Danish feature writer and photographer Thosten Overgaardhttp://overgaard.dk This is a very dear lens in more than one sense. It's a rare lens that was only produced in ca. 200 pcs. from 1998 to 2001, simply because it was very difficult to produce, and Leica eventually gave up making a profit on it. (And it wasn't because it wasn't an expensive lens in the first place to acquire). But more importantly, it's simply a brilliant lens. In his Lens Compendium, Erwin Puts write about the 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R ASPH f/2.8 that "the 2.8 performance is better than the 2.8/35 and the 2/35 at 2.8", and compares it to it's 1997-littlesister, the 35-70mm Vario-Elmar-R ASPH f/4.0 (which is generally acclaimed as a lens with a fantastic picture quality) by saying, "the newer 2.8/35-70 has 11 lenses, many of which are of exotic specification, proving the effort to go up just one stop. With this lens Leica introduces an interesting strategy and that is building a low aperture lens to very high optical standards of performance. The luminous energy flowing through a lens of aperture f/2,8 is twice the amount of a lens with an aperture of f/4 and the effort to control and manage this energy flow is very demanding. It is not well recognized how difficult it is for a designer to control aberrations when stepping up one stop." Let's be honest. This is a huge lens, and you will soon start questioning if you could do with one stop less in the much more compact (and much much more economical) f/4.0 littlesister. For my part I've never used the f/4.0 indoor, and that is where I do most of my shooting. So it's been a rather useless "sunshine lens" which I'm sure people living in more sunny parts of the world appreciate. British soul singer and songwriter Seal in an exclusive photo session at The Soho Hotel in London, promoting his new album ÒSOUL," October 2008 (AP Photo/Thorsten Overgaard). American actress Kelly Preston wearing a Chanel creation by French designer Karl Lagerfeld, at the Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead where she handed over a charity check of £ 50,000 to the Sussex Air Ambulance Service on behalf of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and The Church of Scientology. (AP Photo/Thorsten Overgaard). Leica R8 DMR with Leica Vario-Elmarit-R 35-70mm f/2.8, 200 ISO, 1/15 sec. American actor Tony Curtis in London, October 2008. Leica R8 DMR with Leica Vario-Elmarit-r 35-70mm f/2.8, 400 ISO, 1/60 sec, converted with Lightroom 2.0. American actor Tony Curtis being interviewed at The Herrods in London by Niel Sean of FOX Entertainment and Emma Brumptonhttp://www.overgaard.dk/leica_35-70_Vario-Elmarit-R_28.html Leica plan to start delivery of the Leica S2 medium format digital SLR camera as well as the first four lenses (with another five to follow shortly). Leica plan to present the Leica R10 digital SLR as well as another smaller R camera. Tese will get accompanied by a new range of autofokus R lenses. Leica plan to add an additional factory to their exisitng. In 2006 Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, a wealthy photography aficionado of Salzburg, Austria, took over Leica step by step from 2004-2006 with the intention of rescuing the company. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann is not the typical capitalist: He helped found Germany's environmental Green party in 1979 and taught for 15 years at a Stuttgart school that follows the Waldorf model (derived from Rudolf Steiner). In 2004, he took a small stake in Leica, raising it in steps to 96.5% by 2006. The rest of the shares are publicly traded on the Frankfurt exchange. His fortune is estimated in the hundreds of millions of Euro and derives from a family owned pulp and paper company his family owned and managed for 101 years. Peter Karbe, head of Leica optics design, has worked on the 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4 (according to roumor, he worked the lens design for ten years, and in his spare time), 75mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0 . As the head optics designer at Leica he has also had a great deal to do with the new Leica S lenses. The famous head shot of Che Guevara (above), reproduced on millions of rebellious T-shirts, student walls and even on the bills: that was taken on a Leica with a portrait lens Ñ a short telephoto of 90 mm Ñ by Alberto D’az GutiŽrrez, better known as