Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The first London meeting of UK lugnuts took place last Saturday. I wasn't keeping count, but Alastair Firkin reckons a total of around 10 people turned up, tho only a hard (mad?) core of four were there for the entire 11-hour session. Having fortified ourselves with coffee, we set off around the Covent Garden area around 11am. The day was sunny but cold, so we ended up at the Photographers Gallery by 12.30, which seemed a good place for lunch. Also the large tables there gave us the chance to what we really wanted to do - talk, pass around photos, lenses, try each other's lenses, and compare camera bodies. Next top was a second-hand bookshop in Charing Cross Road (not the legendary No 84 which closed decades ago) to look at the photo section, them off to the Pie Bull Yard area to go window shopping around the (closed) Leica dealers. Some one and a half hours ahead of schedule, we retired to the Fitzroy Tavern to sample the bokeh induced by its beers. A few observations: Only one person (Helen Firkin) used a reflex - everyone else had a rangefinder camera. Camera of choice for the majority of UK lugnuts was the black M6. Red dots were on full display (all Leica - no Leitz that I could see). The only black tape to be seen was protecting the top plate of an M3 which was fitted with a Leicameter. I was only only guy with nothing but classic cameras (M2 & SL2) while Linda Richardson had her Leica Mini. Several M3s were being used as back ups to the M6. Alastair's M3 is as old as he is - I wonder how many R8s will still have functioning electronics after that number of years? Most bizzare item of kit had to be Jeremy Kime's 25mm f12 Kodak SuperPanoramic. Although several guys tried this novel third-party M-series lens, at one point it had to be returned to the manufacturer for a warranty repair. The fault was due to a failure of a major structural component of the mounting -- the sticky tape -- but the repair was done on site and the lens returned to its user in minutes -- a speed which puts Leica to shame. Most widely borrowed bit of kit was probably Alastair's Noctilux. Oldest bit of kit was my 1937 50mm f2 Summar. Most common photographic subject - one's fellow lugnuts Nicest thing said all day - "I expected all you guys to be much older!" Regards, Doug Richardson