Will M6/M7/MP drop in the near future?

[Jamie123]

I decided today that it is finally time to start saving for a Leica M. Not buying it right now because I'm still recovering from my recent Hasselblad purchase but sometime in the future I'd love to 'take the plundge'.

I'm wondering, though, if we will see prices for M6, M7 or MP cameras drop once the M8 is out. Not because I think the M8 will replace any of the aforementioned cameras but because I can imagine that quite a lot of people will have to sell some cameras in order to fund an M8.

I haven't been following the used market for M cameras for long so I could be way off with this assumption. Anyone mind to share their thoughts on this?

PS: I'm sorry if this has been discussed before. If so, just redirect me to the other thread 🙂

Edit: correct title for the thread 🙂

 

[ghost]

fortunately, they will drop.

 

[dcsang]

I hope not.. I wouldn't want my M7 to drop.. last thing I need is a ding on such a pristine body 😀

But seriously... the M6 and M7 should drop a wee bit in price (LHSA and wacky special editions not withstanding) - I don't think anyone here knows how much though.

Of course... if the M8 is a HUGE flop and tanks.. we could see used M6 and M7 (as well as MP) prices stay where they are.

Dave

 

[FrankS]

I'm thinking that M7 and M6/M6ttl prices will drop a bit. The classic M2,3,4,5's not so much. An M7 user would more likely be interested in the M8 than say, an M2 user. Just my guess.

 

[dll927]

Just yesteerday I got called on the carpet by someone who claimed to have a PhD in geography, accusing me of moving the Leitz company to France. I did no such thing.

But as far as prices, I understand that, back when the company was in financial hot water, a high-end French company bought a large wad of Leitz stock, and in the process insisted that their (Leica) prices be raised rather substantially. As if they were peanuts before that!!!

The late John Kenneth Galbraith was quoted as saying that economic prediction was invented to make the Zodiac signs look legitimate. It seems that he thought it was a waste of time.

Will Leica prices go down? I DON'T KNOW!!

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Just yesteerday I got called on the carpet by someone who claimed to have a PhD in geography, accusing me of moving the Leitz company to France. I did no such thing.

Wow, who was that individual that claimed to have a Ph.D. in Geography accusing you of moving the Leitz company to France?

Or was it that you said "Leave it to the French" referring to Leica's prices, and it was pointed out to you that Solms, where Leica is, happens to be in Germany?

How rumours get fabricated, I tell ya. 🙄

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

To address the original question: yes, I'm sure the prices of the M2/3/4/5/6/7 will drop in the immediate future. In the long term, they will be more expensive than they are right now. Don't underestimate the looney powers of collectors.

 

[hth]

I think people moving towards an M8 will be more inclinded to unload their dSLRs while they still can get decent money for them, and they know they will find far less use for those dinosaur cameras after they have the M8.

But yes, there will probably also be some selling off secondary late M bodies, but I somehow think they will be M6/M7s rather than MPs. This will probably only last for a short period of time, then I think price will climb up a bit again.

/Håkan

 

[sf]

I'll be we see a large number of rangefinder cameras of all brands for sale. I'm looking foward to it. Maybe i can finally afford to get into Leica.

 

[telenous]

Prices of M6's are quite stable over here (UK). I 've just watched an M6 TTL in mint- condition sell within hours of being advertised, for a quite steep £950. As for MP's there's hardly any in sight. I think the M8 has strangely escalated sales in the second-hand film bodies exactly because everyone is looking to get an as new MP/M6 right now.

As for the new M8 owners, I 'd guess that the majority will hold on to the film bodies. The answer they give to the old question is: film and digital.

 

[keeds]

I just picked up a very nice black M6 from ebay for £575. A very good price I feel, and the best part was the wife didn't kill me (yet)!

 

[Jamie123]

I really hope to see some metered Leica M-bodies to become affordable (for me).

I somehow doubt that people will be selling their dSLRs in order to fund a M8. After all they surely have invested quite some money into SLR lenses and aren't willing to part with those.
Besides, IMO a SLRs and RFs are completely different tools for different tasks (although we all know that RFs are much nicer!).

Maybe this thread turns into a self fulfilling prophecy, spreading panic amongst all M owners that their cameras will lose their value if they wait much longer so that they all try to sell it at once, causing the prices to drop rapidly. Wouldn't this be nice 😉

 

[dll927]

I have to question calling DSLRs "dinosaurs". Anyone who remembers when rangefinder cameras owned the lot will recall magazine articles debating RF vs. SLR. Well, we all know who won.

It's been said that two developments guaranteed SLR success - instant-return mirrors, and automatic apertures. Once those came along, the contest was pretty much over. And this was long before meters in cameras and auto-exposure.

No doubt about it, RF cameras have their limitations that almost by nature can't be avoided or "developed" away. First among those is the parallax question. There are advantages to viewing through the lens that no RF will ever overtake. And related to that is the matter of how close the lenses can focus, again owing to parallax.

Don't get me wrong. I own a Leica M4-2 that I bought new way back when and which I prize. I've taken shots with it at shutter speeds that I would never attempt with my SLRs. So both types have their advantages, but I hardly think SLRs are going to be "evolved" away.

 

[Al Patterson]

Hmm. I hope the prices of film M cameras drop a bit short term, I'd like to buy one. If they don't, well, then I'll just have to keep my CL until it breaks and then buy whatever I can afford at that time.

 

[bafonso]

I had my hopes that would go down a fair bit, but pondering a bit over it, I don't really think that will happen. This means I probably won't be able to afford nothing to go along a 50mm collapsible summicron I just got from evilbay.

Here are my reasons:

1) Prices may drop a bit as some people will get rid of *extra bodies* they might have.

2) M8 is a pretty much exclusive product now, only a few are able to even consider buying it. Bare in mind that those who can, probably don't have to sell much to actually buy it. We're speaking about luxury items, and those sales don't follow world wide economy trends at all. Porsches, Ferraris, etc don't sell more or less over decades.

3) The numbers involved are really low to actually make an impact on prices. There aren't that many old Ms made that are moving around in the market. It's a tiny market by itself, so changes will be really low price wise, imho.

4) Another interesting outcome that I believe will happen is that newbies rich users that can actually afford the M8 easily, will drive the prices on the old Ms up as they will get the collector's bug...

I believe that prices will not change that much, so I should be without a leica RF for a long time... oh well, canonet is a nice toy for now 🙂

I'd love to be proven wrong!

 

[thanatos]

Prices will drop for about 30 milliseconds but as soon as the likes of you and I start trying to snap them up, prices will take a hike again. 'Tis the way of the world.

 

[Olsen]

- Don't cry in your sleep if you can't get a cheap M, Jamie123. Your Hasselblad gear takes much sharper pictures. Some 3,5 times sharper.

 

[raid]

Initially, the prices for late M cameras will drop, but if the digital adventure by Leitz fails, there actually could be an increase in prices for models such as the
M6 or M7 or MP. As mentioned above by others, the collectors' market will keep M prices reasonably high.


Raid

 

[ghost]

you're forgetting that collector's don't particularly want m6/m7/mp. from a shooter's pov, these now have less value. collectors want minty classics, and those will probably not change in value.

 

[raid]

There are collectors and there are less rich people who happen to "collect" such cameras.

Raid