"Demand for film cameras is greater than the production capacity" - Leica

gavinlg

gavinlg

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Found this - https://www.macfilos.com/2020/05/18/films-not-dead-leica-confirms-commitment-to-film-cameras/

From the article -

"Over the past year, there have been rumours that film camera production would cease. However, Mr Daniel said that Leica was committed to continued manufacturing of film cameras. He emphasised that there is a huge growth in demand for second-hand Leica film bodies and new cameras are on backorder. This level of interest in film cameras was something that he hadn’t seen since the arrival of the digital Ms over ten years ago."
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"Dr Kaufmann confirmed that demand for film cameras is greater than the production capacity. He pointed out that this interest is largely coming from younger photographers up to, probably, the age of 35. Older customers tend to be “more happy shooting digital”."
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Makes sense considering the non existence of M-A and MP stock in the last 6 or so months. The price of M6's is now more than what an MP cost used just a few years ago...
 
I don't understand how M6's have gone up in price so much. I sold mine last year when they were about $2k for a really nice copy because I thought prices couldn't possibly go any higher. If I was to spend nearly $3k on a film M body, it would be an M-A or MP without question. Prices of M2's-4's have also skyrocketed but seem to do so in a more stepwise manner. M4-P's first, M4 second, and now M2's and 3's. Seems like the cameras most like an M6 are going up in price more rapidly. Likely due to people not being able to afford M6's with the price surge so looking for the next best thing, and it keeps going on. Much like how Contax T3's went up in price, then T2's, and then the Yashica counterparts.

There is definitely a market or film cameras right now. I can't imagine another company would back-pedal to produce film cameras again but with Leica being the only contender, there is definitely an open market there.

Crazy world out there haha.
 
jmonat7 said:
There is definitely a market or film cameras right now. I can't imagine another company would back-pedal to produce film cameras again but with Leica being the only contender, there is definitely an open market there.
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Time for Voigtlander to re-release the Bessa range IMO. If I recall they retailed at just under $1000usd when available? I imagine there would be a huge market for an M mount rangefinder at that price - more now than 10 years ago...
 
Realistically, how many folks under 35 are out there looking to spend between $8000 and $12000 I a camera body and a single lens? Then again, if production capacity is very low, just a few people wanting a brand new super stealth Leica with Noctilux, so they can deftly take photos of people in dark bars, not wearing masks then publicly shame them on Tumblr. So maybe the market is there but I really don't see it here in the northeast USA.
Phil Forrest
 
I imagine that Leica really doesn't make many film cameras. Even a production bump of a few hundred units/year may severely strain their suppliers.

Jim B.
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Realistically, how many folks under 35 are out there looking to spend between $8000 and $12000 I a camera body and a single lens? Then again, if production capacity is very low, just a few people wanting a brand new super stealth Leica with Noctilux, so they can deftly take photos of people in dark bars, not wearing masks then publicly shame them on Tumblr. So maybe the market is there but I really don't see it here in the northeast USA.
Phil Forrest
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It's not a mass market, and I happily use a sub 1k Voigtlander lens on my Leica.

How many people under 35 are looking to spend between 8-12k on a Rolex Sub? Many more than you would think. Keep in mind as time goes on this age group gets older and richer.
 
About ten years ago one could find a nearly new Bessa R for about $200 on eBay. A similar R2 was maybe $300 or even less. They were great entry level hassle free rangefinders. Now their prices have soared. There would be a strong market for either of these cameras, or something similar.
 
About 6 years ago I bought an M6 Classic 0.85 for about US$1400 and subsequently CLA’d it and upgraded the RF optics. I understand the appeal as it stems from its simplicity and repairability compared to the M6TTL, M7 or meterless M2/3/4.

M5 is just plain ugly. Sorry kids, but it is despite its tech advances. UGLY.
 
If you are a youngster just itching to shoot film, get an OM-1n, yeah, ain't a rangefinder or a Leica (it won't need as much service). But, it's a really nice compact interchangeable lens camera with a great viewfinder. It is the most Leica like experience in a SLR.
There, film camera production problem solved.

Edit; Companies are always 'confirming their commitment' to this or that, and 3-6 months later pulling the plug. The 'commitment' is good till the end of the week.
 
aizan said:
The film camera bubble will eventually burst. Sell things you don't need or want while it's hot!
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Absolutely. Some person who had way more money than brains recently bought a Nikon L35AF, untested, for over $110 USD. I can barely give away cameras like this and people are buying point and shoots from Goodwill for over $100 regularly. Not Contax T2/3, but Nikons and Olympuses. So I guess I answered my own question. There are plenty of people out there willing to pay too much for so little. Crazy times.
Phil Forrest
 
I wonder who are all these young people with several thousand dollars to spend on Leica film bodies? Even so, it's a good thing, as it keeps that arm of Leica in business, and maintains the supply of spare parts for longer.
 
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

As an owner of both Barnack and M3, M6 Leicas, but not yet an M5, I consider a black M5 to be the most beautiful and usable.
 
Archiver said:
I wonder who are all these young people with several thousand dollars to spend on Leica film bodies? Even so, it's a good thing, as it keeps that arm of Leica in business, and maintains the supply of spare parts for longer.
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To put it in perspective, the new Canon EOS R5 is the same price as a brand new leica MP. That’s not even the top end EOS camera with a more expensive pro version to be released later on. The new Sony A7s iii is only 700au less than the MP.

I know which one is the wiser investment.
 
Red Dot are selling new MPs and MAs - no idea about in stock - at £3900 per MP and £3600 per MA.

That's less than the cost of my first secondhand car as a 21 year old back in the mid eighties. If I could find the money as a new graduate then from savings, I see no reason why if someone wants one they can't find the money. In reality, as we have no idea about Leica's production figures for this one, I suspect the number of people who buy one to be tiny.
 
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