The Leica R8 was the penultimate edition of a long-standing Leica SLR series which originally launched in reaction to a quickly changing industry during the mid 1970s. The brand became globally celebrated for its rangefinders, boasting many notable users who appreciated the quality of build and sharpness of the lenses. Leica's first foray into single-lens reflex cameras launched during the mid 1960s, after photographer Walther Benser had urged Ludwig Leitz to do so as far back as 1955. The camera wasn't received particularly positively, remaining quite unsuccessful until Leica collaborated with Japanese manufacturer Minolta, who were having a great deal of success in the SLR space at the time. The result of the collaboration was a far more ergonomic system, benefitting from quality Japanese electronics and a design that appealed to the market. 

While the successful collaboration between Leica and Minolta lead to many generations of R systems, Leica made a departure with the launch of the R8 in 1996. The brand had wanted to make a departure from the now slightly dated designs of the R7 and the highly celebrated mechanical R6 and R6.2, and produced the R8 body in collaboration with industrial designer Manfred Meinzer. The R8 design was considerably bigger than its predecessors, creating a love it or hate it reaction among photographers. While the body appeared cumbersome, the design was beautifully ergonomic and had world class technical features. One of the major perceived drawbacks at the time was that it was only available with manual focus. For context, Nikon launched the F5 also in 1996, providing users with lightning fast focus, high frames per-second and high shutter speeds at an affordable price comparatively. 

Lens mount: Leica R Bayonet
Shutter: Vertical Metal-Leaf
Speeds: Up to 1/8000th including half stops
ISO Range: Auto DX coding ISO 25 - 5000 / Manual ISO 6 - 12,800
Flash Sync: 1/250th or lower / TTL
Viewfinder Coverage: 93% magnification 0.75x with 50mm lens
Shutter Count: Digital on film door
Multiple Exposure: Yes, via switch on body
Battery: 6V / 2x CR2 Lithium 
Weight: 890g

This camera is offered as the body only, boxed with original strap and instructions. Shipping costs determined based on location, import fees are the responsibility of the buyer and will not be covered by Select / co. Shipping from the UK / EU possible.