[Leica] LHSA San Francisco meeting - LONG

[firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin)]

Is there a "country" membership? Sadly I will be too late for San Fran: 
I arrive in USA on November 21 and will be in Chicago till December 2. 
Have a great time.

Cheers
On 09/10/2005, at 7:05 AM, Seth Rosner wrote:

> Hello friends:
>
> I'm back, at least for a while, prompted by Greg Lorenzo's post on the 
> LHSA San Francisco meeting and hopeful that many LUG members will be 
> there.
>
> Apart from the magnet that is San Francisco, there is another 
> attraction: I have asked Bernard Masson, President of Kodak Digital 
> and Film Imaging Systems to have a Kodak representative participate in 
> our Saturday programs to describe Kodak's current activities and plans 
> for both digital and silver halide. We had just such a presentation 
> last October at the Williamsburg meeting. And Kodak is again providing 
> samples of several Kodak film emulsions for the "goodie" bags provided 
> each meeting attendee.
>
> BTW, I emailed Bernard some of the LUG posts bemoaning the "fact" that 
> Kodak was withdrawing from film. He wrote back pointing out that while 
> Kodak is indeed spending very large amounts of its human and capital 
> resources developing digital and while new investment in silver halide 
> technology has been reduced, there was no possibility of Kodak 
> withdrawing from film. Film still provides a very big part of Kodak's 
> cash flow despite the fact that consumers are using digital more and 
> more.
>
> There are some new reasons to join LHSA. First among them is 
> VIEWFINDER, the LHSA quarterly. It is a quality magazine and during 
> the last year we have made it available on-line as well as in hard 
> copy. Note that there is no thought whatever to discontinue sending 
> print copies to members since the quality of images is (always ? ) 
> going to be better than what appears on the screen.
>
> But wait there's more. Last year I asked the Board to authorize the 
> appointment of a committee to develop and implement a plan to scan all 
> VIEWFINDER issues from inception 38 years ago, to replicate the scans 
> on DVD discs and to provide a DVD copy to every LHSA member as a free 
> member benefit. LHSA and LUG member Ed Kowaleski headed the 
> committee's effort which culminated in the distribution last month of 
> those DVD's to all members. They will continue to be a member benefit 
> free to all new members.
>
> It is our hope that once new members, especially our exceptional LUG 
> photographers, join and participate by submitting images and even 
> articles to VIEWFINDER, you will continue as members.
>
> I am aware that for many on the list, LHSA is seen as a group of 
> collectors, old fogeys fondly fondling   ;-)   their Luxus Leicas, 
> 105mm f/6,3 mountain Elmar lenses etc.
>
> When I first joined the LHSA Board, I raised the issue of changing the 
> Society's name precisely because it does not accurately describe LHSA. 
> Many of us are indeed collectors. Many if not most of us do indeed 
> have an interest in Leica history and in the development of Leica 
> cameras, lenses and accessories. But in the years I have been active, 
> I have met only one member who is not a photographer and a user of his 
> Leica gear.
>
> Some long-time members thought a name change would be going against 
> tradition and it was not worth pursuing a question that might have 
> been divisive.
>
> Some other new stuff: we are planning next year's annual meeting in 
> Wetzlar and Solms around the time of Photokina (mid- to late 
> September). and hope to meet face-to-face many LHSA friends who live 
> in Europe.
>
> It would be great fun to welcome many of you whom I know only from the 
> LUG list.
>
> Best to all,
>
> Seth
>
>
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>
>
Alastair