Leica R
When you think of analog Leica cameras, chances are you picture the iconic Leica M Rangefinder cameras. However, these aren’t the only high quality 35mm cameras Leica made. Leica also made the Leica R, an SLR system. These cameras are workhorses through and through and have a wide range of high quality Leica R lenses available for it. These lenses offer the optical performance that you’re used to from Leica, but can be had for a lot less.
We regularly have different R-Mount cameras, Like the Leica R8 and Leica R9, as well as Leica R Mount lenses in stock. If you don’t see a Leica R listed below, please see our current offering of Used Leica Cameras.
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Leica R cameras
What started with the Leicaflex in 1964 ended with the Leica R9 in 2009. The thing that all these models have in common is the R-mount. The first true ‘R’ camera was the Leica R3 that launched in 1976. The R3 featured a Copal CLS electronic focal plane shutter, which was produced exclusively for Leica and Minolta. The R3 was also the first R-Mount camera to feature aperture priority mode. The Leica R4 till R7 shared a similar design with each rendition adding more advanced and automatic modes as well as the Leica R7 offering complete flash automation. The Leica R8 was designed in house by Leica, and was a clear break from the previous design. The Leica R8 body is bigger, more comfortable to hold and has a very bright viewfinder that makes focussing a breeze. The intuitive layout of the body’s controls make the camera easy to control without having to take your eye from the viewfinder. The Leica features different metering modes, automatic exposure modes and burst modes. The shutterspeed goes all the way from 16s to 1/8000th of a second, meaning you will never have to miss a moment.
The Leica R9 was a bit lighter than the Leica R8 and features some electronic improvements, like the ability to tune the sensitivity of matrix metering in steps of 0.1 EV independently of the other metering modes, and several improvements to the flash support, compared to previous models.
Leica Digital-Module R
One of the coolest features of the Leica R8 and R9 is the Leica Digital-Module R. This digital back turns the analog SLR cameras into digital cameras! The back is simple to attach, and features a 10 megapixel Kodak CCD sensor. The sensor has a 1.37x crop factor and an ISO range from 100-800. The option to use a digital back means that the Leica R8 and Leica R9 are hybrid cameras that you can use as an analogue and digital camera. This opens a whole new world of creative possibilities!
Leica R lenses.
There are a lot of fantastic lenses available for the Leica R lenses available in a lot of different focal lengths. An SLR makes focussing longer lenses easier, so there are plenty of options in this range. The LEICA APO-Telyt-R 180mm f/3.4 and the Leica 70–180 mm f/2.8 Vario-APO-Elmarit-R zoom are examples of the outstanding lenses available. This doesn’t mean however that the more standard prime lenses are less in quality. Primes like the Leica 50 mm f/2.0 Summicron offer great quality and have the ‘Leica look’ that photographers and filmmakers are after. The Leica R lenses have been ‘discovered’ by the cinematographers for their beautiful rendering, bokeh and contrast.
Buy a Leica R camera or lens at the Leica Store Amsterdam
All our Leica R products are checked, have had a CLA (Clean Lubricate & Adjust) and therefor come with a 6 months Store Warranty. This way you can be confident in the quality of the secondhand Leica products you buy from us.
