[lll]

There will definetly be no new R-product at photokina. Even the future of the R-bajonet is not confirmed yet. There is a commitment to compatibilty but this can also mean something completely new and a R-adapter solution. Things are still not decided as I heard personally. Lee´s mismanagement is said to be responsible for this desolate situation.

In the M sector "I am expecting" a reasonably priced 18mm lens, a superfast 24mm and the prototype of a new Noctilux at photokina. Leica is planning a new Tri Elmar 28-35-50, but there are no prototypes yet. Maybe it is even not calculated up to now. There will be no confirmation of all these news until a press release at 15th of September prior to photokina. Leica promised to inform the L-Forum some hours earlier.

The problem with the old Tri Elmar was that Hoya seized delivering the pressed aspherical lens element and a substitute from Kyocera did not match the Leica quality requirements. There is no other company worldwide capable of making this special piece of glass, they told us. There are only a few examples built with the Kyocera-asphere. But it took too great efforts to reach the needed qualitiy. No serial numbers or production figures of this last batch are known.

Friedhelm