[Leica] R8 Winder Notes

[Jeff Moore <jbm@instinet.com>]

Finally scored my R8 winder.  Wow, I'd gotten spoiled by the EOS-1
motor:  the winder seems reeely slow.  Not in any practical way for me,
of course -- I don't ordinarily need a super-fast second shot -- just my
impression of how long the wind cycle is taking.

Pros:  the winder isn't very heavy at all, and the camera feels much
better in my hand with it mounted.  Choosing motorized/manual winding
based on the position of the manual-wind lever is clever and natural.

Cons:  I'm not thrilled with having the camera always in what in
Canon parlance would be `continuous' mode.  I'm used to a steady
shutter-squeeze followthrough instead of immediately yanking my finger
back up to avoid a second exposure.

On the subject of winding, motorized or not, any idea why the R8 manual 
wind lever requires one long throw instead of being ratcheted?  Another 
longstanding habit of mine the R8 runs counter to is that I'm used to   
winding in two short strokes (both for consistency with my M3DS and     
because that doesn't pull the right hand so far out of position).
When I first got the R8, the following sequence was repeated enough
times to convince any observer I'm incapable of learning:

  - Thumb gives the first half-stroke, returns alone while the wind   
    lever hangs in space.

  - I notice I'm winding air on the second stroke.

  - I curse, usually silently, and crank my whole arm and elbow 
    around the rest of that excessively long stroke.    

...of course, the reason little things seem so annoying is that the R8 
is so good, the deviations from perfection stand out like sore, um,
thumbs.

 -Jeff Moore <jbm@instinet.com>