Korda, in 1960. As is the pearl-gray smile-cum-kiss reflected in the wing mirror of a car, taken by Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt in 1955. Leica again, as is the even more celebrated smooch caught in Times Square on V-J Day, 1945 Ñ a sailor craned over a nurse, bending her backward, her hand raised against his chest in polite half-protestation. The man behind the camera was Alfred Eisenstaedt, of Life magazine. Leica S2 with the 70mm Summarit-S ASPH CS autofocus lens. For further info and a videohttp://www.overgaard.dk/leica_history.html It has become a classic in itself and if one looks around on the net and on the Leica Camera User Forum one will see many great examples from the Digilux 2. It has distinguished itself as a digital camera with an extremely nice lens Ð and as a great camera for street photo as well as a digital camera that does pictures in black and white mode that reminds of classic rangefinder shots. Leica Digilux 2 for professional photojournalistic use. The Digilux 2 isn't a fast-focusing camera. When you look throught the viewfinder, there's a green blinking spot in the middle indicating that the camera hasn't focused yet. And then when the green dot is stable on, and not blinking anymore, the camera has obtained focus. Now, an error one can do is to point the camera, press the shutter, and then experience a delay before the camera take the picture. What happens is that the AF try to find the focus, eventual finds it, and then the exposure happens. But aparantly there's also a time-out, so if the AF can't find the right focusing within some seconds, the camera simply fires. Hence, you get some blurred shots. Church of Scientology Berlin Grand Opening - "5,100 Visitors," January 13, 2007. Leica Digilux 2, 1/125 sec, f/4.0, 200 ISO. Former weapons inspector Dr. Hans Blix with his book, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Faroe Islands , September 2007. Leica Digilux 2, 100 ISO, 1/30 sec, f/2.8, manual. American singer-songwriter Noelle Scaggs, April 2008, Leica Digilux 2, 1/60 sec., f/4.0, manual. Copenhagen Fashion Week August 2007. Here's a serie of four slideshows covering the Tall Ships Races over four days in Aarhus, Denmark. All shot with Leica Digilux 2. http://www.overgaard.dk/leica_digilux2.html Photokina video-interview with Dipl.-Ing. Maike Harberts of Leica Camera AG who's responsible for the developing of the Leica S2 and the Leica R10.http://www.overgaard.dk/leica_S2_dSLR.html American actress Kelly Preston is wearing a Chanel creation by French designer Karl Lagerfeld from the AW08/09 Chanel ready-to-wear collection, Sunday, Oct 26, 2008 at the Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead where she handed over a charity check of £ 50,000 to the Sussex Air Ambulance Service on behalf of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and the Church of Scientology at the 12th annual Gala Charity Concert. With Kelly Preston was husband John Travolta and daughter Ella Blue who flew in from Paris in their private jet for a few days in UK. John Travolta is currently filming "From Paris With Love" in Paris. Exclusive portrait session released Nov 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Thorsten Overgaard)http://www.overgaard.dk/nov08.html Opening of the ARoS art expo, Erik A Frandsen attended by the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. Emma and Neil Sean doing Tony Cutris interview while his designated driver waits in the background. Russell Brand's book release for WireImage/Getty Images. Kelly Preston Visits the Air Ambulance Service of East Grinstead (EXCLUSIVE, Premium Rates Apply) EAST GRINSTEAD, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 26: American actress Kelly Preston sits in the helicopter cockpit of the Sussex Air Ambulance Service with the crew of doctors and the pilot on October 26, 2008 in East Grinstead, London. The Sussex Air Ambulance attend an average of four incidents a day and have received a grant from the Church of Scientology's Saint Hill Gala Charity Concert 2008, Saint Hill Manor. (Photo by Thorsten Overgaard/WireImage). A portrait of Teitur Lassen which Thorsten did at Roskilde Festival 2008.. American actress Kelly Preston is wearing a Chanel creation by French designer Karl Lagerfeld from the AW08/09 Chanel ready-to-wear collection, Sunday, Oct 26, 2008 at the Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead where