A small part of Leica : few cameras and lenses of the R system
Português:
Leica é, certamente, a mais emblemática marca na história da fotografia, seguida por Carl Zeiss, Rolleiflex e Hasselblad. E há as duas grandes marcas japonesas: Nikon (a partir dos anos 1960s) e Canon (com o sistema EOS, nos anos 1980s). Portanto, discorrer sobre a Leica, é assunto para muitas páginas e livros. Vamos, de forma muito sucinta e sem aprofundamentos, abordar os pontos mais relevantes. Leitz, empresa onde foi criada a Leica (LEItz CAmera) era e é - uma empresa localizada em Wetzlar, Alemanha, que fabricava equipamentos ópticos como microscópios e aparelhos medicinais. Nos anos 1920s, o técnico Oskar Barnack, apaixonado por música e natureza, propôs a construção de uma câmera compacta, utilizando filme 135mm. Foi uma decisão difícil para os proprietários (a família Leitz) mas o risco foi assumido. Assim, nasceu a câmera Leica. Inicialmente, eram máquinas com lentes intercambiáveis com uma rosca de 39mm. Nos anos 1950s, foi lançada a Leica M3, com a baioneta M, que passou a dominar o mercado juntando-se à Rollleiflex. Nos anos 1960s, uma grande revolução: Nikon lançou sua reflex Nikon F, que rapidamente passou a dominar o mercado profissional. Isso trouxe imensas dificuldades para a Leica (entre tantas outras), cujo principal pilar era as câmeras a telêmetro. A Leica tentou criar suas reflex, mas o desenvolvimento foi longo e os produtos eram inferiores (em termos de aplicabilidade e inserção no mercado) ao que era proposto pela Nikon. Isso não impediu que as Leicaflex fossem lançadas, a preços muito altos; uma das melhores da série foi a Leicaflex SL (1968), aqui apresentada. Totalmente fabricada na Alemanha, possuía um excelente visor e boa mecânica. É um prazer usar essa câmera. Mas a concorrência, e não somente da Nikon, era acirrada. Em dificuldades financeiras, a Leica fez parceria com a Minolta para fabricar várias câmeras reflex, começando pela R3 (1976, cópia da Minolta XE-1) e depois passando para a R4 (1980, origem Minolta XD-11). Eram câmeras frágeis, mas a série continuou; melhorou com a R5 (1987) indo até a Leica R7 (1992, também apresentada aqui), que já eram bons equipamentos. Mas vale ressaltar que nesta época, por exemplo, a Canon já havia lançado a (tecnicamente muito mais avançada) EOS 1, câmera autofocus e imenso sucesso de vendas. Em 1996, foi lançada a Leica R8, câmera de forma esquisita, apresentando problemas e somente a R9 (2002), sua evolução, era um equipamento confiável. Em paralelo com os corpos das Leicaflex e Leica R, bastante controversos, a Leica lançou uma série de lentes excelentes (que sem dúvidas mereciam melhores câmeras) tanto na construção mecânica como na parte óptica. O sistema R podia ser adquirido por valores bem baixos a partir dos anos 1990s, o que me possibilitou colecionar o que é apresentado. Em 2009 Leica interrompeu completamente a fabricação de toda a linha R, lentes e câmeras.
A Leica manteve e mantém até hoje, sobretudo na forma digital suas câmeras que utilizam a famosa baioneta M. Continuam sendo equipamentos muito caros. Pessoalmente, eu nunca me adaptei bem com visor a telêmetro das Leica M (deficiente para quem usa óculos e impreciso com longas focais, que são as minhas preferidas). Já possui uma bela Leica M6, mas vendi para um amigo pois não havia muito sentido manter algo com o qual não me adapto. Mas uso ainda as lentes R em conjunção com uma Canon EOS 6D; é um prazer utilizá-las por serem de alta qualidade (porém bastante pesadas) e produzirem fotos excelentes.
