<s>
The	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R8	I-Algorithm
&	O
R9	O
are	O
manual	O
focus	O
35	O
mm	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
produced	O
by	O
the	O
German	O
firm	O
Leica	O
as	O
the	O
final	O
models	O
of	O
their	O
R	B-Algorithm
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
the	O
camera	O
was	O
introduced	O
at	O
the	O
1996	O
photokina	O
trade	O
show	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
succeeded	O
by	O
the	O
similar	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R9	I-Algorithm
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
can	O
be	O
fitted	O
with	O
the	O
Digital	O
Modul	O
R	B-Algorithm
(	O
DMR	O
)	O
digital	B-Algorithm
back	I-Algorithm
(	O
discontinued	O
in	O
2007	O
)	O
and	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
digital	O
camera	O
making	O
them	O
the	O
only	O
35mm	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
to	O
take	O
a	O
user-installable	O
digital	B-Algorithm
back	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
R8	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
R-series	O
camera	O
to	O
have	O
no	O
association	O
with	O
Minolta	O
,	O
being	O
solely	O
a	O
Leica	O
design	O
and	O
showing	O
a	O
clear	O
stylistic	O
change	O
compared	O
to	O
prior	O
bodies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
R8	O
was	O
intended	O
as	O
a	O
clean	O
break	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
generation	O
of	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R	I-Algorithm
cameras	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
developed	O
in	O
cooperation	O
with	O
Minolta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
key	O
design	O
goal	O
was	O
to	O
evoke	O
the	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
M	I-Algorithm
and	O
its	O
smooth	O
top	O
plate	O
;	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
raised	O
pentaprism	O
as	O
in	O
previous	O
R	B-Algorithm
series	O
cameras	O
,	O
the	O
R8	O
has	O
sloped	O
"	O
shoulders	O
"	O
that	O
blend	O
almost	O
seamlessly	O
into	O
the	O
pentaprism	O
housing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
R8	O
is	O
capable	O
of	O
fully	O
automated	O
exposure	O
and	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
the	O
integrally-styled	O
motor	B-Algorithm
drive	I-Algorithm
or	O
winder	O
)	O
automated	O
film	O
transport	O
,	O
the	O
location	O
of	O
the	O
shutter	O
speed	O
dial	O
lends	O
itself	O
to	O
manual	O
exposure	O
control	O
,	O
as	O
many	O
Leica	O
customers	O
preferred	O
this	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
it	O
differs	O
strongly	O
from	O
other	O
contemporary	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
were	O
designed	O
primarily	O
for	O
automatic	O
operation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
R8	O
is	O
substantially	O
larger	O
and	O
heavier	O
than	O
the	O
R4-R7	B-Algorithm
series	O
cameras	O
,	O
being	O
about	O
a	O
third	O
heavier	O
at	O
890g	O
than	O
the	O
R7	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
partly	O
explained	O
by	O
being	O
built	O
to	O
take	O
and	O
balance	O
the	O
heavier	O
zoom	O
lenses	O
in	O
the	O
Leica	B-Algorithm
R	I-Algorithm
lens	O
range	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
R8	O
was	O
without	O
doubt	O
the	O
most	O
complex	O
camera	O
Leica	O
had	O
ever	O
constructed	O
containing	O
extensive	O
electronics	O
including	O
a	O
microprocessor	O
,	O
despite	O
its	O
manual	O
operation	O
bias	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
addition	O
was	O
built	O
in	O
a	O
very	O
modular	O
fashion	O
to	O
integrate	O
seamlessly	O
with	O
motor	B-Algorithm
drive	I-Algorithm
units	O
and	O
new	O
backs	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Digital	O
Modul	O
R	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
contrast	O
,	O
the	O
earlier	O
R4-R7	B-Algorithm
series	O
lacked	O
multi	O
pattern	O
metering	O
and	O
offered	O
only	O
pre-set	O
combinations	O
of	O
metering	O
and	O
exposure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
bayonet	O
and	O
stepped	O
cam	O
of	O
earlier	O
R	B-Algorithm
cameras	O
was	O
used	O
,	O
but	O
additional	O
electrical	O
contacts	O
called	O
"	O
ROM	O
Contacts	O
"	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
convey	O
lens	O
focal	O
length	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Any	O
lens	O
fitted	O
with	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
stepped	O
cam	O
may	O
be	O
used	O
,	O
but	O
very	O
early	O
lenses	O
fitted	O
only	O
with	O
sloped	O
cams	O
(	O
1	O
or	O
2	O
cam	O
lenses	O
)	O
may	O
damage	O
the	O
ROM	O
contacts	O
and	O
should	O
first	O
be	O
fitted	O
with	O
the	O
stepped	O
cam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leica	O
1	O
cam	O
,	O
2	O
cam	O
,	O
3	O
cam	O
,	O
&	O
R	B-Algorithm
stepped	O
cam	O
lenses	O
may	O
be	O
fitted	O
with	O
ROM	O
contacts	O
but	O
as	O
this	O
entails	O
removal	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
sloped	O
cams	O
they	O
would	O
then	O
be	O
incompatible	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Leicaflex	B-Algorithm
cameras	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
Digital	O
Modul	O
R	B-Algorithm
,	O
these	O
comprise	O
the	O
following	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Remote	O
Control	O
R8/R9	O
:	O
an	O
electronic	O
unit	O
that	O
attaches	O
to	O
either	O
the	O
Motor	O
Winder	O
or	O
the	O
Motor	B-Algorithm
Drive	I-Algorithm
;	O
it	O
cannot	O
be	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
bare	O
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
Digital	O
Modul	O
R	B-Algorithm
,	O
an	O
additional	O
set	O
of	O
six	O
screens	O
marked	O
with	O
the	O
Modul	O
R	B-Algorithm
's	O
sensor	O
crop	O
area	O
can	O
be	O
substituted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
Wednesday	O
,	O
4	O
March	O
2009	O
,	O
Leica	O
announced	O
via	O
the	O
L-Newsletter	O
that	O
no	O
further	O
stock	O
was	O
available	O
and	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
R	B-Algorithm
series	O
cameras	O
and	O
accessories	O
had	O
ended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Camera	O
type35	O
mm	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflexLens	O
mountLeica	O
R	B-Algorithm
bayonet	O
with	O
additional	O
electrical	O
contacts	O
(	O
"	O
ROM	O
contacts	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
