Leica has warped my sense of reality...

[Photon42]

Leica is not a lifestyle accesory everywhere.

Just as Mercedes is a luxury brand in USA, but a typical taxi in Europe.

Buying local is always a strong driver, especially if regular service is needed and the service organizations count significantly. The french moto police rides Beemers, but then I'm 200% convinced they'd go for a Citroën motor bike, if that would be available.

The taxi drivers in Germany used to go with the 200D for their very endurance. Those cars go 500'000 miles and are rock solid. A taxi driver really is a working pro. And, of course you see things differently when you realize how much time you spend behind the volant.

Having said that, Mercedes of course is a luxury brand as well in Switzerland, and I bet in Portugal too. It just does not apply to all models, as with Leica. The product portfolio of Mercedes is slightly broader.

This is how a Leica appears to me, it makes sense in the long run from a money perspective. Not need to say it attracts your senses instantly.

Luckily, except for the M8 there is a second hand market, without which I probably wouldn't be here. Just not decided yet what to do with the M8 ...

Regards
Ivo

 

[tomasis]

Leica is more like Porsche. It doesn't make any sense of you don't use a lot one of them. They are to be beaten around 🙂

 

[tomasis]

As the OP's post suggested, those of us who routinely buy and use high end cameras and lenses have a distorted perspective on this stuff.

It does apply to the people who shoots only their pets, wife, birds, flowers 🙂 Photographers rather spend $20000 on photo tools and $100 on a Zaporozec 😀

 

[Marc-A.]

same here Ryan. When I first got into the RF world, spending $70 for a J3 was way too much. Didn't even thought of spending $700 for a Summicron. And now I want a Summilux v3, or maybe the asph version that I can't afford ... it's all RFF fault!

 

[Olsen]

I think it is weak the dollar that 'warps' the price of just anything imported to USA from, first of all, Europe. With a more normal relation between the Euro and the Dollar the price of the M8 would have been, say, 3,500 $. Wouldn't that be more affordable?

 

[Al Patterson]

I think it is weak the dollar that 'warps' the price of just anything imported to USA from, first of all, Europe. With a more normal relation between the Euro and the Dollar the price of the M8 would have been, say, 3,500 $. Wouldn't that be more affordable?

I said one a ways back on a digital forum that if the dollar and the Euro were on par, the M8 would likely sell for the same price as the Canon 5D, which was about $3,500 at that time.

On another note, if the dollar starts gaining against the Euro in the fiture, will that mean Leica price cuts here in the USA?

 

[varjag]

On another note, if the dollar starts gaining against the Euro in the fiture, will that mean Leica price cuts here in the USA?

Unlikely. In the same situation in Europe (Euro sinking to $0.7 during Kosovo war), importers "adjusted" prices on U.S. goods, and they never went down afterwards.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Unlikely. In the same situation in Europe (Euro sinking to $0.7 during Kosovo war), importers "adjusted" prices on U.S. goods, and they never went down afterwards.

Don't think it ever reached $0,7. Maybe $0,87. but only briefly. More realistically, $0.90-0.95 -- still a LOT stronger than the current $1,40-1.45. We're paid in both US$ and GBP and our expenses are in euros, so we'e more aware than most.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Olsen]

I said one a ways back on a digital forum that if the dollar and the Euro were on par, the M8 would likely sell for the same price as the Canon 5D, which was about $3,500 at that time.

On another note, if the dollar starts gaining against the Euro in the fiture, will that mean Leica price cuts here in the USA?

Absolutely; yes!

Contrary to Varjag, the Russian viking from Bergen, I am absolutely sure of that 'if' the dollar reaches it's hights again the price of Leica equipment will gradually fall in price. So will prices of Ferrari's, Porsche's etc. Just as surely as the price of these products are increasing fast in the US these days. But the dollar won't reach old hights in 20 years or so. If ever.

The low dollar is a catastrophy for most of Europe's export industry. The fall of the dollar could well spell the end of Leica.

 

[Krosya]

I chose to pay a premium for the Noctilux because I fully understand what it is and what it involves as an engineering standpoint. This lens is the impossible lens coming true. The engineer's trophy. The Alchemy. You'll probably understand when you use one and compare it to the Noct-Nikkor, Nikkor 50 and 55 1.2, Canon 50 1.0 and 1.2 and so on.
When you understand the Noctilux doesn't show CA and is extremely contrasty while the Noct-Nikkor is the exact opposite, 5000$ becomes justifiable,,, If you're a shooter.

