Leica

Today with the launch of the new Leica T camera system, people may have gotten slightly distracted... But if you look a little more closely, you'll also notice that Leica Camera has finally redesigned their website! Images are larger, the layout and overall look more modern and finally, less Adobe Flash. You may recall that we got a sneak peak of it yesterday. Perhaps not surprisingly, it looks quite Applesque - much like the Leica Stores. Looking good!

In some of the press materials surrounding the introduction of the new Leica T (Type 701), there's one shot of the T amongst many M lenses, showing compatibility through the use of the M-Adapter T. What's interesting to note is the 35mm lens pictured... It's not the current Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH lens we all know and love! Rather, it appears to be a new version - leaked by Leica themselves. Later versions of this image show the current lens. We suspect this long-awaited update might be a new APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH lens!

The Leica T website was made temporarily live, clearly by mistake. It has since been taken down. We've archived quite a bit of it for you, which you can see down below... If you want all the specs - we have those too! Read more below for details and pictures!

The mystery item "Edition 100 Years of Leica" is described as a special anniversary edition by the WestLicht auction house in Vienna, and the sale is part of a larger auction - "100 rare treasures from every epoch of technical development of Leitz history." This item, Lot 100 - is billed as one of the auction highlights. It won't be cheap; the opening bid is €22,000 ($30,391 USD). WestLicht says, "The secret will be disclosed on 22nd May, one day before the auction starts." Should be interesting! Read more below for details!

In a report on BusinessPartner PBS called "Furniture for Generations" (in German) we get a bit of a peek inside the new Leitz Park headquarters in Wetzlar, which is set to open in about a month on May 23, 2014. More specifically, the choice of Leica Camera AG to outfit the new digs with Bosse Design furnishings (e.g. desks, chairs, cubicles, etc.). It should come as perhaps no surprise, Bosse Design is a "Made in Germany" solution and are quintessentially German in design; very modern. They're located in Höxter - a 2.5 hour drive north of Wetzlar. Read more below for details and translation.