C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Leica R-E (1990) is a reduced-specification variant of the Leica R-series, positioned below the R5 and alongside the purely mechanical R6. Where the R5 offered full PASM modes with selective/multi-field metering, the R-E was deliberately pared back: aperture-priority and manual exposure only, with a simpler averaging TTL meter rather than the R5's selective and spot modes. The shutter specification is identical to the R5 — focal-plane vertical metal, 8 seconds to 1/2000s, with a 1/100s mechanical fallback. The flash sync (1/100s) and battery type are also unchanged.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Leica's most affordable R-mount SLR — the R6's electronic cousin stripped to aperture-priority and manual, without spot metering, aimed at photographers who wanted R-mount optics at the lowest possible body price.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica R bayonet (3-cam) |
| Years | 1990–1994 |
| Shutter | 8s – 1/2000s + B, vertical metal focal plane |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL averaging, EV 1–20 |
| Modes | Av / M only |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, 0.75× |
| Weight | ~590 g body only |
| Battery | 2× CR1/3N lithium |
| Mechanical fallback | 1/100s only |
Leica introduced the R-E in 1990 as part of a commercial strategy to broaden R-system adoption. The R-series had always been the more expensive alternative to the Japanese SLR giants; the R-E attempted to lower the financial barrier while maintaining the brand integrity of a German-made Leica body.
The R-E was produced for only four years, discontinued in 1994. It was never followed by a direct successor in the same budget-oriented slot; by the mid-1990s the R7 (1992) became the primary electronic R body, and Leica concentrated on the R8 (1996) as its next flagship. The R-E therefore represents a brief and specific chapter in R-mount history: the moment when Leica experimented with accessible entry-level pricing in the film SLR segment.
The R-E is the entry point into the Leica R-mount system at the lowest body cost. Because its mechanical and optical performance is identical to the R5 when used in Av or M mode, it is often the recommended starting point for photographers who want to use R-mount glass — particularly the Summicron-R 50/2, Elmarit-R 28/2.8, or any of the later ASPH and ROM lenses — without paying the premium of an R5, R6, or R7 body.
Its averaging-only meter is less sophisticated than the R5's selective system, but for photographers accustomed to using an external meter or setting exposure manually, this is irrelevant. The R-E is often the most economical path to a working Leica R SLR.
Full Leica R bayonet range; open-aperture metering with 3-cam lenses, stop-down with 1-/2-cam. ROM lenses are physically compatible but ROM data is not used. Motor Drive R attaches via the base coupling. SCA-system TTL flash (SCA 300/500) works through the hotshoe, although TTL flash is less sophisticated than on the R5/R7. Interchangeable focusing screens are available.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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