Hi Everyone, My name is David Burdoin, I'm 64 years old and a retiring school teacher. I've been an enthusiastic amateur Leica R user since 1978 and have owned an R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8. At one point I also had 17 R lenses, but recently I have sold some items that were not getting much use, and am now down to the R6, R7, and R8 all with motors or winders and 13 lenses. You'd think I have plenty of "stuff", and I surely do, but I must admit that I'd like to get an R9 and maybe the digital back at some point. I have never used a digital camera, and have really no desire to do so, but I am afraid that it is the way of the future, and going digital may become necessary whether we like it or not. For that matter, I have also never used a Leica M camera, although I am intrigued by the new M7 and MP models. I'm not anxious to buy a second set of lenses, however. We shall see what happens. I shoot only slide film, Kodak or Fuji, and my favorite subjects are travel, railroading, family and friends. I like to give slide shows and to have my best slides printed large and framed. My largest print is 30" x 45" made of the view from my front porch on the shore of Moosehead Lake in northern Maine, where I spend my summers. I had begun the photography hobby while in high school but afterward had done little picture taking for some years due to other interests. Then in the 70's I decided to get a fine camera that would be convenient to use and could produce good quality color enlargements. I had used Canon and Nikon cameras in the past and was disappointed in the results I was getting and was afraid that the problem was inherent in the size of the 35mm transparency. I considered Hasselblad for a long time but did not want to carry around equipment that was so large and cumbersome. It turns out that I had two friends that used Leicas, one an M4 and the other a Leicaflex SL2. Both told me to forget Hasselblad and get a Leica and I would be happy. With some hesitation I finally took their advice. I bought an R3 and was immediately delighted. The slides were the best I had ever seen, and they enlarged wonderfully to about any size I wanted. I have never looked back. David Burdoin