reasonable price question

[flip]

Hi,

I recently came into a lot which included a Leotax TV
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/iannorris/leica_copies/leica_copies_l/leotaxtv.htm
. The camera has seen better days: the rangefinder is a bit murky and there are dings, but the timer and shutter are fine and the Leonon 50/2.0 is in great shape. Of course, I already have that lens and a few Leotaxes (Leoti?), so I want to sell. Advice? Does this lens get respect on the market?

Kind regards.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The lens is rare, it is Leica Thread Mount, and it is a fairly fast F2.

I would shoot a roll with it and post the results, along with macro shots of the lens.

It should get a few hundred, probably about 2x what a Nikkor 5cm F2 would bring in.

Myself: I took a risk on a Leotax D-IV with a very early Simlar 5cm F1.5 and Canon 85/2. The final auction price was $500. It was a gamble.

http://ziforums.com/showthread.php?t=108

I had to soak the lens mount for three days in Ronsonol. The Canon 85/2 cleaned up much more easily.

If I were going to sell the Simlar 5cm F1.5, I would ask at least $600 for it. The D-IV was a wreck, Youxin Ye took it on as a favor. It's perfect now.

 

[flip]

No kidding! Thanks for the heads up. I admit that since living in Japan, I've come to collecting the odds and sods which has landed me everything from Leonon to Topcor and a lot of Canons. I tested the Leonon and found the bokeh superior IMHO to the Topcor 50/2.0 (my copy / version at least) but I read a lot more about Topcor than Leonon. Go figure.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Post some shots with the Leonon! The name suggests that it is derived from the Xenon, rather than a Sonnar. That makes sense as the Simlar 5cm F1.5 is derived from the Planar/Xenon family.

I will be interested in seeing how it compares with a Canon 50/1.8, which is also a Planar/Xenon formula lens.

 

[flip]

Will do. Tomorrow. ;-)

 

[flip]

Some test shots

Some test shots

These are small images from my R-D1 with the Leonon 50/2.0.

At 2.0

At 5.6

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Those look really good! Internals on the glass bust be crystal clear.

If you can post links to larger images, I'd appreciate it.

Price Advice: Keep it. That of course is always my advice.

If you have to sell it, get lots of large images. My opinion is "$600~$750" for the camera enthusiast that wants as many lenses as possible. That puts it in the same range as the Simlar. BUT: I could be off, and if there are far fewer lenses made then the price could be higher. An Ebay search for Simlar gets several 5cm F1.5's, mostly at gokevincameras. His prices represent buying rare items from dealers and collectors, and making a reasonable profit. Search for "LEONON" yielded ZERO hits.

 

[flip]

It's in great shape, as is my other copy of the same lens. 🙂 So, I'll certainly be selling this, the leo, and the Pen FT rig that came in the same lot.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I can see where living in Japan has advantages for Camera Collectors!

I cannot complain. Retired Military that bought from the PX's in Japan have been very, very good to me!

What price do these go for in the larger Japanese shops? What would a Simlar 5cm F1.5 go for?

 

[flip]

Hard to say.... I don't really do the large shops as they're always overpriced. I mean, one place is double another. But 1.5's are rare no matter how you cut it. And I've only found leonons via private sale. But canon 1.5's are oddly cheap when privately sold.... I should get one instead of waiting on a topcor 1.5 or fast fujinon.