MP and M7 pricing thoughts

C

clicker

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When I look at the prices of late model M film cameras it appears that many go unsold. It may be that prices need to come down to balance supply and demand, especially with with the move to digital that many seem to be using these days. Any thoughts as to where prices are heading with these nice cameras, and how long might it take to find a balance between sellers and buyers.
 
An MP, as nice as it is, only offers a marginal improvement over a standard Leica M6, and adds nothing really in regard to functionality.

My guess would be that when people are buying working M's they weigh the pros and cons, and factor in the basic cost and go with an older body.

The M7 on the other hand, seems to sell quicker, though it's only real competition is the ZM at the higher end of the market.

If you're looking at the Leica, it's unlikely that you'll buy a AE Bessa and the Hexars' just aren't as well known as the others.

I like the idea of the $500 MP though! Shame about the framelines though, even at that price.
 
I think $2700 is a fair price for a new Leica considering the place of film in photography today. I'd grab an MP at that price.

I also think $5k would be fair for an M9.
 
If you're looking at the prices on eBay it's that everyone is selling BIN because of the continually spiraling eBay costs, and hoping to get a "decent" price. Prices still seem to be reasonable on forums though.
 
MPs have held their value well. M7s are the best buy in used Leicas right now. A very nice used one can easily be found for $1600-$1800. That's a steal. Stan Tamarkin has a bunch of them at excellent prices.
 
clicker said:
When I look at the prices of late model M film cameras it appears that many go unsold. It may be that prices need to come down to balance supply and demand, especially with with the move to digital that many seem to be using these days. Any thoughts as to where prices are heading with these nice cameras, and how long might it take to find a balance between sellers and buyers.
Click to expand...

Well, sure, but you do realise that making anything in small batches by hand tends to be expensive? Maybe a plastic MP made in Malaysia or Vietnam could sell for $500 or so, but if you want "quality" you need to pay for it.

That said, I'd love an MP, but I'll stick with my used CL which I picked up for less than $500.
 
I really wanted a Leica MP but couldn't find one in my budget, so I settled on a Leica M7 :). So far I'm not disappointed at all. I love the true 1/1000 of a second and the aperture priority :cool:. For timed exposure night shots, I must say that the M7 is the best camera I've ever used. I still really want a Leica MP. In fact, I dream about using the camera. It's strange because I've never seen or held an MP. I'm just going on its reputation. As for the price of the Leica MP, I'm not bitching. If you want the best you have to pay the price. Not that I wouldn't jump all over a copy that was less expensive. On the upside of the $ people still want/expect for their MPs, it's nice to know that the Leica MP will hold its value in the future. Just a note: I paid $2,300 Cdn for my mint (only been used a couple of times) Leica M7.





Taken with Leica M7 and 15 Voigt on XP2.



Leica M7 and 21 F4 @ F11 at 15 seconds on XP2.

Gregory
 
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A couple of month ago it wasn`t difficult to snap a Leica MP for ~ 2.200 USD here in the RFF classifieds and some dealer here in Japan were selling them below ~2.000 USD. M7 were always a tad cheaper than MP in the used market despite being the better camera regarding functionality. Must be the "MP-hype" ... :rolleyes:
 
maddoc said:
A couple of month ago it wasn`t difficult to snap a Leica MP for ~ 2.200 USD here in the RFF classifieds and some dealer here in Japan were selling them below ~2.000 USD. M7 were always a tad cheaper than MP in the used market despite being the better camera regarding functionality. Must be the "MP-hype" ... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have one as well, and I lusted for it for quite a while. When I got it, it sort of cooled. It might be "smoother" or "better" than my M6, but I still consider my M6 to be the workhorse around the house.

The MP fever is probably born from the fact that Leica marketed it as a "Phtographer's camera". They built on the M6, and improved on it. It is most likely the last film camera that Leica will ever make, and as such it demands a high price. As for being "the best", well, I firmly believe that a Leica M6 with a 35mm Summicron is a better camera than the MP without a lens :D
 
I held the MP in a Hongkong store (Tin Cheung) went back there 3x and still couldn't part with my $3.6K which is the current brand new price there. Then I went to the other stores, All Good Friends, Shogun, David Chan, etc. to look for a nice used M6. Upon comparing the 2 in my mind there is really not much difference in handling, shutter and wind lever smoothness. The used Leica in Hongkong is more expensive than in the US and most are in not so good condition so I went home empty handed. Exactly what you said, I got myself a LN M6 TTL (LHSA) and a 35 2.0 V4 with hood at the same price as a new MP from KEH.

ZebGoesZeiss said:
I have one as well, and I lusted for it for quite a while. When I got it, it sort of cooled. It might be "smoother" or "better" than my M6, but I still consider my M6 to be the workhorse around the house.

The MP fever is probably born from the fact that Leica marketed it as a "Phtographer's camera". They built on the M6, and improved on it. It is most likely the last film camera that Leica will ever make, and as such it demands a high price. As for being "the best", well, I firmly believe that a Leica M6 with a 35mm Summicron is a better camera than the MP without a lens :D
Click to expand...
 
'MP fever' may simply be down to the fact that it's a very, very nice camera, and not to hype at all. My last new Leica before the MP was a M4-P. The M6 didn't excite me much (and besides I couldn't afford one) and I was not at all keen on the M8ttl with the backwards shutter speed dial. I am consitutionally opposed to unnecessary battery dependence (i.e. in film cameras) and therefore remained immune to the M7's charms. But when the MP came out, I thought, "There is another camera to use for decades, like the M4-P" (which I had had for over 25 years at that point).

Cheers,

R.
 
MPs seem to hold a better price than M7s not the other way round. My thinking as to why is that the M7 has less appeal to fondlers and the fondler market helps keep MP prices up. I bought MPs for the same dial direction as older bodies, slightly smaller profile and all speeds with no batteries. I also shoot a M6 classic 0.85 and DID sell a Mp 0.85 to make space for this as it is very much a second body and felt an extra 1.3K in my pocket was better. Still, the MPs are fantastic tactile cameras and hold appeal to many including serious users and some pros.

Exc+ to mint M7s go (depending on finder and DX) from $1800 to about $2500 and MPs seem to go for about $2000 to about $2700 in std format, so a touch more.

Note that tehy supply of cheap 'used mint' MPs at $2900 from Tony Rose has gone and they are now about $3700 and that is surely going to keep used prices buoyant.
 
Don't know about actual availability and prodution figures, but I guess a second hand MP is more rare than a M7, so that also counts for the price difference, and it is not only a user but shurely a collectors market.
 
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