M bodies in short supply?

[johannielscom]

I'm pretty sure the Chinese Connection is what's happening.

There's a billion people entering the free world market and their standard of living has been (at times far) behind ours for 70 years, what do you expect?

 

[brokencivilian]

Nope, that makes no sense at all. 😉 But then I am not shy to admit that I am a collector as well as a very amateur photographer. Nothing wrong with being both.

I'm a camera hoarder. haha. But would love s=to see an m6 on my shelf.. however, i doubt it'd be there longer than 5 mins.. then in my hand and out the door.

I almost bought an M6 about 15 years ago but was put off by the size of the thing; they look bigger in black chrome, for some reason.

I used LTMs for years, but they are fairly slow to shoot with. Then Ken Rockwell's write-up convinced me to buy an M3 and you know what? He was right. Then I bought an M2 as well, which is very nearly as good although the frame counter isn't as nice and I wouldn't much want to use the 90mm lens with it. An M2 and an LTM Summaron 35/3.5 makes a wonderfully portable combination.

I'm glad I didn't buy that M6, because I'd probably never have tried the M3 and M2. Metering is neither here nor there for me, since I've used a hand meter since about 1997 and it's far more accurate.

I love my iiif. But dislike the two window operation and no metre.

A meter is important to me because it means i dont have to carry anything else with me.

And even though I've heard great things about the m3, if im going to spend over say... 600 for a camera, I would rather just save up a bit more and get a m6. (for meter and possible ttl)

The way i see buying myself an M is that I already have spent so much on the cameras I have and if i just don't buy little ones here and there, i should be able to get it relatively soon.

 

[zauhar]

I'm pretty sure the Chinese Connection is what's happening.

There's a billion people entering the free world market and their standard of living has been (at times far) behind ours for 70 years, what do you expect?

But why are they buying? To use, or as a collector's item?

Too bad if the latter.

Randy

 

[Darkhorse]

Isn't film still widely used in China? I know I'm flickr "friends" with people in China, and one of them seems to be absolutely hoarding film gear.

 

[katgut@earthlink.net]

Deals are there; just remember that an M body is only worth what you're willing to pay for it. Don't just get one because you're worried that prices are going to go up more.

No, a camera is worth what everyone else is also willing to pay for it. So yes, deals are out there, but now they are for less-desirable models in poorer condition.

 

[brokencivilian]

But why are they buying? To use, or as a collector's item?

Too bad if the latter.

Randy

Was this directed at me?

If so I plan to use it, and It only.

Deals are there; just remember that an M body is only worth what you're willing to pay for it. Don't just get one because you're worried that prices are going to go up more.

No, a camera is worth what everyone else is also willing to pay for it. So yes, deals are out there, but now they are for less-desirable models in poorer condition.

I;m willing to get one in a lower condition, cause I'm not collecting im using, so it's going to get beat up anyway...

even my iiif i bought not working or with problems from eBay, cleaned it up, lubed etc. and works fine now

 

[hipsterdufus]

No, a camera is worth what everyone else is also willing to pay for it. So yes, deals are out there, but now they are for less-desirable models in poorer condition.

The point that I am making is that you shouldn't buy something if you feel that it is overpriced. I mean, it's not like anyone *needs* a Leica. We may feel that we do sometimes, but a decent photographer can get away with many "lesser" cameras for far cheaper. I can't imagine someone being happy buying a camera for more than they want to pay, especially if the value of the camera declines in the future.

 

[brokencivilian]

The point that I am making is that you shouldn't buy something if you feel that it is overpriced. I mean, it's not like anyone *needs* a Leica. We may feel that we do sometimes, but a decent photographer can get away with many "lesser" cameras for far cheaper. I can't imagine someone being happy buying a camera for more than they want to pay, especially if the value of the camera declines in the future.

Well that's just it. Figuring out how much you 'want' to spend on one.

 

[zauhar]

Was this directed at me?

If so I plan to use it, and It only.

