Thinking of simplifying gear setup

[ampguy]

maybe just a NEX 5 with 1 or 2 M lenses, selling off M8, summiluxes and all but 1 or 2 M/ltm lens.

Which sizes would be good to keep with the NEX?

Is now a good time to sell and M6 and M8 and M lenses, or is the winter season better than summer?

 

[dogberryjr]

Have a look at this thread: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=92597

Of course, there's lots of "NEVER SELL LEICA!!!" advice in there, too.

 

[swoop]

The beginning of summer/spring is the best time to sell used cameras. People buy them up before vacations.

I've had my M8 up in the classifieds for a week now. Had two inquiries but not one solid buyer.

Someone said he's in an auction until Tuesday for an RD-1. And will wait till then.

Another asked if it was available and when I said it was, not another word.

 

[DNG]

It is very interesting you bring this up.
I just bought a Panasonic G1 and 17mm pancake.. I have a Pentax K20d with some nice glass and a M5, with a 28/2, 35/1.4 and 50/1.1. I was thinking of selling my K20d gear and get a 9-18, and 14-140 HD. And just have the G1 with 17, 9-18, 14-140 as my digital, and my M5 as my main film camera. Of course I can use the 28/35/50 on the G1 if I want fast glass (48/70/100 FOV).. Would love to have a 13-15mm f/2 in m/43 though... Let's see what Photokina has for us this year.

As far as lenses to keep, that would be keepers? Depends on what FOV you like. I like 24/25, 28, 35, 50 as far as primes fov. I have a 70-300 for my K20d, but, I have used it under a 1/2 dozen times over the last year.. I use the 24-150 FOV range more between my DA-16-45, EX-24-70 and EX 105.

 

[ampguy]

Thanks, I follow that thread

Thanks, I follow that thread

Mabelsound is a great seller. I don't know or follow the value of the Canon RF's, but on ebay I always use at least low/low medium reserves, but start out at 0 or low, I just sleep better that way, and it's saved me in a few flukes with the ebay platform quirks.

Have a look at this thread: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=92597

Of course, there's lots of "NEVER SELL LEICA!!!" advice in there, too.

 

[ampguy]

yeah

yeah

I'm following M8 pricing trends too, yesterday an ebay listing from a 1 owner popflash M8, that went to Solms for a CLA/checkup/whatever, and still has some warranty time went for about $2300, no extras though, I have a bunch of extra batteries, UV/IR filters, cases and stuff, and no issues.

The beginning of summer/spring is the best time to sell used cameras. People buy them up before vacations.

I've had my M8 up in the classifieds for a week now. Had two inquiries but not one solid buyer.

Someone said he's in an auction until Tuesday for an RD-1. And will wait till then.

Another asked if it was available and when I said it was, not another word.

 

[ampguy]

Nice M8u

Nice M8u

I just looked at your ad, looks like a good deal for a knowledgeable buyer, but for a lot of 1st time buyers, the high frame count might scare them away, and the as-is part. But for someone who knows M8s, and wants the particular mods you've had done, it looks like a solid deal.

The beginning of summer/spring is the best time to sell used cameras. People buy them up before vacations.

I've had my M8 up in the classifieds for a week now. Had two inquiries but not one solid buyer.

Someone said he's in an auction until Tuesday for an RD-1. And will wait till then.

Another asked if it was available and when I said it was, not another word.

 

[ampguy]

for me

for me

u4/3 is just too tiny, APS-C is fine though, have a lot of posters from this format and never plan to print larger than those.

I'm not trying to replace a big dlsr kit here, that would be a separate thing, just replace the M8 with APS-C and trim down a few lenses to the basics.

It is very interesting you bring this up.
I just bought a Panasonic G1 and 17mm pancake.. I have a Pentax K20d with some nice glass and a M5, with a 28/2, 35/1.4 and 50/1.1. I was thinking of selling my K20d gear and get a 9-18, and 14-140 HD. And just have the G1 with 17, 9-18, 14-140 as my digital, and my M5 as my main film camera. Of course I can use the 28/35/50 on the G1 if I want fast glass (48/70/100 FOV).. Would love to have a 13-15mm f/2 in m/43 though... Let's see what Photokina has for us this year.

As far as lenses to keep, that would be keepers? Depends on what FOV you like. I like 24/25, 28, 35, 50 as far as primes fov. I have a 70-300 for my K20d, but, I have used it under a 1/2 dozen times over the last year.. I use the 24-150 FOV range more between my DA-16-45, EX-24-70 and EX 105.

 

[swoop]

I just looked at your ad, looks like a good deal for a knowledgeable buyer, but for a lot of 1st time buyers, the high frame count might scare them away, and the as-is part. But for someone who knows M8s, and wants the particular mods you've had done, it looks like a solid deal.

I figured people on RFF would know what's what. And I wouldn't want to be called out for not mentioning every detail. It's like the more vague you are the more likely someone is to buy your stuff and that shouldn't be the case.

"As-Is" is what it is. I need to sell the camera because I really need the money. I can't afford to have someone nitpick about some little thing on a camera that works perfectly. Especially a first time buyer who may not know the camera's limitations. Focus shift in lenses, the high ISO weakness. How it makes you wait two minutes to write after taking 10 images continuously.

I know the general used price for M8's is about $2500. And that's without the upgrades. I figure the user grade cosmetic condition set's that back a bit. But the upgrades make up for it.

 

[kdemas]

Hate to tell you but the shutters have not been tested to 500k actuations. Not even the finest shutters available, the F6 for instance, have been tested above 300k.

That said I certainly hope that my M8 is magically able to reach such a high shutter count!

 

[swoop]

Hate to tell you but the shutters have not been tested to 500k actuations. Not even the finest shutters available, the F6 for instance, have been tested above 300k.

That said I certainly hope that my M8 is magically able to reach such a high shutter count!

ok. I read somewhere it was. Couldn't say where though. But I remember reading it and figured it was logical. Seeing how there's no mirror. What number were they tested to?

 

[kdemas]

Leica doesn't release shutter ratings but a good educated guess can probably be made. The shutters are made by Copal, who makes many Nikon shutters, and others. If we assume it's at least a semi-Pro model it would have an expected rating of about 150k.

Your mileage may vary of course 🙂

 

[swoop]

Your mileage may vary of course 🙂

Trying to find the site again I ran into this.

http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/sitemap.php

Mileage does vary.

 

[dogberryjr]

That's pretty cool, swoop.

 

[kdemas]

Trying to find the site again I ran into this.

http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/sitemap.php

Mileage does vary.

Thanks for posting, interesting site. Of course the sample pool is minuscule but a cool idea none the less.

 

[ampguy]

I'm pretty sure the Leica cameras are made to last indefinitely.

I read an LHSA article where they built a test machine and ran it all weekend continuously firing an M body. The machines that measured the counts would always break before the M's, but the M's got somewhere really high, 100K, 1Million, or was it 1Billion frames??

That's why they can't publish specs, because they are still clicking!!

 

[cz23]

I would think M8 prices can only go down from here. There are many on the market, presumably from M9 upgraders. And as more compacts with larger sensors are released, they will have preference for many buyers.

I seriously considered a used M8.2 recently, but $4K or so for a used digital body, just didn't make sense to me. In my research I found several threads on folks preferring their m4/3 systems over the M8. I think we'll see more of that as m4/3 and other compact systems advance. So I expect M8 prices to keep falling.

Obviously, no one can say for sure what the market will do, but if I was planning to sell an M8, I would do it now.

John