she handed over a charity check of £ 50,000 to the Sussex Air Ambulance Service on behalf of the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation and the Church of Scientology at the 12th annual Gala Charity Concert. With Kelly Preston was husband John Travolta and daughter Ella Blue who flew in from Paris in their private jet for a few days in UK. John Travolta is currently filming "From Paris With Love" in Paris. Exclusive portrait session released Nov 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Thorsten Overgaard)http://www.overgaard.dk/oct08.html Thorsten Overgaard covered Roskilde Festival 2008 for WireImage and Getty Images, presenting Gnarls Barkley, The Streets, Kenge Kenge, Nick Vace, Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley, The Black Seeds, Salmon Burke, Teitur Lassen, Alfabeat, The Chemical Brothers, CocoRosie, DunkelBunt, Familjen, Jay-Z, Job for a Cowboy, Spleen United, Cee-Lo Green, Rasmus Nagel, Troels Muller Hansen and Anders SG Nielsen of Alfabeat, Thomas Callaway, of Gnarls Barkley, Rapper Mike Skinner of The Streets, Teitur, Niel Young, The Raveonettes, Joan as a Police Woman, Santogold, Santi White, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Efterklanghttp://www.overgaard.dk/jul08.html Photos and soundslide by Thorsten Overgaard, presenting the ROSA SPOT-Festival 2008 with Neil McCormick, Talent and music producer meeting, Danish avant garde filmmaker, poet, writer and Tour de France anchor Joergen Leth in front of the Aarhus City Hall at the yearly SPOT Festival Aarhus, Danmark, Juni 2008, Mariam Wallentin of Wildbird and Peacedrum, The Nordic Cowriters, Mariam Wallentin of Wildbird and Peacedrums, Efterklang, Lena Anderssen and Moddi Knutsen of The Nordic Cowriters, James Loveless with Gypsies, Efterklang, Hanne Sorvaag, Lisa Blasel and Lena Anderssen of Nordic Cowriters, Mariam Wallentin of Wildbird and Peacedrums, Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werkin of Wildbird and Peacedrums, Songbook, Interview, James Loveless with The Gypsies, Moddi Knutsen of Nordic Cowriters, Danish avant garde filmmaker, poet, writer and Tour de France anchor Jorgen Leth in front of the Aarhus City Hall at the yearly SPOT Festival, Arhus, Denmark, June 2008, Neil McCormick, author of the bestselling auto-biography "U2 by U2", Guest watch and listen to music videos at the ARoS art museum as part of the SPOT music festivalhttp://www.overgaard.dk/SPOT_2008 Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard's Leica pages present a new and updated page about the Leitz Summilux-R 80mm f1.4 lens with lots of examples on Fuji slide film, Digital Module-R (Leica DMR) and scans from Imacon/Hasselblad Flextight Photo scanner. Photos of Angela Merkel, Kaus Riskaer, Ceecile Norby, Scientology Volunteer Ministers, Buddhist Sunday Schools, tsunami relief team, Kolkata Book Fair, Hindu reading Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard, Monica Prata from Model Mayhem ( modelmayhem.com ), Claus Due at ARoS Wim Wenders expo - and many morehttp://overgaard.dk/leica_80_summilux-R_14.html Fotograf Thorsten Overgaard holder seminar i fotografering i Aarhus og Kobenhavn i september 2007. Se datoer og tilmeld herhttp://www.overgaard.dk/fotoseminar.html Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard will be doing photo seminars in Berlin, London, Copenhagen and Aarhus in September and October 2007.http://www.overgaard.dk/fotoseminar_gb.html Photographs by Thorsten Overgaard for Getty Images from the Copenhagen Fashion Week SS08, August 8-12, 2007, presenting spring and summer fashion 2008 by Noa Noa, Bitte Kai Rand, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, By Malene Birger, Bruuns Bazaar, Baum und Pferdgarten, Princess Mary of Denmark, Wood Wood, Adidas, Munthe plus Simonsen, InWear, annhagen, Niels and Klaus, Designers Remix Collection, Danmarks Designskole graduates, Danish Design School graduates, Bella Center trend show, Bitte Kai Rand, Lene Nystrom, Rene Dif, Stories by Rikke Mai, CPH VISION fair, Forum, Bella Center, Spring/Summer 2008http://www.overgaard.dk/CFW/SS08 Photographs by Thorsten Overgaard for Getty Images from the Copenhagen Fashion Week SS08, August 10, 2007, presenting spring and summer fashion 2008 by Noa Noa, Bitte Kai Rand, Day Birger et Mikkelsen and By Malene Birgerhttp://www.overgaard.dk/CFW/SS08/day3.html Photographs by Thorsten Overgaard for Getty Images from the