Price increase for Leica USA and M8 Delivery

[Mark Norton]

I think it's impressive that Leica have been able to hold the price to $4995 + tax given the decline in the value of the dollar recently. For UK readers, thats something like £3199 including tax; in Europe, it's something like €4500 including tax.

Lots of questions, still to be answered about levels of lens compatability, viewfiinder frame lines, availability of aux finders, viewfinder magnification. And, and, and...

It's right that they called it M8 not D8 because its USP is still the Messsucher (Measuring-finder) and film-M has handed the baton on to digital-M.

Overall, a bargain and I'm excited.

 

[Socke]

LOL rover!. Actually you can get two M7s for that. Right now I think I'd rather have the M7s.

May I ask where I can get all those cheap Leicas? I could set up a business buying M7s for $2500 and selling 12% under list at 3000 Euro here.

 

[rover]

.

To DSLR or not to DSLR? That is the question.

No offense meant but if your style of photography is one where a DSLR is even a consideration I wonder why you would use a RF in the first place. A DSLR has zero attraction for me. I thought maybe it would until I picked one up, added a lens, felt the weight, heft and bulk, and my voice shouted inside said a big "no thank you."

I guess that is why there is hesitation.

My style of photography, when I am alone and have the time to relax and enjoy what I am doing then there is no question, a RF is perfect. But with a 6 YO son I find myself more an more not being the photographer, but being an active participant in our adventures.

This is the same reason that the Digital M is not attractive. All of the bells an whistles that go along with a DSLR are what is attractive to me, for when I need them.

 

[rover]

I just spent 400 dollars not including processing for six weeks of film.

$300 for processing after last year's vacation, digital does have big big advantages, though now I am almost 100% B&W and process my own film.

 

[Socke]

Include into the calculation the following hidden costs for digital:

Price of PC system and all required software

Irrelevant, have that anyways. Capable enough for 4000dpi scans, shuld handle a mere 10MPixel very well

Time spent catagorizing, archiving and processing digital images

No, I burn a CD and throw it in a shoebox which is stored in the cellar together with the shoeboxes full of negatives

Rapid depreciation of camera
[more unknown hidden costs]

When I buy a camera it will be used, there is no resale value left when I'm through with it 🙂

 

[rover]

Include into the calculation the following hidden costs for digital:

Price of PC system and all required software
Time spent catagorizing, archiving and processing digital images
Rapid depreciation of camera
[more unknown hidden costs]

I have used the same argument to justify my slowness to embrace the new world order.

But......

I have a PC and Photoshop Elements 4 is cheap or free bundled with a camera or some hardware thingy
Time spent on a hobby is time well spent
Rapid depreciation of camera, no argument there, just use it a lot and get your money's worth out of it.

Again, no digital vs film argument left for me, just a decision of what is best for me.

 

[rover]

May I ask where I can get all those cheap Leicas? I could set up a business buying M7s for $2500 and selling 12% under list at 3000 Euro here.

Used, who buys new Leicas?

 

[rover]

Irrelevant, have that anyways. Capable enough for 4000dpi scans, shuld handle a mere 10MPixel very well


No, I burn a CD and throw it in a shoebox which is stored in the cellar together with the shoeboxes full of negatives



When I buy a camera it will be used, there is no resale value left when I'm through with it 🙂

Great minds think alike, and I haven't had my coffee yet this morning. 😀

 

[snaggs]

Will the M8 be small and light? Any pictures? Hopefully no rear LCD screen for me 🙂

Daniel.

 

[Avotius]

May I ask where I can get all those cheap Leicas? I could set up a business buying M7s for $2500 and selling 12% under list at 3000 Euro here.

you can buy new leica m7's here in china and hong kong for about 2500-2700 USD. Which is why I kind of laugh at the prices at say....KEH for a used M7 that is the same or just 100-200 dollars less then here. But then of course there is always the customs fees you would have to pay for there, actually being in China is the key to that little doozy.

 

[Stephan]

I hope these sell really well and end up flooding the second hand market in 3 years.

