Mr. Miyazaki has a new MS-Optics Historica Prot 40mm f/6.3 lens for Leica M-mount that is based on a historical lens design known as the Protaria lens formula. This lens has 4 elements in 2 groups and weights only 47 grams. The minimum focusing distance is 60cm. The price of the lens is around $700 and you can get one from Bay.
Aditional pictures from the eBay listing:
A few days ago I reported rumors about a new Biotar 75mm f/1.5 lens – I can now confirm that this lens will be released soon. The new lens will be available in Leica M mount and will have with rangefinder coupling. I will have more details next week, so stay tuned. Here is some additional information:
Here are a few pictures from old Biotar 75mm f/1.5 lenses:
Reuters reports that Blackstone is in talks to sell their stake in Leica:
The investor has teamed up with an investment bank to work out strategic options for the company and has already held talks with several potential acquirers, the people said, adding no official auction process was underway.
“ACM has long-term goals with Leica Camera,” Leica Chairman and ACM managing director Andreas Kaufmann told Reuters, adding that his family’s definition of long-term was that of a 100-year horizon.
Potential buyers are Zeiss, a few Asian companies and private equity funds:
The Leica T has already been replaced by the TL and TL2 models, but this also means that T prices have dropped. Right now you can find a used Leica T camera for as low as $600 – check the prices at B&H, Amazon, KEH and eBay.
Here is the “5 reasons to buy the Leica T” video:
This rumor consists of two parts – the first part is coming from RetroCamera who recently reported that Zeiss will bring back to life the Biotar 1.5/75 lens:
“When I was in Denmark, a photographer in Ribe told me that I had a very nice (and long) conversation, that Zeiss would like to move in this direction. Supposedly – and now comes the blast! – the Biotar 1.5/75 is to be produced again!”
The second part comes from a LeicaRumors reader who found a recent (April 2017) trademark registration for the name Biotar (the Biotar logo above was taken from the actual documents submitted for the trademark):
→ The new Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 portrait lens will be available also for Leica M mount (no rangefinder coupling).
→ Leica S1 at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
→ Check out the latest Leica Store Miami photo workshops.
