M8 Price Increase October 1st ??

[CameraQuest]

According to a reliable industry insider, M8 prices will increase from 10% to 20% on October 1st, varying with the national market.

However since Leica has not made an official statement on pending M8 price increases, and such plans could change, this should be taken as an unconfirmed rumor at this point. Time will tell.

Stephen

 

[Keith]

If this does happen it will be a disappointment to a lot of Leica customers ... I hope it is just rumour and not fact.

If it does happen what would the increase be based on ... increased production costs, currency changes ... or an attempt to price it totally out of the reach of someone who wants a digital rangefinder and mourns the dwindling supplies of RD-1s ... and will probably sell one of their children to get an M8! 🙄

Perhaps there will be 'A Deal With The Devil' option? 😛

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Well, oil price increases are *worldwide*. When you are dealing with small production numbers, I'd figure the impact would be felt most swiftly there.

Not everything is linear. Starbucks raised its coffee just last month. I didn't hear an uproar from Cadillac Annihilate owners...

 

[Keith]

Well, oil price increases are *worldwide*. When you are dealing with small production numbers, I'd figure the impact would be felt most swiftly there.

Not everything is linear. Starbucks raised its coffee just last month. I didn't hear an uproar from Cadillac Annihilate owners...

Everyone needs coffee ... why complain?

The M8 is salvation for tired old Leica shooters who are sick of dealing with film but aren't quite ready to give up photography. If the price of salvation increases unreasonably there could be a strain on the 'aged care' system!

Surely you considered this? 😀

 

[peter_n]

Price increase? Entirely possible. Also apparently a strategy shift in lens production: http://tinyurl.com/39jm9o

 

[Joe Mondello]

There have been reports of this for a while on German language sites (not that I read German).

http://www.photoscala.de/node/3429

Wie Leica bei Meister just in seinem Newsletter mitteilte, will Leica den Preis der M8 zum 01. Oktober 2007 um stattliche 600 Euro auf 4800 Euro anheben. Noch deutlicher fällt der Preisaufschlag beim Tri-Elmar 4/16-18-21 mm ASPH. aus: stolze 4700 Euro will Leica künftig dafür haben (aktuell 3500 Euro; Preise jeweils inklusive Weitwinkelsucher M).

Can anyone translate this?

 

[Keith]

There have been reports of this for a while on German language sites (not that I read German).

http://www.photoscala.de/node/3429



Can anyone translate this?

If what babelfish tells me is true it's going to be an $8000.00 camera in Oz from Oct 1.

When I bought mine a few months ago the dealer was telling me it was only the third one he had sold since the release. I notice that since buying mine he no longer lists Leica on his website and appears to be concentrating on Voigtlander.

I was in a larger camera store in the city a while ago buying a tripod and noticed an M8 on the shelf. When I asked the salesman if they had actually sold any he replied that it was a demo from Leica, no they hadn't sold any and who in their right mind would buy one? When I pointed out that I had actually bought one recently and really liked it ... he clammed up strangely! 😛

 

[summilux]

it is not selling well because shops stick to the suggested list price, true to everything leica.

 

[roey]

"Wie Leica bei Meister just in seinem Newsletter mitteilte, will Leica den Preis der M8 zum 01. Oktober 2007 um stattliche 600 Euro auf 4800 Euro anheben. Noch deutlicher fällt der Preisaufschlag beim Tri-Elmar 4/16-18-21 mm ASPH. aus: stolze 4700 Euro will Leica künftig dafür haben (aktuell 3500 Euro; Preise jeweils inklusive Weitwinkelsucher M)."​

Translation:

Leica bei Meister [German Leica dealer] stated in their recent newsletter that Leica is going to increase the price of the M8 by Euro 600 to Euro 4800 effective Oct 1st 2007. The price increase for the Tri-Elmar 16-18-21mm/f4 will be considerably higher: Leica will be asking Euro 4700 henceforth (current price is Euro 3500; prices include wide angle view finder M).

 

[Avotius]

I am quite interested in the M8 and saving up. I put my plans for a 5d very much on hold for a m8, but if the price goes up I absolutely will not buy one as I think 4800 for the camera now is stretching it pretty thin.

 

[amigadave]

The price increase was announced by Leica UK a couple of weeks ago now (on the M8 at least). http://www.leica-camera.co.uk/news/news/1/5198.html. I'm lucky in that I have a friend who is currently in Japan and scouting me out a cheap price on the M8 and some Voigtländer lenses, before the increase kicks in.🙂

 

[Keith]

There is a potential positive in Leica's descision for me. I really like the M8 but I'm surprised at how little use I give it ... or my other digital (D70s) for that matter! Perhaps it's just a film obsessed phase I'm going through at the moment but if that trend didn't change ... logically I would have to contemplate selling it!

I'm happy to leave my Nikon languishing in the cupboard unused at three years on ... but the M8 is a different story! 😱

 

[Ben Z]

"Leaking" news of an impending huge price hike on Oct 1st sounds like a plan to help make their Q3 report look even rosier. That doesn't mean there won't be an increase. Leica's marketeers may be confident that to their intended customers, the more exclusivity their product offers the more appeal it will have. I'm glad I got mine for the original price but honestly, in a world where most people consider it insane to spend more than $1000 on a camera, once you get your mind around $5 thousand it isn't a big stretch to 6 🙄

 

[tbarker13]

I have a hard time believing they would be raising the price that much, unless they believe there is a strong source of demand for these cameras. If you aren't selling enough of something, you don't make it harder on yourself by raising the price.

Regardless, a price increase sure isn't going to broaden the appeal of the camera. And that's a little unfortunate, I think.

 

[PATB]

I love shooting my MP and am contemplating the purchase of an M8. However, even at the current price, I can't get myself to part with the cash because it doesn't "feel" like the MP when I handled one. It somehow felt fat, and ergonomics is a big thing to me.

That doesn't mean I wasn't planning on getting an M8 next year for my next big vacation for the simple reason that I feel terrible everytime my film goes through the airport X-ray scanner. However, a price increase with the existing model definitely puts it out my reach. Thank you Leica for making my decision easy!

 

[Xmas]

It is the anti-Osborne syndrome, you clear you shelfs of stock before announcing an upgrade like an M9...

Just in time for Xmas, as I might well say

Noel

 

[abumac]

I have spoken with someone in Solms yesterday: Price will go up 500 to 600 Euro in Europe without any change in the camera. No M9 in the pipeline.

 

[Ben Z]

I feel terrible everytime my film goes through the airport X-ray scanner.

Oh yeah? Terrible feeling is watching from behind the painted line as a gum-chewing drone with 2" fake fingernails pulls your $5000 camera out of it's case, and you know she's never held anything that valuable in her life.

 

[erikhaugsby]

Reliable industry insiders are my best friends. 🙂

 

[erikhaugsby]

I have spoken with someone in Solms yesterday: Price will go up 500 to 600 Euro in Europe without any change in the camera. No M9 in the pipeline.

And hey, after the first 3 times this message was posted I'm pretty sure anybody concerned about reading it would have read it.