sepiareverb
genius and moron
One can, provided you jump through all required hoops in the correct order and with the proper documentation. My "easy" refund of Canadian taxes paid never came to pass, and all my Spanish income taxes end up costing plenty in accountant time to deal with.
Go ahead, blame my accountant, and while your at it me too.
kevin m
Veteran
What! They told me it was duty free!
cam
the need for speed
What! They told me it was duty free!
it is... if you spent enough time enjoying their lovely cafes
V
varjag
Guest
It isn't that many hoops really. You tell the seller you want it as tax-free item, he sells it to you in a sealed package and gives a coupon. On departure (ariport, major train station) you claim your VAT back at tax-return desk.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Quite different than the Canada to US version of events. Leave it to the EU to make it more civilized.
Palaeoboy
Joel Matherson
Public internet forums are just that, I more dont understand the need by many to belittle those that do want to question it. Its perfectly valid to discuss the value of a product. Some Zeiss ZM Biogons and Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 are class leading or exotic and can be had at prices Roger and others say aren't possible and denigrating people who question when Leica wants quadruple the amount. I think without the public castigation Leica would think if the buyers aren't complaining that would give them free reign to keep pumping them up!
Ultra fast lenses aren't that important to me as I prefer something more compact so the new 24mm Elmar was the one that caught my eye in this new batch. I wonder how small it is? Filter size?
Roger Hicks
Veteran
That's because it's not possible IF you want such things as hand-lapped mounts and 100% (not statitistical sample) quality control. Why do you think Zeiss Ikon (Germany) lenses cost so much more than Zeiss Ikon (Japan)?
That's quite apart from ground aspherics (not moulded plastic-on-glass hybrids) and small production runs.
Cheers,
R.
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BNF
Established
Manufacturing labor costs being 33% more in Germany than Japan has a lot to do with it I would think.
Further, Germany pension schemes are encountering restructuring issues that Japan has tackled more agressively. German pensions play a significant role in the price of German made goods - the role in this example being more than Japanese.
I think it is nearly sublime advertising and marketing that Leica has advocates mentioning the hand made aspects of certain parts. But handmade isn't everything and alone doesn't guarantee a better product. Sometimes, at least from my experience, smaller firms still use (and market) "handmade" because they are unable to afford (or luddite resistant) to upgrade to a more modern machine.
veraikon
xpanner
Photoscala paraphrases an article of the german print magazine ColorFoto edition 10/2008.
http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive#comment-97298
It was delivererd today by mail to the subscribers- and will be available on Monday 15th fore everybody at the desk (It is usual in Germany to mail journals one or two days earlier because our privatized mail is´nt as realiable as in former times)
ColorFoto isn´t a high reputated journal but the core of information is the offical one.
On sept 15th ends the NDA and Leica will held a Press conference
http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive#comment-97298
http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive#comment-97298
It was delivererd today by mail to the subscribers- and will be available on Monday 15th fore everybody at the desk (It is usual in Germany to mail journals one or two days earlier because our privatized mail is´nt as realiable as in former times)
ColorFoto isn´t a high reputated journal but the core of information is the offical one.
On sept 15th ends the NDA and Leica will held a Press conference
http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive#comment-97298
Roger Hicks
Veteran
No argument with any of that -- though 33% can't really explain the price difference between German-built Zeiss and Japanese-built Zeiss. As I say, hand-lapping mounts takes a while, and unitary QC costs more than statistical.
The thing is, I quite like the idea of decent pensions and a degree of responsibility to the workforce.
Sure, if you don't mind being tossed on the scrap-heap when you're a worn-out 'economic unit', support those economies that have such a world-view. I don't, for much the same reasons I buy eggs from free-range chickens and pork from free-range pigs.
The labourer is worthy of his hire.
Cheers,
R.