Here is a quick Tuesday round-up of some news items which arrived at Macfilos over the past seven days.
Theft at Vienna Leica Store
This first news item is a most alarming one. Father Christmas didn’t visit the Leica Store Vienna on Christmas Day. Instead, a group of burglars performed a lightning 90-second raid which bagged them 25 Leica and Sigma products worth many thousands of euros.
According to local newspaper Heute (Today), the burglars “arrived at 5 a.m. and were undeterred by witnesses, alarm systems and video cameras. On Christmas Day, three men smashed the display of the Leica photo shop at Westbahnstrasse 40 with a concrete block. In the store, they then smashed the display cases with an iron bar. In a flash, the suspects packed up cameras and accessories, then sped away out of town in a getaway car towards Kaiserstrasse.”
When investing in expensive camera equipment, it is sensible to ensure that you are not unwittingly buying stolen goods. That’s why buying from a reputable dealer is the safest option. But, if bidding in an on-line auction or buying from a non-official website, please check the serial numbers before sending your money.
Here is a list of serial numbers of the items stolen from Leica Store Vienna.
Panasonic LUMIX S 100mm f/2.8 macro launched
The rapidly expanding trove of L-mount lenses gets a new addition this week. In this second news item we learn that Panasonic has launched a very compact 100mm f/2.8 macro lens which, among other attributes, is idea for portraiture. The company claims it is “the world’s smallest and lightest medium-telephoto fixed focal length macro lens”. The aim was to produce a macro lens that was light in size and weight, and which would also be ideal for portrait and medium telephoto shooting.
Surprisingly, this lens is the same size as the company’s existing range of f/1.8 primes, although it cannot offer the same wide maximum aperture. However, at 298g (10.5 oz) it is also the second lightest in the list of lenses ranging from 18mm to 100mm. It is 82mm (3.2in) long and 74mm (2.9in) in diameter.
The new dual-phase linear motor is half the size of predecessors while remaining just as powerful. It has contributed to the designers’ ability to shrink the size of the optic. The lens comprises 13 elements in 11 groups, with two aspherical, two UED, and one ED surfaces. It has a minimum focus distance of 20.4cm (8in) and the 67mm filter thread maintains compatibility with the company’s other primes.
Despite many requests, Panasonic does not send press releases to Macfilos (unlike the other main L-Mount Alliance members, Leica and Sigma), so we are unable to give this lens the space it deserves. It will be available later this month for around $1,000.
Oberwerth high-security straps with wire inserts
When it comes to camera straps, most of us look first at the aesthetics and the material, without considering ultimate protection. German strap and bag manufacturer, Oberwerth, reminds us that every strap is not equal when it comes to helping prevent camera theft. Introducing the new Mosel strap, the company says that a combination of an internal metal wire and the use of a special textile guarantees maximum cut protection.
The Mosel strap costs €129 plus tax, comes in two sizes and three colours — black with red stitching, black, and dark brown. Find it here.
That’s all for today. We’ll remain on the lookout for news items of potential interest to Macfilos readers.
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A few years ago, the local Leica store in the Highlands of Scotland called Ffordes had a similar break in….unfortunately the location of the shop was very remote and the burglars got away with much of the stock of Leica cameras and equipment.
I don’t know how the owner managed to keep going, but I am so grateful to Ffordes as their quality of service is impeccable and we are so lucky to have this facility in the Highlands …
Best Wishes to the Vienna Leica Store John H
John H
Ref Leica Vienna Store theft – has similarity to the 2018 theft from Ffordes Photographic, Beauly – when thieves smashed their way into the store in the early hours and stole mainly Leica stock, valued at £160K. Items were never recovered.