It’s been a momentous year for all of us at Macfilos Towers. We’ve managed to publish more articles than ever before. We should hit almost 250 published articles in 2025, as we sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve. Our page views have risen significantly thanks to the efforts of the team in sourcing unusual and compelling content. Editor Mike is also likely to pass a significant marker in the new year. (No, not that one). We will be excited to share that news and hope you will join with us to celebrate.
We may not be Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, but we’re still proud of the number of articles we publish. Proud because we have wonderful contributors who bring us both a breadth and depth to what we publish, and that of course brings in readers. Below is a smorgasbord of images, hints at the articles we published, and a few clues under the headings: People, Places, and Things.
People
And we celebrated Leica’s Centennial with a series of articles by our contributors titled What Leica means to me. They make an interesting and varied read about why these contributors connected with Leica and why they continue to hold Leica dear.
Below: the LSI Class of 2025 in Montreal
Places
Travel is always a big part of what we enjoy. Our contributors have taken us to far-flung places around the world. We’ve soaked up the sun in Southern California, travelled to China and Delphi, sailed Lake Como and blown glass in Venice, searched for roast beef in the Yorkshire Dales and visited the Isle of Skye at night.
We’ve squelched through a rainy weekend in Paris, basked in sunny days in Provence and experienced the real Cuba, searched a tranquil corner of British Columbia, and explored the Turkish coast. If we were to take all these journeys ourselves, our suitcases would look like Paddington Bear’s valise. And there’s more to come on the travel front next year.
Andrew Tobin, Mike Evans, Jon Cheffings, James Rice, Claus Sassenberg, Keith James, Mark Catto, Fernando Toro, Ian Beesley, Joerg-Peter Rau
Things
We have reviewed a fascinating crop of cameras, lenses, and a couple of camera bags this year.
J-P continues to bring depth with his “M-Files” articles. Mike seems to acquire equipment and test it regularly, from various L-mount lenses to the Fuji GFX100RF. We may have to clear out more cupboards at Macfilos Towers to create space for the cameras.
Keith seems to keep finding new and exotic equipment to try. The latest of which is a shiny new Hasselblad X2D II, and an anamorphic lens from Sirui. Keith is now practicing his “Kan jag få en också?”
Jon still clings to his old Leica CL, but has added a Q3 43 this year and an D-Lux 8 to replace his erratic D-L 109. And not to be forgotten, Richard keeps Macfilos humming and still finds time to take a few shots with his Leica M10.
We’ve tested cameras, lenses, filters, tripods, and grips. And actual film. If we could have kept it all, we would need a small warehouse. And that’s not including Editor Mike’s vast collection of camera bags that would make Imelda Marcos green with envy.
And there’s more next year
Perhaps, more than anything, as we get close to the end of the year, we’re excited to see what 2026 will bring. We’re already planning fresh articles and perspectives on topics we know interest our readers. We hope you will join us on the journey through 2026.
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