Used M Lens Shortage due to M9?

[eleskin]

On Leica Users Forum, one member posted that the Noctilux f1.0 is becoming much less common (Keh Camera has none, few on Ebay). I checked this out myself, and I can see this is true! B&H has only a small handful of M lenses. When I was in school in 1991, there were plenty of used M lenses. Not much today!

Could this be due to the popularity of the M9?

I will say one thing. Three years ago when I bought my M8, I made the decision to buy any used M focal length I could afford, many a steal on
Ebay! Boy am I glad I did that, and I will never sell again like I did a few years ago!!!

 

[JimOfOakCreek]

I think you are correct about the rise in used Leica lenses. Fortunately Zeiss is making some fine lenses below the cost of used Leica! I've given up on used Leica and focus on Zeiss.

 

[Ben Z]

On Leica Users Forum, one member posted that the Noctilux f1.0 is becoming much less common (Keh Camera has none, few on Ebay). I checked this out myself, and I can see this is true! B&H has only a small handful of M lenses. When I was in school in 1991, there were plenty of used M lenses. Not much today!

Could this be due to the popularity of the M9?

Alternate theory: it could be due to the popularity of the M8 now that one can buy it for a couple thou...plus the fact the price of new M lenses have risen obscenely, even for Leica. New Noctilux costs eleven grand, far beyond the realm of practicality for most of us.

I will never sell again like I did a few years ago!!!

I'm with you there. Sold a like-new 35 Summilux-ASPH for $1700 when the M8 came out, to partly defray the cost when I would eventually buy one. I don't miss the lens (or any of the ASPH lenses I sold, and I had most of them), but I should have waited.

 

[greggebhardt]

I agree with the others and it is due to the M9 because there are a lot of new users who purchased the used M8s. There are a lot of people using Leica now and many of my even 6bit lenses have actually gain in value.

What other photo equipment actually gains in value?

 

[GrahamWelland]

It's almost certainly due to the influx of M9 buyers moving over from film, or folks transitioning over from M8's to the M9 and changing around their lens outfits to fit the full frame camera (plus I guess the new M8 buyers doing the same thing now that the camera is more affordable and easily available used). Leica have a real success on their hands at the moment with the M9 and it seems that the need for glass amongst buyers is out stripping supply on both the new and used market.

I sold a 3 year old 28 'cron yesterday within an hour of listing it. Similarly a couple of my other lenses including a 6bit E-60 Noctilux sold on consignment the same day last month. We're certainly not out of a recession yet but there seem to be plenty of buyers wiling and able to drop $2k+ for lenses. (Not counting $7k cameras).

The best full frame glass is basically out of stock or in short supply at the moment and I'm sure as more M9's get out into people's hands that this situation will get worse before it gets better.

 

[snaggs]

and people like me moving from DSLR, flogging all my gear for a M9, 75 lux and 35 cron asph, all 2nd hand and from ebay.

Daniel.

 

[Ben Z]

I personally know four different guys who have recently sold their M8's ("while they're still worth something" is the reason they gave, in words to that effect). Three of them have no plans to get an M9 at all and have sold their lenses too, the fourth is waiting (like me, although at present I'm keeping my M8) until they can find used ones for thousands less. So not every used M8 on the market translates into an M9 purchase.

 

[BillBingham2]

I think you're right, more M8s freeing up as some users move to M9, new M9s coming out, supply and demand.

B2 (;->

 

[swoop]

I noticed when the M8 was announced that lens prices shot up. You could get a Canon 1.2 for $150. Then it shot up to $500 when the M8 was released. The same thing is happening with the M9. Especially since a lot of M9 owners are selling their M8's to more newcomers.

 

[binky]

It could be the digital Leicas, but I've seen a lot of shooters with GH1s, GF1s, PENs, etc with some very nice glass. That said, there are some near mint M8s at "affordable" prices now.

 

[GrahamWelland]

and people like me moving from DSLR, flogging all my gear for a M9, 75 lux and 35 cron asph, all 2nd hand and from ebay.

Daniel.

Oops - yes that's another big group too 😉

It could be the digital Leicas, but I've seen a lot of shooters with GH1s, GF1s, PENs, etc with some very nice glass.

... that crop factor abuses the best glass though.