This year the Leica Oscar Barnack (LOBA) photography contest, is being celebrated as part of the Leica Centenary celebrations under the banner of “100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century”.
Being part of the Leica family is what I value most. It's not a transactional quick relationship but something longer lasting built on a mutual understanding of excellence and joy from using. It has stood the test of time and if cared for can continue far into the future.
Above all Leica represents a sense of community. You become part of a group that enjoys photography. Enjoys history. Enjoys travel. and enjoys technical prowess.
Some relationships are meant to be, no matter how innocently and unassumingly they start out. Tom Lane's relationship with Leica is not a brittle affair, but one that accommodates differences as it grows.