UPGRADE Price Increase February 16, 2009

[Martin_D]

Whatever the camera every digital camera goes out of date in about 10 months

 

[Keith]

Whatever the camera every digital camera goes out of date in about 10 months

No no ... not the M8! Haven't you been paying attention? :angel:

 

[astroman]

With the global economy is disarray what are they thinking.Do they think this is going to boost the 8.2 sales?For the average person the upgrade may have been the option most people would have consider with the fact most of us have less disposible income right now.

 

[Tuolumne]

For all those M8 users who are thinking about upgrading. DO IT NOW!
There is QUITE an increase Starting February 16, 2009. I mean QUITE!!.
M8.2 sales will really ZING when the M8 forum sees these prices.

TR

Duh! You mean they finally figured out that upgrading an M8 to an M8.2 was cheaper than just buying an M8.2? The genius of modern business managementy never fails to impress. 😛

/T

 

[jody36]

Just buy a Voigtländer. If you insist on getting a new Leica M for under $1000, keep living the dream.

I did and I dont dream. Voigtlander is more interested in the common, as in broke, consumer.

 

[astroman]

Just buy a Voigtländer. If you insist on getting a new Leica M for under $1000, keep living the dream. As for Leica prices, they are what they are. I never understood the "upgrade" thing, to me it doesn't make sense to pour more money into an old camera. I would just sell it and get a new one, or keep the original M8.

Is the M8.2 not just an upgraded old camera?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Wow - who would have thought that people who don't own a Leica would complain about its price?

I guess I can start complaining about how еxpensive those Bentleys are and how they're just rehashed horseless carriages.

 

[Harry Lime]

I have rarely seen a company as determined as Leica to cut it's own throat.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

A recent google search shows a porsche for as little as 48000 and as High as 1900000 rounding figures. So the cheaper one is 26 percent of the highest one. So you can have a sporty boxer instead of the 911. ... A boxer is a hellofa nice ride.

The Boxster is not a real Porsche.
They stopped making real Porsches when they introduced watercooling. 😱

Merry Christmas,
Uwe

 

[jody36]

Wow - who would have thought that people who don't own a Leica would complain about its price?

I see it as appropriate for those who cant afford or dont want to spend the money on something to be the ones to complain about the price. Only a fool spends his money on something and then complains it was too much.

 

[jody36]

i wonder if the production cost are that much higher in Germany than Japan. Dont know.

 

[aizan]

i need a new job...got any ideas?

 

[Tuolumne]

I've come to the conclusion that Leica charges whatever they need to keep it going. If the prices are too high, they will go out of business. But the same will happen if they don't make any money.

Of course, they could move the production elsewhere, but as a Leica buyer/user, I'm personally not interested in a "Made in Japan/China" Leica. If I wanted that, I would have just bought a Zeiss or Voigtländer. Which I have done, repeatedly. Love the Zeiss Ikon, couldn't care less about Voigtländer cameras (but really like some of their lenses).

Do you really think that sausage-fingered Germans assemble cameras any better than deft-fingered Chinese? I know Leica thinks it would ruin their cachet to have their cameras assembled in China, and the Canada-made equipment was never as desirable as the German made, but let's face it, there is no difference whatsoever. The CV and Zeiss equipment is designed to be cheaper and less substantial, and that's why it is. Not because it was made on one continent or another.

I have owned American cars and I have owned Japanese cars. The Japanese cars have a much better fit and finish than the American ones, regardless of price.

/T

 

[Nh3]

I've come to the conclusion that Leica charges whatever they need to keep it going. If the prices are too high, they will go out of business. But the same will happen if they don't make any money.

Of course, they could move the production elsewhere, but as a Leica buyer/user, I'm personally not interested in a "Made in Japan/China" Leica. If I wanted that, I would have just bought a Zeiss or Voigtländer. Which I have done, repeatedly. Love the Zeiss Ikon, couldn't care less about Voigtländer cameras (but really like some of their lenses).

I remember hearing once that Leica lenses were specifically designed for the lighting condition in Poland and other Lebensraum 'regions'.

 

[Tony Rose]

After February 15, 2009

M8 Upgrade Option
Shutter + Sapphire Glass + Rangefinder Mask $2,150.00
Shutter & Sapphire Glass $1,850.00
Shutter & Rangefinder Mask $1,600.00
Shutter Only $1,300.00
Sapphire Glass & Rangefinder Mask $1,550.00
Sapphire Glass $1,300.00
Rangefinder Mask $1,100.00

 

[Tony Rose]

Until February 15, 2009

Shutter + Sapphire Glass + Rangefinder Mask $1, 700.00
Shutter & Sapphire Glass $1, 450.00
Shutter & Rangefinder Mask $1, 275.00
Shutter Only $1, 025.00
Sapphire Glass & Rangefinder Mask $1, 200.00
Sapphire Glass $ 950.00
Rangefinder Mask $ 800.00

 

[Doug]

The "upgrade" price increases are disappointing, but not devastating, as I had little interest in those modifications. I use a Giotto's glass cover on the LCD and don't want a slower shutter, so I wasn't a good sales prospect anyway! There ARE changes I'd pay for, but Leica hasn't offered them yet. In the meantime I'm pleased to use my M8s (one of which came from Tony!) the way they are, and appreciate the firmware updates.

 

[Keith]

It puzzles me a little that the three options separately total $3700.00 ... combined they come to $2150.00. I realise that each time they open the camera there are specific labour costs and to do all three combined you are effectively reducing that cost but that's a hell of a difference!

They're definitely not doing anyone any favours with the labour charges ... to modify their slightly defective device! 🙁

 

[D&A]

HI,

For Tony and others that might know....I would assume if one hasn't caleld Leica yet (Leica in N.J.) and made an app't to have upgrades installed, I would assume they would honor the old prices if one schedules to have it done prior to the Feb. 15th deadline, even though Leica may not get to working on the camera till after Feb. 15th. I hope at least its that way, but one never knows for sure.

Dave

 

[Ben Z]

I put my name on the upgrade list @ Leica-USA earlier this month (when I found out the upgrade prices shot up over in Europe), and was told by the lady that it would be sometime in Feb when I would be called. I asked her about price increases and she said she hadn't been told the US prices were going up (that was over a week ago). I had her e-mail me the upgrade form, which has the (current) prices on it, so I have it "in writing" the exact date I registered as well as the prices quoted. I doesn't say anywhere "subject to change without notice" so I believe they will honor those prices. Once they call me I will have to send in the form with the camera, authorizing them to charge my card the amount specified on the form, so they would have to inform me or send me another form if they intend to charge me more. In which case I will not get the upgrade done. Or buy an M8.2.

BTW thanks Tony for informing us. I bought my M8 (and some other stuff) from you, what a great buying experience. I see on your website you have no (original) M8 bodies listed, and only one M8.2 (a black one with an international warranty). Are you changing your Leica dealership status?