News - News

Doug tells us about owning a 'special' and some of the factors that come with it when you try to use it as your standard, every day digital camera.



Gerald Stone has now arranged the visit to the new London store, details are below:

The visit to the New Leica Mayfair Flagship Store at 14 Dover Street, W1S 4LW, is now arranged for the afternoon of 28th January 2027. I am still working on the details for the day, but I am hoping for a tour of the new facilities and also a visit to the new Customer Care centre in Soho along other things.

If you want to go on this visit please contact Gerald on his email address:

gm_stone@btinternet.com
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Alan's mysterious title takes us to one of his favourite places in Exmoor and you will find out who the third 'Golden Oldie' is as you read on.



All Saints Church




All Saints Church




'The Best Bookshop Outside London'




Dulverton Post Office




Blast From The Past




Fish & Chips




River Barle




Stansbury's Garage




Wood's Dining Room





Wood'd Dining Room

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For those members who wanted to join the other member’s visit to the Leica HQ. This will now be postponed to January as they are moving to a new Flagship Store which opens officially on 5th November. Any further details please contact Gerald.
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To show the different places members explored during our Sepatember weekend in and around Llanelli members sent one photograph from their travels.
First of all Sally Tarlton shows our group in the conference facilities viewing the prints of Les Loosemore, a well known local photographer.




The Brecon Mountain Railway was visited by Melinda Stone and Keith Mason



Melinda Stone



Keith Mason


Cled Lewis took this photograph of one of the cars - Babs that attempted land speed records at Pendine Sands during the 20th Century and



Cled Lewis


Don and Jo Morley visited the beautiful Rhosilli Bay where Don captured this panorama



Don Morley


Tenby is close by so some of us explored the resort. Gareth Lewis and Keith Walker shows aspects of the town.



Gareth Lewis



Keith Walker


Pam Lewis photographed these two dogs duly kitted out for their ride on a motorbike at Pendine Sands!



Pam Lewis


Gerald and Melinda went to Neath and Gerald photographed the ruins of the Abbey



Gerald Stone


In the nearby village of Felinfoel there is a large sculpture dedicated to a famous Welsh rugby player, Phil Bennett that Ken & Joan Davis visited.



There are two additional news items this week

Gerald Stone is planning the annual Leica Fellowship visit to the Leica Store in Duke Street in London for some time in November or December. there are still a few places left so anybody interested will need to get in touch with Gerald quickly as these places will only be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Contact -: Gerald 07976 555519 or at gm_stone@btinternet.com if you are interested.

The second item is from Keith Walker concerning
Frank Dabba -Smith's information about how the Leitz family helped Jews in WWII.
A German film has now been made and was difficult to find in UK. It is now on YouTube and may be of some interest to the Fellowship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bENVh73NzZ4
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This week we show the winning photographs in our competitions held at Llanelli. Memebers will see all the placed photographs in a future edition of the newsletter.
These are the results:

In The Wild - Flora and Fauna
1) Gareth Lewis Common Dove Taking Off






Candid / Reportage
1) Keith Walker The Protest




Projected Pictures
1)Jay Charnock Two Bikers





Colour Print
1)Jay Charnock Casa de Duro




Black and White Print
1)Don Morley Just Passing


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Before we publish any news and photographs about the weekend in Llanelli we are returning to Bernard Lockley's exploration of European cities with his Leica M9 Monochrom.




















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As it is our Autumn weekend together in Llanelli the webmaster looks back on previous weekends. This is a random set of pictures not representing each and every year.



2012 - Lymington - Hampshire - Leica M9




2015 - Lancashire - St Anne's - Leica M9




2015 - Cumbria - Leica M9




2019 - Lincoln - Cathedral - Leica MP 240




2021 - Beamish - Leica MP 240




2021 - Beamish - Leica MP 240




2022 - National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port - Leica MP 240




2022 - Ellesmere Port War Memorial - Leica MP 240



[

2023 - Vale of Rheidol (Llandridod Wells) - Leica MP 240




2023 - Aberystwyth - Leica MP 240




2026 - Stanton Fitzwarren - Panasonic GX8 Leica / Panasonic 12-60mm




2026 - Gloucester Cathedral - Leica M11
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While enjoying a moment in the shade, during the recent summer of heatwaves, frankly, my primary aim was one of personal survival. I scarcely expected to encounter any photo-opportunities.

My thoughts ranged far and wide, wondering whether we would experience wet and windy weather ever again. Remember, we had gone around two months with not a rain-cloud in sight in the southern half of the UK. Human energy was greatly reduced, especially for the elderly.

Then I saw a glimmer of hope. Read on to discover what had caught my attention. But first, I needed a suitable camera.


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Our President, Cled Lewis, welcomes those members who can make it to Llanelli on 4th to 7th September. We send our best wishes to everyone who cannot join us.
Here are some places to visit:



National Museum of Wales




National Museum of Wales - Iron Age Round Houses




National Museum of Wales - Window in Farmhouse




National Museum of Wales - Interior - Gwalia Stores




Wales Aviation Museum




Kidwelly




Kidwelly Castle
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We continue with Keith's photographs of the beautiful Dorset Coast.