Copenhagen Fashion Week SS08, August 9, 2007, presenting spring and summer fashion 2008 by Bruuns Bazaar, Baum und Pferdgarten, Princess Mary of Denmark, Wood Wood, Adidas, Munthe plus Simonsen, InWear, annhagen, Niels and Klaushttp://www.overgaard.dk/CFW/SS08/day2.html Photographs by Thorsten Overgaard for Getty Images from the Copenhagen Fashion Week SS08, August 8, 2007, presenting spring and summer fashion 2008 by Designers Remix Collection, Danmarks Designskole graduates, Danish Design School graduates, Bella Center trend show, Bitte Kai Rand, Lene Nystrom, Rene Dif, Stories by Rikke Mai, CPH VISION fair, Forum, Bella Center, Spring/Summer 2008http://www.overgaard.dk/CFW/SS08/day2.html New photographs of the Royal Danish Family at Graasten Slot by Thorsten Overgaard. Princess Benedikte, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Princess Mary, Prince Frederik, Princess Isabella, Prince Christianhttp://www.overgaard.dk/Royal_Danish_Family The Slideshows by Thorsten Overgaard from Tall Ships' Races 2007 in Aarhus, Denmark, has ben selected as "link of the Week" by the Aarhus.dk city website. The slideshows cover four days of sail events with loads of tall sail ships, Captains Dinner, Bryan Adams concert, Thomas Helmig concert, D-A-D concert, mayor Nicolai Wammen official opening, etc.http://www.aarhus.dk/aa/portal/borger/s_ugenslink# The Leica and Leitz Camera Compendium with a complete list of all past and current Leitz and Leica cameras, courtesy of Justin Scott.http://overgaard.dk/leica_camera_compendium.html The Leica History article updated with new pictures of Leica users (Scarlett Johansson) and a Leica and Leitz Lens Compendium with a complete list of all past and current Leitz and Leica lenses, courtesy of Justin Scott.http://overgaard.dk/leica_history.html Updated article by Thorsten Overgaard on the Dianetics Silent Birth or Quiet Birth method known from the book Dianetics - Modern Science of Mental Health by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The article is based on Thorsten Overgaard's personal experiences with having three kids the Silent Birth way - a boy and a girl born natural birth as twins, and a baby girl daughter born as planned cesarean section. The article also links to the book of L. Ron Hubbard, Child dianetics, as well as the Church of Scientology site www.SilentBirth.org that was created to answer questions as to What is Silent Birth, when Suri Cruise, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes was born.http://overgaard.dk/silent_birth.html Updated article by Thorsten Overgaard on the Leica Digilux 2 digital camera and the Panasonic DMC-LC1 digital cameras. The article shares sample shots in JPG and RAW, which SD-card to use, strengths of the cameras as well as experience using the Digilux 2 as a professional documentary or photojournalistic camera.http://overgaard.dk/leica_digilux2.html Thorsten Overgaard's slideshow with atmosphere from the third day of the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmark. Concert photos from live performance by BRYAN ADAMS and THOMAS HELMIG.http://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/07072007/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's slideshow with atmosphere from the fourth and last day of the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmark. Parade of Sail with Cuauatemoc of Mexico, Georg Stage of Denmark, Alexander von Humboldt of Germany, Dar Mlodziezy of Poland and 93 other sail ships.http://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/08072007/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's coverage of the Bryan Adams live performance for 17,500 audiences at the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmarkhttp://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/BryanAdams/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's coverage of the Thomas Helmig live performance for 17,500 audiences at the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmarkhttp://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/ThomasHelmig/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's slideshow with atmosphere from the second day of the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmarkhttp://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/06072007/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's slideshow with atmosphere from the first day of