Late last year, Leica introduced a new line/collection of high-quality leather accessories. It is a diverse assortment of knick-knacks, all made of very high-quality black leather. There are (among others) business card holders, coin trays, Air Tag Fobs and wallets. The item that I coveted most for a Christmas present was the Leica Film Roll Holder.
Sadly, due to all things Leica sometimes being in short supply here in the USA, there was no present under the tree for me last December. However, my story does have a happy ending.
Worth the wait
Due to the concerted efforts of Mr. Henrik Ekdahl (managing director of the leather goods project), and the sales team at the Leica Store in Amsterdam, my daughter (who lives in Amsterdam) was recently able to present her father with a late but much appreciated Christmas gift.
Last year, I wrote an article on shooting the new Monopan 50 film. This means I now travel with two digital M camera bodies, a film camera body and a supply of film. But some other things have changed.
Practical benefits
Film boxes no longer get beaten up in my camera bag. Items such as spare SD cards and batteries no longer get jumbled together in a pouch. I’m now better organised, thanks to this perfect addition to my kit.
It is sized with three main compartments, and also has three SD card slots on the side. The compartments will hold either three boxed rolls of film or three unboxed rolls of film. Or, as I use it: two film canisters, my two spare SD cards, and two spare batteries for my digital M camera bodies.
An elegant solution
This one accessory holds it all, and it fits comfortably in the front pocket of my Think Tank bag. It is an elegant solution to a problem I never knew I had. And yes, me being me; I managed to locate some vintage Adox metal film canisters on eBay.
I also scanned the Monopan 50 box to make some labels for the tops of these vintage screw top film cans (just for looks). As you can see from the enclosed images, the overall effect is both pretty and efficient.
My thanks go out to all the fine people at Leica who helped make this happen. To all out there who now travel with Digital and Film M, or just film, I heartily recommend this accessory.
Pricing for the Leica Film Roll Holder is: £215 | €250 | $245 (before taxes)
Make a donation to help with our running costs
Did you know that Macfilos is run by five photography enthusiasts based in the UK, USA and Europe? We cover all the substantial costs of running the site, and we do not carry advertising because it spoils readers’ enjoyment. Any amount, however small, will be appreciated, and we will write to acknowledge your generosity.