Leica News & Rumors » Other Leica stuff

New version of DNG to NEF file converter released

LR admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:18:46 +0000

DNG2NEF v3.0 is now released. The software includes support for Leica M8, M9 Monochrom and S2.

As the name indicates, DNG2NEF is a free DNG to NEF converter for Leica users that already have an established Nikon Capture NX2 workflow.

Leica announces opening of extended premium retail facilities in Bruton Place, Mayfair

LR admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:38:44 +0000

Pin It

Café Optik and Leica Client Care now offering a unique, personal service as part of Leica Store Mayfair experience; discreet new studio open for professional photographers

17 May 2012: Leica Camera Ltd has today announced the opening of its extended retail premises encompassing three buildings in Bruton Place, Mayfair, providing Leica customers with a range of premium services, including Café Optik, a complimentary café-style area for Leica owners, and the company’s exclusive new professional photographic studio, Studio-S.

At 27 Bruton Place, located just off Berkeley Square in Mayfair, Leica’s Client Care team offers expert advice tailored to customers’ specific needs, as well as light repairs for camera and optics customers, and sensor-cleaning for Leica M- and S-System owners. Alongside this facility is Café Optik, providing a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where customers are welcomed when visiting any part of the Leica complex.

With convenient and efficient access for professional photographers, a new rental service is also available on the ground floor: Rental-S. This service incorporates rental of Leica’s high performance S-System, as well as hire of Studio-S.

Studio-S is available to hire exclusively to photographers using the Leica S-System, and includes changing and make-up areas, hospitality and digital operator facilities. The studio is ideally located and appropriate for high-profile or private shoots, where discretion is paramount. As well as on-site equipment, Leica offers additional support such as Leica-trained photographic assistants, therefore providing a unique hire package. Information on hire, including costs and availability, can be obtained by calling 020 7629 1351, or emailing hire@leica-camera.co.uk.

At 34 Bruton Place, the Leica Store Mayfair continues to offer the entire range of Leica products, with the expanded Leica Akademie training facility and new Leica Media Centre located upstairs on the first floor.

In addition, gallery space will be available throughout the three-building complex in the future, showcasing the best in Leica photography.

Bruton Place is located in the heart of Mayfair between Old Bond Street and Berkeley Square. For more information on the Leica Store Mayfair, and all Leica products and services in the UK, please visit www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Record number of entries for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2012

LR admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:25:41 +0000

Pin It

This year Leica Camera AG reported a record number of entries for the 2012 Oskar Barnack award - so far there are 2,800 submissions from 101 different countries compared to 2000 entries for last year. The winners will be announced on 20 June 2012.

Oskar Barnack Award 2012 Jury Video from Leica Camera on Vimeo.

Get an inside look at the 2012 Oskar Barnack Award Jury in action. The jury members included: Bruce Gilden, Magnum photographer, Stephan Erfurt, Director of the C/O Berlin, Valérie Fougeirol, Creative Director of the Magnum Gallery in Paris, Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Artistic Director of the Leica Galerie in Salzburg and Brigitte Schaller, Art Director of Leica Fotografie International magazine.

The winners of the two awards, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and the Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2012, will be announced on 20 June 2012.

Press release:

NEW RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES FOR THE 2012 LEICA OSKAR BARNACK AWARD

Winners of the esteemed international photography competition to be announced June 20, 2012

Solms, Germany (May 17, 2012) - Leica Camera AG has again received a record number of entries for the annual Leica Oskar Barnack Award, the highly regarded international photographic competition for professional photographers. Approximately 2,800 entries from 101 different countries had been received for assessment by the March 1, 2012 submission deadline, up 40% from last year’s competition total of 2,000 entries. The majority of this year’s entries came from Germany, China and the USA. The winners of the two awards, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and the Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2012, will be announced on June 20, 2012.

Presented for the 33rd time this year, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award’s jury members include: Bruce Gilden, Magnum Photographer, Stephan Erfurt, Director of the C/O Berlin, Valérie Fougeirol, Creative Director of the Magnum Gallery in Paris, Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Artistic Director of the Leica Galerie in Salzburg and Brigitte Schaller, Art Director of Leica Fotografie International magazine. A video of the jury sitting can now viewed online at www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com.

