Site underway

[Huck Finn]

I guess we can all agree that the Ikon is a fine system.....but the price can come down just a tad

Good point, Grapenuts. What price have you seen?

I've seen prices ranging from $1300 USD (grey market) to over $1600 USD. Amazing spread for a camera newly on the market. American prices seem to be the highest anywhere, so I'm speculating that Zeiss was concerned about the eroding American dollar when they first announced the price a year ago. Since then, there has been some recovery in the dollar, so I wonder if we might see rebates or discounts after the initial flurry of sales - as long as the dollar doesn't go south again. My hunch is that they want to stick with the price they start with to contrast themselves with Leica's ever rising prices these days. Therefore, start high but stick with it. Of course, I may be way off base. 🙂

Huck

 

[XXXGRAPENUTSXXX]

$1600 for the body seems to be the norm

 

[Huck Finn]

No, it really isn't. $1617 is the MSRP in the USA, which is far from the norm across the world. Even in USA, the price is $1300 at either Camera Quest or Popflash, two respected grey market dealers.

The MSRP price in England is $1362 USD (See Robert White), which is NOT a grey market price but distributed by Hasselblad. In Hong Kong, MSRP is $1395 USD (See Four Seas Trading company via joseph@yao.com), again NOT grey market, but from Shriro/Hasselblad.

One can only speculate on the high USA price, but it is not the norm.

Huck

 

[JohnL]

Your site is getting better and better. Great work!

 

[XXXGRAPENUTSXXX]

Hi Mike!
Your Web site is excellent; thanks.....I'm going to pick up an Ikon after the new Year.

 

[Huck Finn]

To offer some continued perspective on this question of Zeiss Ikon price, the MSRP on the Cosina website is 153,000 yen, or $1270 USD. But there was a post on the CVUG list this morning that the "street price" in Japan is 135,000 yen, or $1120 USD. The poster was reporting based on his inspection of the camera & the price in a major camera shop there.

Quite a price spread for this camera! $1120 - $1617, almost $500 depending where in the world you buy it.

Huck

 

[Dan States]

If this is true it is possible to go from the US to Japan, purchase the camera and come home for not much more than buying the camera here....I forsee a trip in Jan......

 

[Michaelr]

Mike, Thanks, ' plan to get one in ' 6. Your efforts have helped me in my product research.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The 50mm F2 looks like the WW-II vintage Sonnars in LTM!

No little grips on the aperture ring, like the original Sonnars.

How am I going to tell it from a J-3!

I've been taking so many J-3's apart lately.

 

[celluloidprop]

$1120 for this camera puts it in a whole different realm, I must say. If I were in the market (I'm far from it), a $1650 Ikon vs. a used M7 for a hundred or two more is a difficult decision. But the Ikon for $700-800 less (esp. given the price of Ikon lenses) is a fine deal.

 

[Huck Finn]

$1120 for this camera puts it in a whole different realm, I must say. If I were in the market (I'm far from it), a $1650 Ikon vs. a used M7 for a hundred or two more is a difficult decision. But the Ikon for $700-800 less (esp. given the price of Ikon lenses) is a fine deal.

The price of the Zeiss Ikon becomes increasingly attractive vs a used M7 even at $1617 for the ZI. The latest round of price increases announced by Leica will put the M7 at $3500 USD as of January 1. With the two previous rounds of price increases for the M7 within the past year, prices for used M7's had already begun to rise to the $2000 - $2500 range. The latest increases will only raise prices on the used market even higher.

The ZI is selling for $1300 (grey market) - $1617 (MSRP) in USA & $1100 (grey) - $1400 (MSRP) internationally, The price point originally targeted was 60% Leica M7 price; the price point is now 30% - 50%. With rising Leica prices, Celluloidprop's point is only increasingly relevant that it is becoming a bargain even vs a used M7.