Leica Historica e.V. Meeting in Wetzlar

[Kent]

Gentlemen, I went to the annual meeting weekend of Leica Historica e.V.

I left home Saturday morning, the sun tried to break through the cloudy sky.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms1_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms1_1.jpg)

After about 45min I arrived in Solms and was excited to go inside.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms2_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms2_1.jpg)

The gym was already pretty crowded but it was still OK, you could see all the things you were interested in.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms4_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms4_1.jpg)

As a one-year-member of Leica Historica e.V. I already know several regular visitiors, sellers and the chief organzier and thus chatted a bit before I had a look at the tables.
There were hundreds of wonderful items on display. Unfortunately, the prices were still very high. Roumor has it that there still is a great demand in China and that this spoils the prices for local customers.

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms5_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms5_1.jpg)

As you might imagine, there were not only Leica items offered:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms6techno_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms6techno_1.jpg)

Then I stopped taking photos and talked to many vendors, because I was looking for a 46mm screw-in lens hood. But I did not find one. Unusual size that is. (Well, I ordered one two days later on EBAY. ;))

I finally found this lens:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_DSC_01951_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_DSC_01951_1.jpg)
A Minolta Rokkor 3.5/24-35. Great for the NEX-system!

After about two hours I left the fair and drove to Wetzlar, to the Wetzlarer Hof (http://www.wetzlarerhof.de/) hotel, where I checked in for the night.
The hotel is OK, nothing special, a typical conference hotel:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar01_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar01_1.jpg)
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar02_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar02_1.jpg)

Since I had a lot of time, I went down to the Old Town of Wetzlar, a two minute walk from my hotel, and had a delicious lunch in an Italian restaurant called "Bistro am Dom (http://www.bistroamdom.de/)".
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar05_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar05_1.jpg)

Tomatoesoup
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar03_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar03_1.jpg)

Sombrero ai Castani
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar04_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar04_1.jpg)

That was really good! Much better than I had expected.

A nice coffee in a little coffee shop in which the owner roasts the beans regularly complemented that lunch.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms52_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms52_1.jpg)

[Kent]

Afterwards I went shooting a little around the cathedral.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms53_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms53_1.jpg)
Yes, that's me in that reflection. ;)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms51_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms51_1.jpg)

At 6 p.m. and after some nice conversations with other members...
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar07_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar07_1.jpg)

...the presentation was about to start.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar06_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar06_1.jpg)

The topic was "Barnacks Gene in der M9" (Barnack's genes in the M9)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar08_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar08_1.jpg)

Ottmar Michaely, a real expert on Leica cameras, talked about what is left from the very first Leicas in the modern M9.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar09_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar09_1.jpg)
The first rangefinder system in the old Leica, prototypes...
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar10_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar10_1.jpg)
...mechanical measurements of the the register distance...
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar11_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar11_1.jpg)
...the first included rangefinders...
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar12_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar12_1.jpg)
...and the amazing backwards compatibilty...
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar13_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar13_1.jpg)
...all that was covered in this expert presentation.

On Sunday morning, after long talks to very interesting people, a short night and a very good breakfast, the Leica Historica auction started.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar14_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar14_1.jpg)
The honorary president of the club, an old "Leitzianer" performed the auction in a very entertaining way always telling nice stories about the history of Leitz.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar15_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar15_1.jpg)
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar16_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar16_1.jpg)
This auction is a great idea: members donate items they do no longer need and bid for others. The complete revenues are for the club!

Afterwards, the present president opened the offical annual meeting, in which many future plans were talked about.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar17_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar17_1.jpg)

[Kent]

When this ended, there was plenty of time left to go back to the Old Town and shoot some more at much better weather.
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar18_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar18_1.jpg)

http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar19_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar19_1.jpg)
I walked through the city with two other guys, Domenic from Brussels and Zhiu Chan from Taiwan who showed us a camera he just had bought for a friend:
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Solms21_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Solms21_1.jpg)

It was very nice to talk to the international Leica fans. I really enjoyed this "Leica weekend".
http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/17_Wetzlar20_1.jpg (http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20124/big_17_Wetzlar20_1.jpg)

Gear used to take the photos shown: Sony-Ericson Xperia Arc, Sony NEX-7, Leica Digilux-2, Sony NEX-3, Sigma DP1s...

More photos from the fair here (http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/forumstreffen/226195-31-03-01-04-solms-wetzlar-4.html).

[Vickko]

Thanks for posting the wonderful photos.

Vick

[Paulbe]

Kent--thank you!!
Great photos and an excellent write-up.
Thanks again!
Paul

[cameosis]

damn, i missed this! and i am only 30 km away ... thanks for the pictures and recap.