Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/16

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Subject: RE: [Leica] RE: Leica glass
From: "Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 08:22:30 -0800

Jim,

Thanks.  That confirms all I have read too!  (Although I would not call Hoya
glass "mundane" as noted in the text considering they are the world's
largest glass manufacturer and supplier to more lens companies than most
realize, Leica included).  With Leica being a small company, it makes sense
that they would not have the resources to melt their own glass, but spec it
out and buy it leaving Leica resources to focus on Lens design and
manufacturing.  BTW, Pentax, Sigma, and many others DO NOT make their own
glass but buy it.

Peter K.

- -----Original Message-----
From: Alan Ball [mailto:AlanBall@csi.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 1998 9:54 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] RE: Leica glass


Jim,

From the few litterature sources that I have, it seems that Leica does
not produce any glass, though it has used a very small scale in-house
production unit in the past, mostly for tests. Nothing in thoses sources
ever stipulates that the glass supplied to Leica by makers such as
Schott and others (Hoya's name usually pops up here) is glass made to
order for Leica alone. I would suppose that Leica buys glass using
specifications that are in the current catalogue of the maker...

You can catch on an earlier LUG thread on the matter through:
http://lq.corenetworks.com/lq/view.cgi?o=0&s=1&b=1&q=hoya+AND+glass&sp=&mid=
40261&ln=leicausers

Alan

Jim Brick wrote:
> 
> I'm under the impression that Leica formulates, mixes, melts, and makes
> almost all of their own glass. They farm out what they do not have
capacity
> for.
> 
> Jim
> 
> At 04:13 PM 12/15/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >I don't believe Leica does its own glass melting.  Even companies like
Sigma
> >and Pentax buy their glass from outside sources.  This is fact.
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Jim Brick [mailto:jimbrick@photoaccess.com]
> >Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 1998 3:06 PM
> >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> >Subject: [Leica] Leica glass
> >
> >
> >I was told, by the Leica folks, that all of the glass that they receive
> >from other companies (such as Hoya) is Leica glass, made to the Leica
> >formula, and that the supplier (Hoya) cannot in any way use the Leica
glass
> >that they supply to Leica. Leica's glass making capacity is overstressed
> >and they farm out the manufacturing to others. But using the Leica
patented
> >formulas. So it all is Leica glass. Just "cooked" in another facility.
> >
> >Jim
> >
> >At 05:39 PM 12/15/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >>At 01:02 PM 1998-12-15 -0800, Peter Kotsinadelis wrote:
> >>>OUt of curiousity, does anyone know if it is Schott that provides the
> >glass
> >>>for Leica lenses?
> >>>
> >>
> >>Yes and no.  Hoya provides some glass for a couple of the R lenses.
> >>
> >>Marc
> >>
> >>msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
> >>Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!
> >>