A most interesting appraisal of the R8. I used a pair of Leicaflex SL bodies with 28/35/50/90/135/180/250 lenses for 7 years before being tempted by an R8 black body. It was a revelation as my ‘flex
Pair had defunct meters and I used Gossen Lunalites. Their 9v batteries are readily available. I liked the R8 so much I bought another black body and my boyfriend sold off the ‘flexes for me. I read that repair of the R8 is not possible so I bought a third as a spare. In use I tend to carry two bodies and the 35 & 50 Summicrons. Sometimes the 28/2.8. I only use the 180 & 250 at cricket matches on the village green in my English village. The Umpire sometimes borrows my Leitz monopod to retrieve the ball when it goes in the duckpond. Yes, the R8 bodies are heavy, that’s why I rarely take more than two lenses. But I also carry a Filofax Deskfax in the front pocket of my Billingham 335 bag and that adds weight. No need for light meters though. In use I use Program with the Matrix metering and DX. So these fabulous German cameras are the most astonishing point and shoots. Digital? Oh no, far too complicated for me, what the fack is a megapixel? Sounds like an American chocolate bar!