The Leica Oskar Barnack Award and Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2012 will be presented during the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie photography festival on July 3, 2012. The value of the prizes has been increased again since last year. The winner of the 2012 Leica Oskar Barnack Award will receive a Leica M9-P camera and lenses in addition to a cash prize of 5,000 euros. The photographer taking first place in the ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’ category will also receive an M9-P and lenses.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

New world record for the most expensive camera: 2,790,000 USD for Leica 0-Serie

LR admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:34:27 +0000

Pin It

At the May 12th WestLicht Photographica auction in Vienna, a new record was set for the most expensive camera in the world - this Leica 0-Serie camera with serial number 116 sold for 2,160,000 EUR (around 2,790,000 USD). The previous world record was also for a Leica 0-Serie Nr.107 that sold for 1.3 million EUR (1.9 million USD) last year.

This Leica M3 Gold sold for EUR 360.000 (around 460,000 USD):

Leica M3 gold © WestLicht Photographica Auction

All auction results can be found on westlicht-auction.com (PDF file available here), all M cameras are listed here.

Video of the actual bidding for the Leica 0-Series camera:

All expectations of the 21st WestLicht camera auction were exceeded: For the 5th time the world record for the most expensive camera ever sold was broken at a WestLicht auction in Vienna with a winning bid of 2,160,000,- EUR including buyer’s premium.

The third of the 629 lots to be auctioned, with a starting price of 300,000 EUR was an extremely rare exemplar of the Leica 0-Series, a test camera from the year 1923. In an exciting bidding war between the room, phone and internet bidders, the price of the camera climbed to a new world record. The bidder who secured the rare exemplar would like to remain anonymous.

Further highlights of the camera-auction:
One of only two existing M3 Leica cameras (Lot 113), that was officially gold plated by Leitz, was sold for 360,000 Euro (starting price 40,000; Estimate 70,000 – 90,000 Euro).

A 250FF (Lot 34), one of the most exiting screw-mount Leica cameras ever offered for sale in auction, climbed from a starting price of 12,000 to 120,000 EUR.

An Elcan 1/90mm + KE-7A (186) had a 228,000 Euro collector’s value.
(Starting price 30,000). This ultra-rare and extremely fast lens was produced for the US Navy, only 10 of these were made. This is the first lens in the series and was for the first time offered in auction!

In total 95 percent of the camera lots were sold, and the total turnover of the 21st camera auction was 5,351,000 EUR.

All images © WestLicht Photographica Auction

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Black enamel Leica MP-126 sold for $158,000 at Tamarkin & Bertoldi Vintage Auctions

LR admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:01:35 +0000

Pin It

At the recent Tamarkin & Bertoldi Vintage Auctions, a black enamel Leica MP-126 with a 50mm Summicron lens sold for $130,000 plus commissions - a total of $158,000. The complete auction results can be found on tamarkin.com.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

New Leica products available for pre-order

LR admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:04:30 +0000

Pin It

The new Leica products are now available for pre-order:

Adorama

Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M Aspherical lens
Leica M9 Monochrom rangefinder
Leica V-Lux 40
Leica X2 camera black
Leica X2 camera silver

B&H

Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M Aspherical lens
Leica M9 Monochrom rangefinder
Leica V-Lux 40
Leica X2 camera black
Leica X2 camera silver
Leica X2 leather case (brown)
Leica X2 ever-ready case
Leica X2 camera protector

DalePhoto

Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M Aspherical lens
Leica M9 Monochrom rangefinder
Leica X2 camera black
Leica X2 camera silver
Leica S-Adapter H

Check the posts bellow for additional coverage of the new Leica products.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

