I got the below rumour from the LUG. Does anyone know if it's true?

"According to a friend in Europe, the 6.2 was just discontinued.AFAIK it has been a while that the R 6.2 was no longer manufactured. It is sold from existing stock. And if that dries up, well..."

-- Javier (j_perezbarberia@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001

Answers

I've heard this rumor too.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001.

They should make a deal with Olympus to rebadge the OM-4 (which is about the right size for a Leica anyhow). Olympus can't sell enough cameras to justify keeping their lenses in production, and Leica is vice-versa. Voila, a marriage made in Valhalla.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), June 25, 2001.

Perhaps the only way Leica figures they'll ever sell all the R8's they've got in inventory or in parts waiting for production, is to make it the only body anyone can buy new. It may take some time, because one unsubstantiated report I read said Leica had enough R6.2's on hand to keep it in the catalog another 2 years. I would like to see Cosina produce a version of its generic mechanical SLR (aka Nikon FM10, Olympus OM2000, Ricoh KR-whatever, and also the base for the Voigtlander LTM bodies)in Leica R mount, and sell it for a couple hundred dollars.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 25, 2001.

I just discovered that there are adapters to use Leica R lenses on the Canon EOS bodies. Of course it's stop-down metering, but I usually ride the DOF button anyhow, and there's focus conformation for us elderly squinters. Seems to me an elegant solution, but I'm not sure that Leica R lenses would be any better than the Canon f:1.4/50mm and Nikor f:2.8/35mm P.C. that I'm using now, along with a Canon 28-135IS zoom.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), June 26, 2001.

>>> I'm not sure that Leica R lenses would be any better than the Canon f:1.4/50mm... <<<

Bill, the current Leica-R 50mm f/1.4 is spectacular. Easily the best of this focal length and speed. Earlier versions are probably no better than the Canon.

-- Doug Herr (telyt@earthlink.net), June 26, 2001.

The R6.2 will be discontinued at the end of this "Leica Camera's fiscal year" (March 31, 2002). Or before, if the stock of parts is gone before that date.

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), July 02, 2001.

Jay may be right. It will be shame if they force all new Leica R users to buy the R8. I don't think it will work. Leica IS manual/non-electronic photography in my opinion.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), July 20, 2001.