English:
Leica is, certainly, the most emblematic photo brand, followed by Carl Zeiss, Rolleiflex and Hasselblad. And there are the two Japanese companies: Nikon (from the 1960s) and Canon (from the 1980s with the EOS system). It is difficult to describe Leica in few lines and it needs many pages and even books to do so. Let us see, in a very succinct way, without diving in details, the most relevant points. Leitz was and still is a company located in Wetzlar, Germany producing microscopies and medical equipment. In the 1920s, Oskar Barnack, a technician of Leitz, also a musician and nature lover, proposed the construction of a small camera using the 135mm film. That was a hard decision for the owners (Leitz family) to add such a equipment on the factory. They finally accepted the risks and Leica (LEItz CAmera) was born. Firstly, it was an interchangeable lens camera with a 39mm screw mount. In the 1950s, Leica proposed the M3 with the famous bayonet M, which is still on the market. Along with Rolleiflex, it was the most employed photography equipment in that period. Then, the revolution arrived: Nikon launched the Nikon F, a single lens reflex (SLR) which, quickly, dominated the market. It created an immense difficulty for Leica (and many other brands), still depending on the rangefinder cameras. Leica (and others) started the development of their reflex cameras, but it took very long and, finally, the cameras were inferior than Nikon gear and some other Japanese brands. Nevertheless, the Leicaflex cameras were produced and among the best ones, there is the Leicaflex SL (1968, one in my collection) was a nice and expensive camera with a great viewfinder, mechanics and a joy to use. But Leica had financial difficulties and a partnership with Minolta, mainly for SLR cameras, was set in the 1970s. They started with the Leica R3 (a copy of the Minolta XE-1) and, later, the more compact R4 (1980, from the Minolta body XD-11) was proposed. These cameras were not fully reliable but the series continued. In 1987 the R5 (an evolution of the R4) and the R7 (1992, also in my collection) replaced the older models and they were good cameras. In 1996, Leica released the R8, with a weird shaped body, but unreliable. Only in 2002 Leica replaced it by the R9, with the same look but without the R8 problems. It is interesting to remark that Canon, for instance, was already producing (since the late 1980s) the professional Canon EOS 1, with the autofocus and, technically, a much more advanced camera (it was a terrific selling success). However, Leica produced superb lenses and everybody would agree that the Leica R lenses deserved better SLRs bodies. Such lenses had an outstanding mechanical and optical quality. The Leica R gear could be bought, from the 1990s, at low price and thanks to it, I could afford my Leica R collection. By 2009, Leica completely stopped the production of all R system lenses and bodies.
Leica maintained (still today) the Leica M equipment; even the more modern digital Leicas M used the same M bayonet. It was - and is a very expensive equipment. Personally, I have ergonomic difficulties with M gear. The rangefinder is not well adapted to people using glasses, like me, and is not accurate with long focal lenses (my favorite type). I had a beautiful Leica M6, but I sold it to a friend since there is no sense on keeping a camera with I can not get along very well. But I still use the Leica R lenses with an adaptor for my Canon EOS 6D and it is pleasure to use such a high-quality gear capable of producing very sharp photos.
The Leicaflex SL (1968, on the left), the Leica IIIf (this one from 1952) and the Leica R7 (1992).
The Leicaflex SL (launched in 1968) with the superb Summicron 35mm.
The Leica R7 (launched in 1992).
The Leicaflex R7 with the Winder R.
The Leica IIIf; this camera is from in 1952. I have a particular affection to it: we were born in the same year.
The Leica IIIf, back view.
The Leica IIIf; with the classical Elmar 50mm F3.5. Launched in 1950. At that time, it was an advanced and compact camera.
The Leicaflex lenses; the lenses are very sharp and very well built; but also ... very heavy.
Arnulf Kost and I, we visited Leica at Solms in 2007. Arnulf is a Leica M lover.
At the Leica Solms factory. Leica, born in Wetzlar, for some decades, moved to Solms. Now, Leica is back to Wetzlar.
At Wetzlar station.
Classical view of Wetzlar.
In a Wetzlar street.
Wetzlar historic city.
In a bar at Wetzlar.
We had a delicious dinner at Wetzlar downtown.
The Leica R lenses can be easily used with the Canon EOS system; here with my Canon 6D.
Just an adapter is necessary; we change the lenses as in a Leica R body.
The adapter has electronic contacts in order to confirm the focusing; it works fine and is a great help.