LEICA S-SYSTEM EXPANDED BY FIVE S-LENSES WITH CENTRAL SHUTTER

LR admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:10:55 +0000

Pin It

Solms, Germany (May 10, 2012) - Leica Camera AG is expanding the product range for the Leica S professional camera system with five new central shutter lenses, available from October 2012. The new models are the Leica Elmarit-S 30 mm f/2.8 ASPH. and Leica Summarit-S 35 mm f/2.5 ASPH. wide-angle lenses, the Leica Summarit-S 70 mm f/2.5 ASPH. standard lens, the Leica APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120 mm f/2.5 tele-macro lens and the Leica APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180 mm f/3.5 telephoto lens, all of which will also be available in a CS version with a central shutter. Designed and constructed exclusively by Leica, the central shutter available for all S lenses is not only especially compact and efficient, but also has a guaranteed service life of at least 100,000 shutter cycles, making it extremely reliable.

The Leica S2-System features a dual shutter concept, allowing photographers to choose a shutter system to meet their needs and the particular situation before every shot. The camera body is constructed with a metal focal plane shutter offering a top speed of 1/4000th of a second and flash sync at 1/125th. The main switch on the S2 camera body allows users to rapidly change to central shutter use as soon as a CS lens is mounted. With a top speed of 1/1000th of a second, the central shutter offers a working range expanded by three f-stops. Users now have considerably more leeway for creative lighting, such as studio flash systems that may be used to suppress ambient light or to create fill light in bright surroundings at larger lens apertures. As a result of the seamless integration of the central shutter function in the camera’s electronics, photographers can switch rapidly between the two shutter systems at any time.

First and foremost in the development of all products is the consistent dedication to creating tools to fulfill the stringent demands of professional users of the Leica S medium format system in their everyday photographic work. The objective of the Leica S-System is to provide absolutely reliable equipment that guarantees extreme precision and a particularly long operational lifespan.

The new central shutter designed and constructed by the Leica engineers in Solms is a masterpiece of high-tech mechatronics. The Leica central shutter offers high performance and is so compact in size that it can be integrated without any problems in all S lenses. With a guaranteed life of over 100,000 shutter cycles per lens, it is also extremely durable and dependable in constant use. For the first time, the dust- and splash-proof construction of the lenses and camera now makes it possible to use the system under difficult conditions for ‘on location’ shots with the central shutter without any fears of equipment failure.

The first shipments of the CS versions of the Leica S lenses to Leica dealers including the Leica Store Washington DC will be available from October 2012.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

The official Leica announcement

LR admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:08:15 +0000

Pin It

This is what Leica announced today:

Leica S-System Expanded By Five S-Lenses With Central Shutter: Available From October 2012
Leica Camera AG Expands The Leica S Professional Camera System: New Leica S-Adapter H Enables use of Hasselblad H Lenses on the Leica S2
Leica M Monochrom: The Future Of Black-And-White Photography
New Leica Limited Editions: Leica M9-P “Edition Hermès” / Leica M9-P “Edition Hermès - Série Limiteé Jean-Louis Dumas”
Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 MM F/2 ASPH.: The New Milestone In Lens Construction
Leica X2: The Next Generation Of The Leica Compact Digital Camera
Leica V-Lux 40: Compact Camera With An Extensive Range Of Features

Full press releases and images coming soon.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Leica Boutique opens at Broadway Camera in Richmond, Canada

LR admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:02:39 +0000

Pin It

A new Leica Boutique opened at Broadway Camera in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada:

Allendale, NJ (May 7, 2012) – Leica Camera Inc., the legendary German camera and sport optics brand, announces the opening of the first Leica Boutique in Canada at Broadway Camera, located in Richmond, British Columbia. Featuring an extensive selection of the Leica portfolio, the store-in-store retail concept provides an exceptional resource for professional and amateur photographers to experience Leica Camera firsthand. The Leica Boutique at Broadway Camera will open on May 17, 2012 with a grand opening celebration from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

“Leica Camera offers photographers unparalleled creative freedom and inspiration by producing products of outstanding quality and craftsmanship. Leica Boutiques celebrate these core values and create an incomparable buying experience for our customers,” said Roland Wolff, Director of Corporate Retail at Leica Camera Inc. “With the partnership between Leica Camera and Broadway Camera, Leica aficionados, professional and amateur photographers as well as those new to the brand have the opportunity to discover Leica Camera in a memorable and interactive setting.”