the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmarkhttp://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/05072007/index.html Thorsten Overgaard's coverage of the D-A-D live performance for 13,000 audiences at the Tall Ships' Races 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmark on July 5, 2007 (D.A.D, formerly known as Disneyland After Dark)http://www.overgaard.dk/tsr/D-A-D/index.html Thorsten Overgaard will be covering Tall Ships' Race 2007 (tsr07) in Aarhus, Denmark and deliver a daily atmosphere slideshow herehttp://overgaard.dk/tsr The new July issue of Vibrate Magazine is out with a exclusive story and pictures by Thorsten Overgaard of Juliette Lewis and the Licks in Hamburg and Berlin. The series is from a four days backstage tour. No other photographer has ever been allowed such access to the life of Juliette Lewis. Juliette Lewis talks about being a hundred percent drug-free band, what Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard means to her and more.http://overgaard.dk/jul07.html Thorsten was covering the George Michael "25 LIVE" opening of the George Michel european stadion tour for WireImage.com and Getty Imageshttp://overgaard.dk/may07.html Soundslide slideshow by Thorsten Overgaard from DAY I of the SPOT Festival in Denmarkhttp://spotfestival.overgaard.dk/01062007 Soundslide slideshow by Thorsten Overgaard from DAY II of the SPOT Festival in Denmarkhttp://spotfestival.overgaard.dk/02062007 New photos of spokeswoman Sabine Weber of Church of Scientology Germany for Getty Images and WireImage.comhttp://overgaard.dk/may07.html New photos of president Bill Clinton, Kofi Annan and Danish news anchor Jens Gaardbohttp://overgaard.dk/may07.html New photos of Jimi Hendrix' sound manager Eddie Kramer who opened his photo expo "World Rock History 1967-1972" in Aarhus, Denmarkhttp://overgaard.dk/may07.html Thorsten covered the SPOT Festival in Aarhus where 100+ upcoming bands played in 12 different concert venues in town; as well as several events and seminars for and about musicians. Here's two slideshows with atmosphere shots from the festivalhttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html Thorsten is the editor of the new webzine humanisten.org (a webzine is a magazine online). The magazine is in Danish and deals with humanitarian causes, human rights at large, artists, freedom of speech, education, integration, human rights violations in the psychiatric industry, etchttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html Photos of party leader Nasar Khader at Grundlovsdag 2007 (Constitution Day) in Silkeborg, in the garden of Lars Kolind and family, where his new Danish center party, nyalliance.dk (New Alliance) celebrated the Danish consitution and the support of their new partyhttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html Sunrise seminar in Copenhagen at Hotel Fox about blogging, hosted by Connecta.dkhttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html New photos from the ARoS art museum in Aarhus, Denmark, presenting HRH Queen Margrethes gobelins, made by the Danish artisy Bjoern Noergaardhttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html New photos from the ARoS art museum in Aarhus, Denmark, presenting models of Frank Gehry buildings - the new building for Kraeftens Bekaempelse (The Danish Cancer Society) in Aarhus, Frank Gehry Furniture Collection and MIT Stata Center in Massachusettshttp://overgaard.dk/jun07.html New photos from the summer party in the Rudolf Steiner Boernehaven, Aarhus, Denmark (Rudolf Steiner Kindergarden Aarhus)http://overgaard.dk/jun07.html Soundslide slideshow with 49 pictures from the Rudolf Steiner summer party in the kindergardenhttp://rudolf.overgaard.dk Soundslide slideshow by Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard from the opening of the Scientology Kirche Berlin with attendance of 5,100 friends and scientologist, January 13, 2007http://scientology-berlin.overgaard.dk Soundslide slideshow by Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard from the Networks Day 2007 with HRH Prince Joachin of Denmark, Tax Minister Kristian Jensen and former Social Minister Karen Jespersen http://netvaerksdagen-2006.overgaard.dk Soundslide slideshow by Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard documenting the relief work performed in South East Asia after the 2004 tsunami by Scientology Volunteer Ministers http://www.afterthetsunami.org/slideshow5