[Leica] LHSA Swapmeet and Black Paint

[LEICAMAN56@aol.com]

Since I don't get to read my LUG digest until late at night, and lately I've 
been working until about midnight, I am just starting to catch up.
Addressing a few issues of late, here goes.
As far as Rich's missing binocs, I was only made aware of this after my 
return home on Tuesday after the meeting.  I told him I was unaware of any 
other missing gear from the swap meet and that I had never had anything 
stolen at an LHSA swap meet, although I have had several items stolen from 
the Chicago Photographic Collector's Society swap meets over the years.  I 
was not at the meeting in Minneapolis/St. Paul and though Bill Grimwood and I 
have been friends for years I was not aware he was missing a lens there.  The 
LHSA swap meet is not open to the public and there were fewer than 200 
members in attendance in Boston.  I feel bad that Rich lost an expensive pair 
of binocs, but to suggest that I have misled him about security of the LHSA 
swap meet is really stretching it.
As for final numbers of the Black Paint camera, here are the official numbers 
from Roger Horn, president of Leica USA.  650 .72 and 500 .85.  I will once 
again state that all orders were cut off June 30th, and no additional orders 
have been taken since then.  There have been several wild rumors from Japan 
of an additional 500 cameras, but this is totally false.  Or perhaps wishful 
thinking!  As Rich reported, in Roger's words, Leica is out of the LHSA 
camera business until the next project, for which there are no plans.  We are 
anticipating the second batch of cameras sometime next week, with the balance 
of orders to be filled after the first of the year.  I would suggest if 
anyone has questions regarding the black paint camera, they be addressed to 
me directly and not to contribute to wild rumor and speculation.
I do apologize for not addressing some of these issues sooner, but I have a 
difficult time keeping up after the LUG, attending Photokina, running the 
annual meeting in Boston, getting my first issue of Viewfinder out (btw, how 
did you all like it aside from the sh**ty halftones?) running my lab and 
special events photography business and raising a family.

Bill Rosauer
LHSA Past President
LHSA Viewfinder Editor
LHSA Glutton for Punishment