I could only justify $5K for a lens - any lens,- only if my income depended on it. So, for a Pro shooter, a lens that cost that much might just be a ticket if it pays for itself. However, if photography is just a hobby - well, I know some people do it anyway, but IMO is rather odd to spend this sort of money on a lens.
I admit, I have never used Noctilux and maybe don't understand all the excitement about it. Yet I have seen photos from it. NIce? - yes some are. $5K worth? - not for me.
Plus I'm not sure why you say what you say about Canon 50/1.0. I have seen some photos from it that are just as interesting and well done as ones from Noctilux. Both are specialty lenses, not everyday users. Both can are capable - again based on photos I have seen, not from a personal use.
Would I take either one if someone gave it to me - SURE!!! lol Would I buy one? Not likely. Not just because it's so $$$$$$, but also because I would never use it enough to justify having one. But yes, - it would be a cool toy to play with for a week or two. I know you have one. And as you seem to like it so much - great for you. I think you are a very good photographer. Many great photos on your site and here. But personally, I like your photos made with other lenses better than the ones with Noctilux. Which makes it another reason for me to NOT even consider it. But as we all know - it all down to personal taste.

 

[varjag]

Olsen, minor point - am Belarussian citizen, not Russian 🙂 Hope you are right about this issue, although I don't share the optimism. Having seen enough perturbations in various currency values, consumer very seldom is the winner.

 

[bessasebastian]

How did this happen? I feel a little bit disgusted with myself for looking through the noctilux thread and thinking about buying one...
Ryan

Well, nothing compares to the Noct. No competition, ridiculous pricing. I´d be happy with a 1000+$ Voigtländer 50/1.0 but I doubt this will happen anytime soon.

 

[shadowfox]

I was just browsing the B&H website and I actually thought to myself ‘”he 28mm Elmarit is only $1600?”. I know the 28mm Summicron is $3300, and several leica lenses are more, but that hardly makes a sixteen hundred dollar lens a bargain. How did this happen? I feel a little bit disgusted with myself for looking through the noctilux thread and thinking about buying one...
Ryan

Just an observation... people, me included of course, tend to justify stuff based on "expectation". The $1600 lens is justifiable based on how we "expect" it to perform and improve our pictures.

Once we get off out butt and actually use a cheap lens and get a beautiful picture out of it, it tends to bring us back to earth and say $1600 for a lens is just NUTS 😱

 

[existrandom]

just so to share😉

the only piece of leica i have is the M4, on which i mounted only Konica glass..... i danced a little dance with 40 summicron-C on a CL though

but yes, i would rather not to tell people how much i bought my camera for (- US 750 - it is a bargain for me & many of us here,) or similarly, how much those glass, those forever expanding accessories has costed me.... it does not make sense to others, and it does not really make sense to me just as much... when pictures are shown to others, 99.99% of people will ask, if they ask at all, is that "what camera you do it with?" see my point? they wouldn't ask, "what LENS it is?"

(but then they would think of me when some documentation of intimate events/ anniversaries is needed.... these are not my WORK though)

and with my eyesight, my dumping of films to mini-labs or "pro" labs... i am in no position to swear on anything about image quality/characteristic/signature... i have only a caricature of what it might be... simply because i seldom print large, and i don't D/P in a optimal way, etc

at the end of day, there really is no "justification" that i can rely on. at least i reckon so for my case. of course the built quality, the handling of a great/clumsy machine is something very personal, and the different look of film (film processed image, but not that of a particular lens)

it is just a big boy toy to fiddle with nervously, a source of mostly pleasant distractions for me, it really is unreasonable 🙂

 

[iridium7777]

It does apply to the people who shoots only their pets, wife, birds, flowers 🙂 Photographers rather spend $20000 on photo tools and $100 on a Zaporozec 😀

i have to ask... how does a swede know about zaporozhci? i myself haven't heard the name in some 13 years.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I was just browsing the B&H website and I actually thought to myself ‘”he 28mm Elmarit is only $1600?”. I know the 28mm Summicron is $3300, and several leica lenses are more, but that hardly makes a sixteen hundred dollar lens a bargain. How did this happen? I feel a little bit disgusted with myself for looking through the noctilux thread and thinking about buying one...

I hope you're not considering getting a cilice to atone your warped Leica ways 😉

 

[aizan]

i don't follow money markets, but i still wish it was 2002.