Overpriced??

HuubL

HuubL

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What's so special about this (ebay 200087705879) 35mm? I knew that 8-element summicrons are worth a lot, but almost 2000 US$?? Is it the box?? And aren't Canadian lenses usually lower value than their Germany counterparts?
 
Strange thing is that he accepts bank wire as the only form of payment. That and he's from Sweden, so I'm not sure how if I were to wish for a wire how well both our customs would handle it.
 
The old v1 summicron is a collectors item that's why the high price. I had one and shot it for many years and it's a poor performer compared to modern glass. The same's true of the v1 35 summilux but the collectors and nostalgia guys want them and drive the prices up. Any of the later summicron 35's will outperform it and the new asph at close to the same price will stomp it. I had the v4 summicron 35 later and just sold it when I got the asph. A also have the Zeiss Biogon and like it better than any of the Leica 35's that I've owned including the v1 summilux. The Biogon outperforms all of them at a fraction of the price. I think I paid under $700 new for my Biogon. To me it's not about the leica name. The name doesn't make images the lens does. It's all about the lens and the image it forms. Even the CV lenses will outperform the 8 element summicron.
 
I know 35mm Summicrons are overpriced as far as quality is concerned, but 2000 US$ is twice the amount they go for recently. I bought a cosmetically very nice one for less than 500 US$ about a month ago. I like it for its looks and mechanical quality and the optical quality is OK for the few images I made till now, but with prices like this, I'm wondering if I'm better off selling the lens on the bay... I've see a nice Canon 35mm f/2 that I think could be had for less than 500 US$.
 
Market rate for the M2 'cron 35 v1 is $1500-2000 in mint condition ($1K for M3 version). After three years of drooling, I finally settled on the Summaron 2.8, but the old desire remains. Special attractions of the v1 include the build quality, perfect DOF scale, the aperture ring, and the silky chrome. Yes, I also have three black 'crons, but it's just not the same. 🙂
 
EmilGil said:
Apparently 4 different people didn't think it was too much as they all bid well over $1500. I wouldn't pay that much but that's another story.
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ebay, and auctions in general, are a form of market that merely determines the maximum price anyone will pay. Which is by definition higher than the price most people are willing to pay. The fact that 4 people are willing to pay a price considered by many to be way too high is no surprise. What is always a surprise to me is the number of people that are convinced auctions are a good way to find a bargain, or that anyone would consider ebay selling prices to be some indicator of "market price." Auctions are the places where record high prices are set. They are a way for a seller to get top dollar. As a buyer, you are better off buying in an environment where the seller prices their products with the intent of maximizing total sales, not profit on individual items. The price at which a seller can move product is the "market price." This is always going to be lower than the average price on a site like ebay.
 
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Ow lowd! I hereby proclaim the UnMint Manifesto: Let the camera-using peoples break free from the price-hiking collector nightmare! Turn it around, I say: Let the collectors be subjected to hours of mint shutter-cocking, shot on recently unfrozen rolls of Kodak Technical Pan, as the wrapping plastic is crinkled. Camera users, unite!
 
Well, obviously these people all decided that they wanted this particular lens and so hissed the price by trying to outbid each other. I'm not trying to explain their behaviour, nor defend them, but I guess they know something I don't about this lens. Here is another one, this time in a much less appealing shape: User 35/2 v1 with 5 people all bidding over €1750 (final price €2243 😱)

I know there are plenty of idiots around and they seem particularly common in the Leica world though my guess is that they can be found in any group with a common denominator; be it cameras, hi-fi, cars or anything else. As I said above, I for one wouldn't pay that money for that lens. But I wouldn't pay $2000 for a pair of speaker cables or car rims either. Sign me up for the manifesto, would you Gabriel?

Regards,
Emil
 
mint v1 summicron 35 has always been at around $2000 mark on ebay, in terms of resolution at mid aperture, this one is very good, it also gives a old world look to it, in this world, someone like kodachrome, the other prefer velvia, some prefer astia, we should encourage a bit variety.
 
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