Erwin Puts Leica Compendium

[AndrewLT]

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Hello everyone 

 

I am keen to get hold of a copy of Erwin Puts’ Leica Compendium (published in 2011, not the earlier Lens Compendium).  Some fairly vigorous googling has not yielded any printed copies for sale.  

 

I understand that there is an electronic (eBook or PDF?) version and that, moreover, at one time it was available on Mr Puts’ website but, so far as I can see, that is no longer the case (unless I am being completely dim and am missing it, which is entirely possible).  And, aside from one or two URLs in Russia that I am disinclined to click on, I could not find it anywhere else.

 

So if any of you can suggest a way of obtaining the PDF, I’d be most grateful.

Thank you

Andrew

 

[frame-it]

not easy to find

but you can try here > https://www.apotelyt.com/photo-download/leica-literature

older edition is https://collectiblend.com/Library/Leica_Lens_Compendium_Content.php

 

[AndrewLT]

1 hour ago, frame-it said:

not easy to find

but you can try here > https://www.apotelyt.com/photo-download/leica-literature

older edition is https://collectiblend.com/Library/Leica_Lens_Compendium_Content.php

 

Thank you for replying so quickly!

It’s really good to have the link to the older edition (that is the earlier Leica Lens Compendium, correct?).

But — and this quite probably is me being completely dim — I can’t see a link to a download of the (2011) Leica Compendium anywhere on the apotelyt link that you suggested (there is a nice photo of the printed book, though).  Am I missing something?

I did, by the way, briefly get excited when I found the old ‘shop’ page on Erwin Puts’ website, and got as far as putting the ebook in the basket — I would have been more than happy to pay €30 for it — but it would not let me make payment.  It looks like the account associated with the shop is closed which, very sadly, is understandable.

Andrew

[AndrewLT]

I’m excited to say that I can answer my own question (thanks to user cbass on the Fred ‘Miranda forum, where I posted this same question yesterday).

The Leica Compendium is available on the LFI app in the Magazine section under’Books’.   In the UK, the price is £39.99 (UKP), which is well worth it, in my opinion, for anyone with a Leica addiction.  The amount of information and insight is incredible.

Andrew

[Bob Mc]

There is an eBay auction of the second edition of Erwin Puts’ Leica Compendium that ends Sunday Dec. 17, 2023 currently at $510 US Dollars.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285601483327?hash=item427f2cca3f%3Ag%3A3QoAAOSwB3Jldl8i&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338304675&customid=&toolid=10049

Just sharing, I have the 3rd Edition. 

 Bob Mc

[jaapv]

I have a feeling people are confusing the Leica Lens Compendium (Hove Books) with  the Leica Compendium ( Privately published )

[jdlaing]

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Leica Lens Compendium. Erwin Puts

Leica M Compendium. Jonathan Eastland

Leica Compendium. Sir Arthur C. Clark 

The first two are Hove Books.

Edited December 15, 2023 by jdlaing

[Anbaric]

1 hour ago, jdlaing said:

Leica Compendium. Sir Arthur C. Clark

Those unboxing videos are getting more and more dramatic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWs3c3YNs4

[Anbaric]

So is the ebook available from the LFI app the definitive Leica Compendium by Erwin, i.e. the one pictured here on the infamous Ken Rockwell's site?:

https://kenrockwell.com/leica/puts/leica-compendium.htm

Or is it one of his earlier Lens Compendiums?

I wonder why they don't just release it as a conventional ebook, a PDF or something? If it's the Leica Compendium I wouldn't mind having it, but not if it's tied to a proprietary app.

[lencap]

In 2002 Leica published a PDF document titled "Leica M-Lenses: Their soul and secrets" written by Erwin Puts.  It's 83 pages in size, and is dense in information.

A link to the publication is available on Thorsten Overgaard's website here: https://www.overgaard.dk/pdf/Leica-M-Lenses-Their-Soul-and-Secrets_en.pdf

 

[Anbaric]

I've seen that on

1 hour ago, lencap said:

In 2002 Leica published a PDF document titled "Leica M-Lenses: Their soul and secrets" written by Erwin Puts.  It's 83 pages in size, and is dense in information.

A link to the publication is available on Thorsten Overgaard's website here: https://www.overgaard.dk/pdf/Leica-M-Lenses-Their-Soul-and-Secrets_en.pdf

Yes, that's a nice document, and the more comprehensive text-only version of the earlier Leica Lens Compendium that Erwin formerly made available for free download is also very useful and is now on archive.org. Erwin's work was also I believe the basis for the lens tests in the Leica Pocket Book, recently revised by Frank Dabba Smith and published by Red Dot in small and larger formats. But it would be nice to have a copy of his magnum opus, the Leica Compendium, and I was intrigued by @AndrewLT's discovery of it as an LFI ebook, which I didn't know existed. I've now found this on their app (I'm seeing it for £29.99 GBP, a bit cheaper than quoted above, unless they charge tax on top of that) and I can confirm it's the later Leica Compendium, but the only purchase option seems to be within the app for reading on the screen of an iOS or Android device. I think you'd need a pretty big tablet for this to be legible without a lot of scrolling and zooming, and I don't like the idea of it being locked to a specific app, especially a niche one like this. I don't subscribe to LFI, but I've tried an issue of M Magazine they make available for free download from the same app, and it's not much fun on my phone. A shame they won't just sell me a PDF.

[Keith (M)]

I bought the 3rd Edition (Nov 11) of Erwin Puts's 'Leica Compendium - Company Camera Lenses' direct from the author.  Price then was €65 and the postage for this mighty tome was €20!  Has pride of place in my bookcase 😀.

[jaapv]

These are the books. Erwin regarded his Leica Lens Saga as his best book.  It is a bit technical for the common market though. My preference is the Leica Compendium although I mostly go back to  the lens compendium as it it more easy to handle. 
 

 

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