Fair price for a v3 35 summicron

[jsrockit]

There is one foir $1350 in the classifieds... good example it appears too. You're not going to do much better unless the seller didn't do their research.

 

[sdotkling]

Anyone seen recent 'bay prices for Canon 35/2 RF lenses? Some nervy people are asking $950, $1050 for them at the 'buy it right now' price. Wha?

 

[jsrockit]

Anyone seen recent 'bay prices for Canon 35/2 RF lenses?

One with haze sold for $600 recently. I guess people are taking the whole "japanese summicron" thing to heart...

 

[nobbylon]

It's gone mad. I saw a rigid Summar go for 1250 GBP yesterday. I know it's rare and all that, but the front element was visibly scratched to oblivion.

Buy Zeiss or CV and wait for prices to come down; it's an M9 driven/production constrained bubble. I can't believe anyone is really buying a two grand lens for a cheap Micro 4/3 digicam.

Ken Rockwell's site (provocative as usual) suggests you should always buy Leica lenses because they are cheap compared to an M9 body. They are not cheap compared to an M3 body, not at the time KR wriote that and certainly not now.

Leica lenses are great but they're not four times better than a Zeiss.

I can't see prices coming down. they may flatten for a while but in the long run prices will continue upward.
Summicron's and Summilux's are the bread and butter lenses in 35 and 50mm. If you don't want to pay for a new version and sit on a list then s/h is the only way and since most of the 35 and 50 'cron and 'lux have cult following I'm afraid that's just how it is.
M9's will become more affordable on the s/h market and will inevitably drive prices even further as new owners desire these lenses.
With each succesive M digital, M popularity will increase as more people get the bug and since Leica stopped making all these great 35 and 50's they will only become harder to find s/h and therefore more expensive. If I wanted say a 35 asph all I would have to do is wait on a list and pay as they still make them. You can't do that with the older stuff.
This very site is probably responsible in a big way to the price increases in Leica gear over the last 5 years as more and more people got the bug for rangefinders. I agree with you and I don't think the 4/3's users have driven this rise at all.
I've sold a lot of Leica lenses and M's and looking back on my records it's amazing how values have changed in the last 3-4 years. The M8 started the increases.

 

[jsrockit]

I agree with you and I don't think the 4/3's users have driven this rise at all.

Wow...not at all huh? Yes, APS-C and micro 4/3 have effected prices and availability and people do buy expensive lenses for these cameras (believing that its the glass that matters). Also, the M9 has done pretty well numbers wise from what I understand. Can't forget that Leica hasn't been making enough lenses to satisfy demand. RFF's effect is most likely very minimal. You have to know about rangefinder cameras in general before you will find this type of site.

 

[loneranger]

But it makes the 40mm Summicron, and the Zeiss M lenses, look like even more of a bargain. I don't like the bulkiness of the Zeiss 35mm, but I like what of seen of its rendering, even more than my old 35mm Summicron.

Prices for ZM biogons and some CV lenses (like the 35/1.2 and 28/1.9) are also steadily going higher, by the day it seems, about a year ago I could buy a zm 35/2 used but good condition for about $600, now it is more than 800 for a used one, 30% jump

 

[nobbylon]

Wow...not at all huh? Yes, APS-C and micro 4/3 have effected prices and availability and people do buy expensive lenses for these cameras (believing that its the glass that matters). Also, the M9 has done pretty well numbers wise from what I understand. Can't forget that Leica hasn't been making enough lenses to satisfy demand. RFF's effect is most likely very minimal. You have to know about rangefinder cameras in general before you will find this type of site.

Out of all the lenses I have sold, only 1 went to a 4/3 user and that was a 50 Summicron R.
Any search asking about Leica lenses versus x y z lenzes usually returns a few hits from this site. I've noticed in the last 2 years that plenty of zero posters either reply to my ads or post items for sale.
regards j