Prices Up on Used Leica Glass?

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tstermitz

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Is it my imagination or are prices up on used Leica Lenses?

I recently checked a bunch of North America ebay-closed auctions on used-but-recent model summicron 35mm and 50mm, and noticed that they seem up 30% from six or nine months ago. One search provides a small set of observations, so that might not be statistically valid.

I'm not even talking about higher demand lenses like summilux and wide angles. The only summilux availability seems to be 35mm last model.
 
When new prices go up, so do used.
I bought new 21 28 50 90 2.0 and a 75 1.4 in the middle 1980`s
They were between 400 and $650. 75 was more.

I think lens shades cost that now
 
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Most used M and LTM lens prices have gone up, some dramatically - due to new M9, cheaper M8 being more popular and the new EVILs. Only a couple of years ago one could buy a 2.8 Summaron, a DR Summicron, a 50/2 M-Hexanon, a Canon 50/1.5, a Nikkor 35/2.5, etc, for US 300 or so. All of these lenses run US 500 or more today.

Interestingly, use Leica film bodies still cost more or less the same.
 
I think the more M lenses that are made, by any vendor, make it more easy to see on sites like flickr, etc., how good the old pre-asph lenses are, and that they likely aren't going to make them like that anymore in the foreseeable future ... they might be faster, cheaper, and lighter, but not the same ...
 
pre asph 35 and 50 'lux seem to have gone mad lately. 35 and 50 'crons too, especially v4 35's.
I think the price fall of M8's and the increased M9 usage has created a greater demand for the classic lenses. Ampguy said it, they don't make them like they used to!
 
Leica glass on average has always gone up. That's one reason I've stopped thinking about the price of leica lenses and buy what you want since most likely will be better than buying stocks.
 
JWW said:
Leica glass on average has always gone up. That's one reason I've stopped thinking about the price of leica lenses and buy what you want since most likely will be better than buying stocks.
Click to expand...

Probably a good way of looking at it. So far I've bought what I could "afford", a used Jupiter-8 50mm f/2, and a new Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 MC. My next lens is likely either a Leica 50mm f/1.4, 90mm f/2, or 135mm f/2.8. I really want that 90mm!

Another area where lens prices might be on the rise is 4x5 camera's. My favorite local shop says they have a hard time keeping used lenses in. With some of the newer Nikon's, especially FX bodies, the price of old MF lenses went up.
 
And it's going to increase again from January due to rise in VAT from 17.5% to 20% in UK. Now I hate that Osborne bloke even more.

Bottom line / my plan: getting something before January 2010.

Consequently, the price of the used lens will possibly increase even more. :(
 
As used Leica lens prices go up, Leica film M bodies have actually gone down somewhat in price at least in the U.S.
 
I've been beaten to it by 24 hrs. Looking through UK dealers websites I've noticed that used glass seems to have gone up too. Was about to post a similar thread. At least it's not just me then.

Steve.
 
Not just Leica - Voigtlander lenses went up too:
Nokton 50/1.5 LTM is $599 at CQ and just a little while back it was $400. (Actually I think this lens is worth the new price - it was terribly underpriced before for such an aswome lens).
Ultron 35/1.7, Heliar 75/2.5, Skopar 21/4 all went up - both used and new. Some a lot, some a little.
Zeiss ZM lenses went up too.
So, I guess its just the way economy is now.
 
Yup prices are on the rise again. I was quite surprised by just how much I got for my Barnack gear. But you can still get good deals on used Leica glass if you're quick. I've seen some very good deals on one UK Leica dealers website, but they've been purchased within 30 minutes of appearing there!

John
 
ampguy said:
I think the more M lenses that are made, by any vendor, make it more easy to see on sites like flickr, etc., how good the old pre-asph lenses are, and that they likely aren't going to make them like that anymore in the foreseeable future ... they might be faster, cheaper, and lighter, but not the same ...
Click to expand...
i don't know why but i like this utterance :D

nobbylon said:
pre asph 35 and 50 'lux seem to have gone mad lately. 35 and 50 'crons too, especially v4 35's.
Click to expand...
yeah.. i was hunting for 35 v4 early Fabruary this year and there were about 10 to 15 excellent condition crons available on eBay. last several weeks there are few of them and at a price 40% higher. at the moment there is just one for $2,120.
 
Like Roland said ... all non Leica stuff of any note has gone up too! The Canon 50mm f1.2 seems on a fairly steady climb to me ... along with numerous other lenses.
 
I bought my tabbed 50 summicron a few years ago for 600 dollars and now I'm seeing them listed for 900. I didn't realize it at the time but I was fortunate in getting a mint 90mm summicron ASPH for 1600 about a year ago.
 
nobbylon said:
pre asph 35 and 50 'lux seem to have gone mad lately. 35 and 50 'crons too, especially v4 35's.
I think the price fall of M8's and the increased M9 usage has created a greater demand for the classic lenses. Ampguy said it, they don't make them like they used to!
Click to expand...



Second that. Bought a 35 pre asph (Summilux) like a year ago, two weeks before the M9 was announced and paid around 800€. Unfortunately I sold it, because now I would have to pay twice the price to get another one.
 
Similar to what was going on when the M8 was released Leica's most popular lenses are backordered along with the M9. And back orders mean presales - and presales mean people might be willing to pay a little more - and since people are willing to pay a little more Leica is ‘justified’ in raising their prices. And since you can't buy that nifty new 50mm Asph Summilux (or whatever) you just have to own, then you'll have to start looking for a used one.

So it's simple - when demand has outpaced supply, prices go up.
 
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