No, that was directed at the Chinese buyers who are hoarding all the photo gear, for some nefarious unknown purpose. ;-)

 

[brokencivilian]

No, that was directed at the Chinese buyers who are hoarding all the photo gear, for some nefarious unknown purpose. ;-)

Ah, haha. Maybe they are hoarding to sell in the future?


....I need to start hoarding.....

 

[johannielscom]

But why are they buying? To use, or as a collector's item?

Too bad if the latter.

Randy

Could be loads of reasons.

Using a Leica should not be that hard in China, I'm pretty sure digital has caught on big time over there, but printing larger sizes may be less easy for digital shooters and the wet printing process is probably still widely available. No troubles with all those annoying environmental rules that killed Neopan and others either, I guess.

Also likely: showing off how succesful one is in the new Chinese society by just putting expensive gear on display in an office or a home.

With either one, there's a lot of new buyers entering the market and it will have an effect no matter why and how.

 

[tombla]

With either one, there's a lot of new buyers entering the market and it will have an effect no matter why and how.

Hopefully this should help increase the demand for film.

 

[Bu11dog]

Not only in Japan and China, Leica is also getting more and more popular in Taiwan.

Check out this link, Leica users in Taiwan show off what they own. Make sure you click the 4th green button on the first post to load all the images.

http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=247&t=1094049&p=1

 

[jbrodie]

it seems like bessas are dropping in price. thank god. i don't want to use a canonet forever!

 

[wentropy]

i am taiwanese (though living in the US now) and yes leica over the past ten years has been getting bigger and bigger in taiwan, hong kong, singapore, china... whereas in the US most people don't recognize my camera and think it's just a junky old film cam, it is weirdly kind of a status symbol in asia (of course, i actually shoot with mine though- bought it to make pictures with, not show that i can afford one- but just wanted to note that it is a more 'cool' status symbol than say a crappy louis vuitton purse or something)

as an additional note a long time ago i used to work in a chinese fine art gallery in san francisco and almost all of our customers were newly rich mainlanders with collector fever so it's not out of the realm of possibility they're buying up leicas now to collect as leica is getting more and more popular in china.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I mean, it's not like anyone *needs* a Leica.

I'm sure some of those people who come up in MTV's "Sweet 16" *absolutely needs* one.

Whatever happened to stamp collecting, anyway? The Postal Service needs some revenue, and camera collectors are just making life miserable for most people who actually use the cameras.

Which is why I'm against using food as a source of renewable fuel: speculators have been making others' lives miserable since the 19th Century.

 

[sc_rufctr]

I visited my favorite camera shop today... No stock.

No lenses. No bodies nothing. Even his R stuff is gone!

He's planning to import some stuff from Hong Kong. He told me it's better to sell it at break even than not have anything in the shop.
Meanwhile as always he's selling heaps of digitals and more film than he can remember.

 

[jsrockit]

What's funny though is that KEH's stock, at these new prices, has not moved.

 

[photokalia]

I think the price rises in M bodies and lenses are due to the resurgence in film lately. I was pleasantly surprised when I visited a local lab that I hadn't patronised in a while, and noticed that he had begun to stock film again. The owner had stopped stocking film a few years ago when digital began to take off. Although the range is very limited, I noticed that he is now even carrying 120 slide film!

I chatted with the owner for a while and he told me that more people were coming in asking for film now, and also sending film to him for processing. The 120 slide film he carried was mainly being used for cross processing. Based on that, I'm sure most of his clients are lomo users, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them end up wandering into RF land.

In fact, I've noticed that Leica M bodies here in Singapore had been going up in price over the last year already, compared to prices overseas. At first I thought that local sellers may have been artificially inflating prices, but now I'm thinking maybe it's just the rest of the world that is catching up...

 

[jsrockit]

I can't see it as a resurgence (there is no resurgence without the mainstream). I just see it as the supply keeps getting smaller as they become more collectable / older coupled with the US dollar being ****.