RE: [Leica] Cosina still at it

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

I asked Mr Kobyashi why he started making the LTM lenses, rather than going 
straight to a M-mount. His answer was  "There is more flexibility in the 39mm 
mount. In Japan there are 
hundreds of thousands of Leica Barnack, Canon, Leotax, Nicca cameras, etc and 
they can all use the 39mm LTM mount!" Leica's patent  for the M-mount was out 
of "service" by 1984 (Patent runs for 30 years and could be extended by 
another 15, although someone at Leitz forgot to do that!). Leitz also took 
out a design-Patent in 1938 and the German version of these run for 50 years, 
so at Photokina 1998, Konica's Hexar-M was still up against the German Patent 
Law. As a sidebar: Konica actually asked Leica to help them with the 
lensmount of the Hexar-M. Leica's response was simply "We can't stop you from 
making it, but from technical assistance point of view - you are on your 
own!".
 The machining of a LTM mount is quite simple. It is a "turning center" job 
and can be done without high tech NC controlled machines. The making of a 
Leica bayonet is quite complex and requires several set-ups to really work. 
The fact that they cost $50-75 reflects this. You have to produce these 
screw-to-bayonet adapters in the 1000's to make money and remember that you 
need at least 3 different versions of them too. 
 I have very little problems with the screw-to-bayonet adapters and the fact 
that Cosina's version of them has the three little lugs on the back-cap 
simplifies the removal from the body. The old Leica back-caps used to have 
these, but they are now difficult to find in usable condition.
 My personal feeling is that Cosina and Mr Kobayashi are doing something 
quite daring. How many manufacturers today would start making products for 
"obsolete" models! They have fairly deep pockets and can afford to wait for 
the return on their investment. They are also having a ball! Being in the 
manufacturing business myself (in a very small scale) I am deeply envious of 
their facility and I hope they continue to produce along the lines they have 
established. In slightly more than 2 years Cosina has put out a lens-line 
stretching from 12mm ultra-wide angle to 90 mm in the 39mm mount and even a 
125 Apo-Lanthar Macro in multiple mounts for SLR's (as well as a 75/2,5 in 
Nikon SLR mount!), 2 camera bodies and enough accessories to keep even the 
most avid gadget freak happy. What they make is both affordable and of 
remarkable quality, particular when compared to what Leica and Konica has put 
out.
 Having seen some of the new stuff coming from Cosina - they certainly have 
not sat back and relaxed. There is a 21/4 coming in screw-mount, tiny little 
lens in the Snap-Shot Skopar mount  and for those of you who still harbor 
hidden feelings for truly weird cameras - also in Nikon Rangefinder mount and 
Contax Rangefinder mount! It takes guts to start producing something for 
cameras that ceased to be produced in the 60's and even when they were at 
their peak of popularity, never were bestsellers. Oh, just to round of that 
lens line, they are also producing the Snap-Shot Skopar 25/4 and the 35/2,5 
in Nikon/Contax RF mount! The advantage of using these seemingly obsolete 
mounts is that you actually get coupled rangefinder focussing with these 
lenses on a Nikon or Contax RF. The focussing helicoil is in the camera, 
rather than in the lens.
 I am at heart a photographer, but I also like mechanical devices and well 
made cameras. In most of us LUGgers there lurks a gearhead and I have never 
seen so much interesting and high quality stuff being produced. Look at it 
from the bright side, sometimes in the future we are going to talk about the 
Golden days of Rangefinder Cameras and we will be talking about 1999/2000, 
not the 50's and the 60's. Who knows, maybe we will see a M3 clone with a 1:1 
50mm finder or my dream, a M2 clone with a 1:1 35mm finder.
Tom A