Fat chance 😀

On the other hand not being an RF exclusive zealot 5000$ would pay for a d200 and some VEEEERY nice lenses.

 

[Socke]

you can buy new leica m7's here in china and hong kong for about 2500-2700 USD. Which is why I kind of laugh at the prices at say....KEH for a used M7 that is the same or just 100-200 dollars less then here. But then of course there is always the customs fees you would have to pay for there, actually being in China is the key to that little doozy.

Funny thing, looks like the price falls with shipping. In germany you are hard pressed to find a M under 3350 Euro. Some have gray market, i.e. reimports, for less but without the 2 year manufacturer waranty.

Have to ask my boss to look up a camera for me the next time he's in HK or Macao.

 

[telenous]

One thing I've learned over the past seven years of digital shooting is that I will let someone else buy the first and get the bugs out before I invest my 5K. I've been through the digital madness and plunked down my money and have returned to film for my personal work. It's very unlikely that even the M8 will replace my M film cameras and change my love for film photography.

http://www.photo.net/photos/X-Ray

Xray, you 're so right on this. I 've been thinking about it too. It would be great to have a digital option but I will wait to see what the new camera really is, and how actual users feel about it - all the while Leica debugs the first bunch.

 

[Nikon Bob]

I hope these sell really well and end up flooding the second hand market in 3 years.

Fat chance 😀

On the other hand not being an RF exclusive zealot 5000$ would pay for a d200 and some VEEEERY nice lenses.

That says it for me, and I already have enough Nikon glass. Sorry, D2x or M8 is just too expensive for me to consider new. I still hope that Leica makes a go of the M8 though.

Nikon Bob

 

[matt fury]

I can't imagine having the cash for a M8 anytime in the not-so-near future. That being said, I hope and hope that the camera is done right, because it'll be nice to have the option available when I need it and can afford it.

 

[boarini2003]

Interesting to see a Leica Digital rangefinder, something I used to think was unthinkable. For all digital lovers out there, good for you, and if there ever was a digital camera to convert me, the m8 would be the one. The Leica M system is the world's prime tool for the use of 35mm. Somehow the thought of having a digital Leica rangefinder doesn't go well with my image of what the M system represents.

Question: How fast do you think it will depreciate? If you buy an MP, ten years later, it has retained it's value pretty darn well. What about an M8? What will it be worth in 10 years, a tenth?

 

[Socke]

The Audi A4 1.8 I bought in 1997 at some 27,000 Euros is now for sale at 2,000 and I can't find anyone willing to spent that much money on a car that old. Even if it has had a CLA recently and the engine has less then 80,000 km.

I don't think any camera will be worse in this regard.

OTOH, the house my father built in 1998 for some 200,000 Euro is now worth 350,000.

I dont think any camera will be better in this regard, either.

 

[telenous]

Price increase for Leica USA and M8 Delivery

I 'm not so sure any more about the resale value of MP's, MP3's and what you haves, to be honest. If Leica users progressively jump ship for the newest offering then the second hand market will be flooded with film bodies. Something which, in the the medium- to long-term can only depreciate their value.

On the other hand I expect all lenses to hold up to their second-hand value, as they are not obsolete but rather retrofitted. Also consistent I believe with the freshly announced increase on the prices of the lenses.

 

[StuartR]

As long as it is still taking as good a picture as the day I bought it, who cares? But that said, if digital technology advances so far in the next 10 years that a 10 megapixel 1.33 crop camera is worthless, what makes you think the film version will be worth anything? Not to start a digital versus film thing here, but the quality of pro digital at this point is certainly on par with film at equal sizes, and if it advances so much that today's technology is worthless, then film is going to be decidedly outclassed. Will people still use it? Probably. Hell, I probably will too, but it will not be because it provides a technically superior print...

 

[Uncle Bill]

If given the choice, I would rather have a black MP or M7 than the M8, digital rangefinder holds no interest for me. Now a Leica R8/R9 with the removable digital back, now that is interesting and expensive option if I ever win the lottery would look into. I doubt Leica is leaving the film business.

Bill