[hm1912]

Is Leica a luxury brand or a photographic tool or both?

As someone under 30 I know a few people of similar age who would love to get a Leica but can't afford it, some find it to be a snobby camera for uppity rich older people, and some don't know much about it. A significant number of my friends would prefer the digital route to film. None of us, myself included, can afford a new Leica. But then again, I don't think that Leica really cares about any of us since our incomes are too low. No student, unless he or she is from a wealthy family or has a plethora of financial awards will ever be able to afford a new Leica. I doubt a student discount would ever be significant enough to make a difference -- did that sentence hurt to write! If I was a photography student, I probably wouldn't buy a new camera, anway, and would go for the used Leica route -- which can be a good way into the world of Leica cameras.

Leica's are expensive and that is just the way it is. The one thing that does seem unfortunate is that I hear (from people in this forum) that Leicas are also priced out of reach of most professional photographers. To me, that seems to be a real shame.