It's Not A Toy If It's An Accessory

As photographers...and particularly as digital photographers...we are frequently subject to belittling. Reference is made to what we do and what we use. In the matter of the small items that make so much difference to our comfort and success, the general public can be quite scathing - everything is either a gadget, a widget, or a toy. They might regard the expensive accessories of their own interests - from superchargers to eyebrow pencils to truffle spoons - as necessities of life...but they won't extend the same courtesies to us. Well, Leica and companies that cater to Leica shooters have decided to take the bull by the horns, defy the crowd, and issue more new stuff. They invite us to live large and live well, and let the detractors be damned. Herewith some of the goodies: a. Leica headphones. Video is ever more popular and Leica cameras can record it extremely well - but the sound may be far better than we can actually hear. To let us know what is actually going down in the files from the microphones of the camera, or external mikes plugged in, Leica have a superb set of headphones and earphones avaialble. They have the correct connectors for the various Leica cameras - no need to stack on a line of adaptors. The sound is clear and clean. The fit is comfortable. The foam inside is red. What more could a Leicaphile want. b. Lens tabs. These are made by a separate company, but are deliberate fits for Leica lenses to allow the user to focus more easily. Leica, of course, have had solid metal or latching lens levers on many of their lenses - these harken back to the original f:3.5 Elmar lenses in the film days, and have been a solid favourite for Leica shooters. If you are going to swing a lens through a wide arc while holding the camera to the eye, they let you get a firm grip on the body and then just push away with one finger. Note that they come in standard and hefty sizes - presumably for standard or hefty fingers. c. Leica earbuds. These can be a blessing or a curse to modern listeners, depening upon how sensitive the skin inside their ears is. At least the Leica variants are well-angled and not likely to fall apart with normal use. d. 35mm lenses. Here the Summarit and the Summilux for the M system. These are useful accessories to mount on the front of a Leica body to allow it to form an image on the sensor. The 35mm focal length is just about perfect for most group shots, providing it is not an Army Group. It is the sort of lens that you can put on the camera and not take off. Note: the Leica system of lenses is not additive. To get a 75mm focal length you must get a 75mm lens...not just screw one 35mm lens onto another...