To celebrate the grand opening, Broadway Camera will be holding a special event open to the public. Ted Grant, regarded as the “Father of Canadian photojournalism,” and Andy Clark, 2009’s Canadian Photojournalist of the Year and Reuters Photographer, will join Brian Bell, Leica Camera National Sales Manager and Eric Kerwin, Leica Camera BC Regional Sales Manager for the festivities. In addition, the Leica S2, the revolutionary digital camera concept for supreme professional requirements, will be available for demonstration.

The Leica Boutique at Broadway Camera is located at:
955 – 5300 No. 3 Road (Lansdowne Centre)
Richmond, BC
(604) 232-9278
Website: www.bccamera.com

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

New: Leica Pocket Book (8th Edition)

LR admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:55:03 +0000

Pin It

The 8th edition of the Leica Pocket Book is now available and can be purchased from:

From the book's description:

"This Edition includes Leica cameras and lenses introduced since the 7th Edition published in 2002, and incorporates all the information from its predecessors. Again, for the sake of completeness, a brief coverage of the compact cameras produced by other manufactures on behalf of Leica is included. It should be noted that in many cases these do have design input from Leica especially with respect to lenses. Also included is the new S2 Medium Format System"

Via l-camera-forum

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Old Leica brochures

LR admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:30:59 +0000

Pin It

Some old Leica brochure scans can be found on Photography Matters:

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Closer look at Leitz Park, the future headquarter of Leica Camera AG in Wetzlar

LR admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:37:36 +0000

Pin It

Here is a closer look of the future Leica Camera AG headquarter in Wetzlar, Germany.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Grand opening of the Leica Store in Washington DC

LR admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:59:54 +0000

Pin It

The grand opening of the Leica Store in Washington DC will take place on May 2nd, 2012. Leica is offering three free M9 and S2 events on that date:

Celebrate the opening of our Leica Store Washington DC. Join us on an M9 Walking Tour and the S-2 Studio Event on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 and get the opportunity to experience our M-System and S-System personally.

M9 Walking Tour - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 (10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

M9 Walking Tour - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 (1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

S2 Studio Event - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 (2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

As space is limited, please RSVP via email to RSVP@leicacamerausa.com indicating which event(s) you would like to attend.

Leica Store Washington DC
977 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
USA
www.leica-store-dc.com
Telephone: (+1) 202-787-5900

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Leica Professional Store Tokyo Opening Reception

LR admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:59:33 +0000

Pin It

Leica Professional Store Tokyo Opening Reception from Leica Camera on Vimeo.

Leica Professional Store Tokyo held an opening reception on March 1, 2012. This video features footage captured from that evening. This store is the world’s first directly-managed store serving the needs of professional photographers for Leica Camera AG in Germany. The new store will focus on medium format single-lens reflex cameras with the Leica S-System, which meet the needs of professional users, among a lineup of Leica Camera’s products. It is a cozy lounge-type store equipped with a number of facilities, which allows customers to feel the high quality that professional photographers want, by trying to use the products right there, while experiencing the usability of the products and knowing how to use them.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Cash for clunkers

LR admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 03:51:49 +0000

Pin It

If you are located in South Florida, KEH will have a two day buying event at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre (house of the Leica boutique in West Palm Beach):

April 13 - 14, 2012
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
417 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
561-253-2606

KEH will be on hand to buy your used photographic gear. If you spend your earnings in the ProShop, KEH will give you an additional 10%!

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Using Leica M lenses on the Fuji X-Pro1 camera with the Kipon L/M-FX adapter

LR admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:32:53 +0000

Pin It

I got my Fuji X-Pro 1 camera form Amazon two days ago and since I still have not received any of the Fuji lenses I ordered, my only choice was to try the new camera with Leica M lenses. I used Kipon L/M-FX adapter that can be purchased from eBay (check also Kipon's website here).

