[Leica] R8 story of the Century? Millenium?

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@islandnet.com>]

Folks here is one that you will find quite interesting!

You may recall I had an R8, winder and 35-70 3.5 disappear during the 1998
Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia,  September '98. And the
unfortunate non-insurance situation that occurred due to two people
"assuming" the other had looked after the ensuring! (Myself and assistant
Sandy) Of course neither had, so it meant buying a new R8, winder and I
didn't replace the lens as I figured I wait for the 35-70 2.8.

That's the back ground.

Last week a wonderful LUGGER in Kuala Lumper whom you all know, Mr. MC Lau,
that I met and enjoyed his friendship on my arrival in KL, sent me an
e-mail that maybe, just maybe, my missing camera had surfaced.

An R8 was being offered for a very cheap price to a photographer who was
leery of the price and placed a call to another photographer in KL. This in
turn opened lines of communication within KL photographers who were aware
of the "missing Leica R8"  MC was informed and he was on it's case right
away.

The next post: "yes the serial numbers matched and a contact was set in
play to recover it."  Now it became a daily posting back and forth, Canada
to Malaysia on how to handle this.

Do we get the police involved?  NO, it'll create too damn much paper work
and who knows if I'll ever get it back! Second option, buy it from the
seller, seemed strange buying my own camera from a possible thief, as it
turned out this person was an unwitting buyer himself from the original
perpetrator. It will be purchased at a very nominal recovery fee, which I
can assure you is much better than buying another new one! :)

So folks as we speak, write, read whatever, MC is in the process of
rescuing my R8 lifted 14 months ago! :)

Now if that doesn't make you want to believe there is some good guy or gal
on high looking after me, nothing will. With any kind of luck I'll have it
back in hand by this time next week!  Ya alright, let the force be with
you!:):)

I suppose I sound a little excited, yeah I guess you could say that. :)

So guys and gals I'd appreciate a great big round of applause for LUGGER MC
Lau in Kuala Lumper, Malaysia, for his efforts in the rescue of a wonderful
Leica R8 camera.

ted







Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant