Re: Moss / Chatterton & Gandy

[Leikon35@aol.com]

  Spent most of Sunday at our local Bagnall Camera Expo chatting
  with Don Chatterton (chat with Chatt.).  We discusst* all the latest
  Leica  rumours & one item in particular,  that is quite simple in  its
  profundity;  Leica will never offer a new camera that will harm the
  sales of any current model......
  1.  Leica is basically an optical oriented company & has used other
  firms for their electronics (Panasonic) in the past.
   2. Built in VF for 21 is not physically possible at present, for reasons
  already discussed on the LUG.
   3. With very few exceptions,  Leica doesn't abruptly discontinue the
  the manufacture of a camera when another is introduced ie: M4P '81-'87
  and M6 1984 to ?.
 
  Don bought my LTM 28/5.6 Summaron from me as the foreign market 
  is still strong for Leitz collectibles and the price of Leica in Germany is
  coming close to the Japanese prices.  This fact has already been noted
  by our European LUGgers.  If it wasn't for the high cost of VAT & duties
  imposed by those countries, the U.S. would still be the least expensive
  country to buy Leica.
 
  I didn't attend the hugh San Jose camera show but Steve Gandy did and
  told me that it was disappointing due to the lack of the usual Japanese
  buyers,  which is probably due to their financial depression.
 
  I am now the temporary custodian of a very rare lens which is probably one
  of the first two 400/5 Telyts made in 1937, even though the S/N is xxx009.
  It has written provenance from both Jim Lager, when he worked for Leitz &
  from Frau Doktor Elsie Kuehn Leitz, but somewhat contradictory because
  of typographical errors.  More about that later.
 
  I will also have for sale about 80 back issues of the LHSA "Viewfinder"
  in one lot ('73 to '97) , for a fraction of their cost from the society,
but
  will discuss that in private email only.
 
  Marvin Moss                 ** Yes I know !