The Fuji X-Pro1 mirrorless camera doesn't have focus confirmation or focus peaking. The only helpfull feature if you are using manual lenses will be the zoom in the EVF. Make sure you switch to manual focusing (M) in order to enable the zoom feature (by pressing the dial on the back). I found it easier to focus when the lens is wide open (f/1.4 for example) or just use f/8 with zone focusing.

Because the X-Pro 1 will not recognize the Leica lens/adapter combo, you will have to enable "shoot without lens" option in the menu (can be found in the 3rd menu page).

You can change to the actual focal length in the camera's menu - it will be saved in the EXIF data and it can be used as a reference later on (some of my samples do not have the correct focal length because I forgot to set it):

If you are interested in using other lenses with the X-Pro1, Kipon has a whole list of adapters. Make sure the lens has a manual aperture ring - this setup will obviously not work, unless you want to shoot at f/16 all the time.

Here are few full size jpg images I took in the past two days with the Leica 28mm Elmarit and 50mm Summilux ASPH lenses on the X-Pro1. Since Adobe Lightroom 4 doesn't support X-Pro1 RAW files yet, all jpg images were taken straight from the camera with any post processing:

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

New: Rangefinder Moment Podcast

LR admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:12:59 +0000

Pin It

There is new podcast called Rangefinder Moment that covers also Leica related topics. You can download the first three podcasts for free on iTunes.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Tamarkin catalog for the May 12th auction now available online

LR admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:04:47 +0000

Pin It

After Westlich, Tamarkin also published an online catalog for their upcoming auction that will take place on Sunday, April 29, 2012 in Woodbridge, Connecticut. Some of the interesting Leica items listed in the catalog (starting on page 31):

50mm Summicron f/2 Nr. 1468975, black enamel, with plastic container. Very rare and almost never seen in this condition. Condition: near mint. Estimate: $7,500 - $12,500.

Leica M4 Nr. 1206808 with motor drive #02926. Slight depression on front near rangefinder window. Condition: near mint. Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000.

Leica M4 Nr. 1273465 with 50mm dual-range Summicron f2 Nr. 1607830, both refinished in gold. Condition: near mint. Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000.

Leica MP-126 black enamel with 50mm Summicron f2 Nr. 2340655. Original and very rare in this condition. Condition: Ex++. Estimate: $75,000 - $120,000.

Camcraft N-5A motor drive outfit with a motorized Leica M2 Nr. 1103075 and Camcraft motor 5A Nr. 3. With electrical cord and original Camcraft brochure. This motor is the first version of Norman Goldberg’s M motor, utilizing an MP winder and a special grip, and it is the early prototype of the New York Motor. It sold originally for $298.50 in the 1960s. Condition: Ex++. Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000.

Leica MP-373 Chrome. This is a genuine chrome Leica MP that has been restored. The vulcanite has been replaced and the metal beautifully re-chromed. Condition: near mint. Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000.

Leica M3 Nr. 1097839 Black Enamel with MR-Meter Nr. 25378 Black Enamel. Minor corrosion on the bottom. Probably the most sought-after regular production Leica M camera. Condition: Ex++. Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000.

Leica 72 18x24 with 50mm Elmar f/3.5 Nr. 137575 Red Scale with red presentation case. Condition: Near Mint. Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000.

Leitz 15mm Hologon f/8 Nr. 5736081 with 15mm view finder, neutral density filter, pamphlet, box, and blank warranty card(!). Condition: new. Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000.

Leica S1 Pro Nr. 2286107 with #13606 filter 30’ extension, Hasselblad tilt-shift lens adapter. Condition: Ex++. Estimate: $7,500 - $15,000.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

WestLicht Photographica catalog for the May 12th auction now available online

LR admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:36:23 +0000

Pin It

The complete WestLicht Photographica catalog for the May 12th auction is now available online. The highlights of the upcoming auction can be found here.

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.

Sneak peek inside the upcoming Leica store in Washington DC

LR admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:46:55 +0000

Pin It

Few pictures from the inside of the new Leica store in Washington DC:

Posted by LeicaRumors.com
This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.
Follow (LR) on Facebook and Twitter.