Swanage Pier




The Coastal Path




West Bay




Weymouth Harbour




The Cobb at Lyme




The Coastal Path
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This week Keith Walker takes us to his native Dorset to show us the coast. As Keith has sent a good number of photographs we will split this article over two weeks.



A Spot of Fishing - West Bay Harbour entrance




Burton Bradstock



Durdle Door




Portland Lighthouse with Old Lighthouse in Distance




Lulworth Cove




Lulworth Cove with Sun Setting over The Isle of Portland
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We continue with the Lewis Family's experiences with the Leica Q3 43 as Gareth tells us the unusual story of how he caqme to own one and what he has been photographing with it.




















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There are two features of the Leica systems past and present, one, its cost and the other is the number of accessories that have been produced, particularly for the rangefinders.

Here Pam and Cled adapt an R series accessory to give a close up facility on the Q3 43 similar to the Elpro 52 at a somewhat cheaper cost.

To demonstrate they are using a Leitz box from the past to get closer and closer. Then use it on a flower.










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England didn’t make the final, a shame. With the World Cup occupying so much of the planet’s population’s time Don reminisces about the 1966 event show the sort of trials and tribulations he and other sports photographers had to endure to get the shot. Fancy not getting the Hurst Winner in 1966 Don!!!! This article gives us all a glimpse behind the scenes of a famous sports photographer working in a different era from 1966 to through the 1970s. Don also covers the appalling behaviour of fans in the 1970s and 80s which made him stop covering top league matches. The last photos show that Don has still got the ability to capture the action.









































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Following on from David Askham's suggested theme of 'One Picture , One Short Story' Ken Davis has written this short article based around one photograph.

This is a theme that we will develop over time if members send one photograph and their story or thoughts around it.




Winter Dawn - Derbyshire
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This week Hugh shows us a London Event many of us may not have heard of, the Tweed Run. Another important point that Hugh makes is to have your camera with you for you never know what you will find.
































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Here is an appeal to members who think they have nothing to share with their fellows in our small, but special, LF society.

We all know how photography can bring back memories of long-forgotten events or travels. The mere sight of an old personal picture can often recall sights, scents and stories associated with a specific travel destination or family event.

Or, some small happening in your own back yard, snapped by an older family member or friend, serves to remind you of how you or an ancestor once lived. Memories flood back as you relive those special moments in your lives.

Invariably, travels unearth an interesting nugget of information, novel to you at the time, that could also be of interest to other photographers had it been shared. Please, rack your brains and share such incidents with other members.

Many serious experienced Leica photographers enjoy producing pictures for competitions. That becomes their main aim. So please tell us a little about your discoveries and techniques. In contrast, a huge majority of photographers are less ambitious and are content with their opportunistic and random efforts with a camera. Each and every one of you is welcome to share your experiences with others.

In recent times, starting with Covid-19 and its period of confinement, it brought home to me the importance of reviewing our old, long-forgotten photographs.

So what have I to offer, this week?




During a random search of my picture library I chanced upon this photo of a young swallow, unusually perched on my television aerial. I was elated to rediscover this picture as you can find out by following this link.
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This week some more photos of Stanton Park and Stanton Fitzwarren taken during our recent 50th Anniversary Weekend taken by Ken Davis.

In addition you will find a summary President's Report from Cled.

https://www.leica-fellowship.org.uk/presidents-page























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Alan takes us back 20 years to his first use of the digital photography media and his first camera.
Alan makes some very valid points about how many of us have followed the trend of staying up to date with technology, which has improved greatly, and when we look at the results from these earlier cameras they can still produce the results.



The Camera




At Rest




Clay Next The Sea




Great Crested Grebe




Erik




Fisherman's Shed




Amazon Rain Forest?




Rigging





Smoking Joe
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Keith Mason – Stanton Fitzwarren

This week Keith shows us some photographs of the hotel and its grounds taken on a Leica D-Lux (Type 109) and of the magnificent St John The Baptist parish church in Cirencester taken on a Leica M (240) with a 35mm lens that shows the church and sky to good effect.



Stanton House Hotel




Stanton House Hotel




St Leonard's Stanton Fitzwarren




Stanton Park




Stanton Park




Stanton Park




Stanton Park




Cirencester - "Cathedral of the Cotswolds" (The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist).
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This week we use the Macfilos website to look at Leica's new announcements:

https://www.macfilos.com/2026/05/28/grey-cameras-working-title/


Follow the link below to take you to the Macfilos home page.

https://www.macfilos.com/

There is a rich treasure of articles on the Macfilos site. The recent one by Keith James on using the Leica CL and TL ranges with other lenses is worth a read:

https://www.macfilos.com/2026/05/27/leica-aps-c-photography-still-has-a-pulse-thanks-to-the-l-mount/
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