The DM-R has landed!

Today's post brought my new DM-R.

There is an old saying in the business world, that you can tell what a manufacturer truly thinks of his own products, by looking at how he packs them.

The DM-R is beautifully packed in a large grey-paperboard box, which protects the silvered Leica box, inside. The box is as full 12"x12"x6" and filled with custom moulded, anti static, high density foam. Everything is protected within an inch of it's life. The back itself is packed in a fitted canvas carry bag, again with custom moulded hd foam inside and with a separate zippered compartment for spare goodies. Not sure why, though.... it'll likely never come off my camera!

The first impression you get (or, at least, that I got) when you pick up the DM-R is how light it is. It weighs almost nothing! Certainly, without going to a scale, it seems to weigh no more than the Winder-R that I use with the R8 for film.

The second impression is how well it's made. After using Canon's 20D for the last 7 and a half months (and nearly 5000 photos), Leica's DM-R is a delight. The push buttons have a nice, solid feel, as do the rotary controls. The unit is marked Imacon, but the power unit says "made in Germany". However, I understand that the digi-back itself is made by Denmark's Imacon, for Leica. No matter where it's made, the DM-R is certainly up to top Leica standards. (I have heard that Imacon has had some trouble meeting Leica's standards and a considerable number have been returned to Imacon for re-working. However, the delivered products are absolutely first rate.)

The display on the back is about the same size as that of the 20D, but much brighter, and much, much clearer.

Installation was a snap and the controls are intuitive. Ted will be happy... no need, really, to read the book! Things are a little different than those of the Canon and I admit to a quick glance at the book to see how it's done, bit without much reading all became clear, in a flash.

Of course, the finder is so much brighter, that it's not even funny. The specialized screen has marks showing the field of view for the DM-R's 1.37 mag. factor. I suspect they'll be very easy to get used to.

One concern of mine was the viewfinder... the back sticks out a fair bit and I feared that seeing might be somewhat compromised... especially for eyeglass wearers. Not so! The finder is fully visible, even to an eyeglass wearer such as myself. Although the back looks like it might be awkward, it's not. You don't notice any of it. You just make photos.

Another concern was the battery charger. The charger supplied with the Motor Drive-R has received some bad press (I've never seen one) because it was made in China, and apparently, though adequate, was not up to Leica standards. It also only came with one cord which had a plug to suit the country in which you purchased the unit. If you wanted to travel, you needed to buy more cords at exorbitant prices. The charger which comes with the DM-R is nicely finished, made in Germany and has an ingenious system to interchange the plugs for the UK, Europe or the US (all included). You still need one more adapter for Australia, but most places you travel, the unit will work as is. It automatically switches from 100V to 240V, 50 or 60 cycles and comes with a 12Volt car adapter cord, as well. Very nice.

Another nicety is the leather hand-grip that comes standard. I had one on my winder for my old R3, and it was very handy.. This one's even nicer. And the unit balances well in the had. The new shutter release is perfectly placed and smooth as silk.

How does it take photos?  Well, just like an R8!

Today, however, is a poor day for photography and many things remain to be done before we depart on a short, 2 week holiday on Friday. So, a full report on picture taking will have to wait until my return. By then, I'll have had lots of experience with it, by then!

If there is a problem, it is that when the LCD is being used to view previously taken shots, it does not turn off when the shutter button is tapped. You must turn it off, on the back before you can take photos. It seems the only place that I prefer Canon's programming.

Still, in the short haul, I'd say the DM-R is everything one could hope for, and more! If the photos live up to the promise of the unit, I'll be in seventh heaven!

For now, colour me happy... very, very happy!  :-)

--
David Young,
Logan Lake, BC CANADA. 

Personal Web-site at: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt
Leica Reflex Forum web-page: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm


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