Greetings! It’s with great pleasure that we take this opportunity to update you on our recent developments and challenges encountered since the new year.
We are pleased to announce the completion of our latest lens prototype, the first Leica Summicron-R lens rehoused by our team. The design features a 95mm front OD with a 12-blade iris upgrade and is similar to our other successful designs such as the Olympus OM and the Contax Zeiss. We are also excited to unveil upcoming prototypes, including the Canon FD 55 T1.3 S.S.C. Non-Asph and the Super Takumar 50 T1.5 8E.
In addition, we have completed batch productions of 9 lenses for the LOMO OKC1-50-6 and OKC1-75-1, and we are currently working on a new batch of 6 OKC6-75-1 and 6 OKC1-50-1. We are also finalizing the rehousing of the OKC1-18-1 and working on the challenging Contax Zeiss 35 T1.5, the first focal length in the CZ series that features a floating group.
Despite our successes, we are still facing challenges in maintaining the consistency of our machines. Our equipment is over two decades old and we cannot afford high-end machinery with high-accuracy machining. As such, we often have to machine a single part multiple times to achieve the necessary tolerances. Similarly, industrial design software is very expensive and does not come as a complete package, which has led us to switch to a more affordable solution, albeit with some limitations.
To address these challenges, we have explored third-party fabrication of core parts with access to high-end machinery. However, this option is not optimal as these vendors typically work on high order volumes, pushing our costs even further into the negative.
Nonetheless, we are confident in our ability to find viable solutions and deliver high-quality lenses to our valued customers. We have been working two shifts since early February and have seven team members, and we remain committed to our goal of delivering outstanding products.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work towards delivering your lenses, and we will continue to provide updates on our progress. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to serving you soon!