.

Sent from my SNE-LX1 using Tapatalk
There is a camera repairer in Milton Keynes who was astute enough to buy up most, if not all of the Minolta spares when the company was bought by Sony. If anyone can repair it - he can - Google Camera Workshop in Milton Keynes. Telephone 01908 378088

He has serviced my Minolta XE1 (the donor body design for the Leica R3 and my even older Minolta XM which was a competitor intended to take on the Nikon F2. It has virtually the same specification but with additions such as an electronic shutter. They are now quite rare because not many were sold. Mine went to the repairer just to get it serviced and the film speed dial adjusted but it was given a clean bill of health after that. It has what must be the quietest shutter of any SLR I have ever owned.

Last edited by John King; 23rd October 2019 at 08:43 AM.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 10:39 AM
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Miha Miha is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannik View Post
and not Minolta

I would like at some stage to get a Leica SLR, but I am aware that some are in fact re bodied Minoltas, such as the R3, R4, R5, R6, R6.2, RE, R7,

Any ideas, is there really a LEICA............. LEICA or are they all Minolta's............... sorry Leica owners.

Thanks



.
Leicaflex, Leicaflex SL, Leicaflex SL2, R8, and R9 meet your definition.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 10:46 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John King View Post
There is a camera repairer in Milton Keynes who was astute enough to buy up most, if not all of the Minolta spares when the company was bought by Sony. If anyone can repair it - he can - Google Camera Workshop in Milton Keynes. Telephone 01908 378088

He has serviced my Minolta XE1 (the donor body design for the Leica R3 and my even older Minolta XM which was a competitor intended to take on the Nikon F2. It has virtually the same specification but with additions such as an electronic shutter. They are now quite rare because not many were sold. Mine went to the repairer just to get it serviced and the film speed dial adjusted but it was given a clean bill of health after that. It has what must be the quietest shutter of any SLR I have ever owned.
Thanks John. I will consider sending it to him. It has been to a repairer for this problem before. The previous owner had it looked at.
I've been servicing Rolleiflex TLR cameras for many years and have repaired Leica Barnack and many others Pentax Minolta etc. I stick to mechanical cameras on the whole. I am stumped by my Minolta though. I'm fairly convinced it's mechanical as it will wind on and cock the shutter in any position you hold it even upside down but not if you hold it normally in landscape format as is the norm when winding on film. I have a repair manual and I have been through the electronics but I'm not familiar enough with the model.

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Old 23rd October 2019, 03:01 PM
Anon01 Anon01 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Miha View Post
Leicaflex, Leicaflex SL, Leicaflex SL2, R8, and R9 meet your definition.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 07:33 PM
John King John King is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rorymcw View Post
Thanks John. I will consider sending it to him. It has been to a repairer for this problem before. The previous owner had it looked at.
I've been servicing Rolleiflex TLR cameras for many years and have repaired Leica Barnack and many others Pentax Minolta etc. I stick to mechanical cameras on the whole. I am stumped by my Minolta though. I'm fairly convinced it's mechanical as it will wind on and cock the shutter in any position you hold it even upside down but not if you hold it normally in landscape format as is the norm when winding on film. I have a repair manual and I have been through the electronics but I'm not familiar enough with the model.

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I agree with your provisional diagnosis that it is mechanical. It could be that something has come adrift internally and when the camera is in a certain position it jams up the works until you change it vertical format.

The repairer has a reasonably quick turn around time, I think my XM was away about a week. Give him a call first and see what he thinks.

Last edited by John King; 23rd October 2019 at 07:36 PM.
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