Noctilux has a bigger price tag

[arminw]

I've bought today the last Noctilux available with the old price-tag from my dealer in London. He showed me a letter that said that from today onwards all Noctilux-M lenses are more expensive .
I paid 2300 pounds and it's now apparently increased to just above 3000 pounds .
So the rumors were right ... !
I guess I enjoy this lens now even more ....

[like_no_other]

Congratulations, happy shooter.

I've never seen such an over-night price increase for the same foto product before, most get cheaper.
Leica must be very confident not to loose customers with such pricing policies. Very interesting.

Sometimes I think this all here is a big showcase for MBA students. Or are we in The Truman Show?

[peter_n]

The products appear to be price inelastic. Leica should raise prices across the board and see what happens: Probably either no difference or increased demand...

[spylaw4]

Originally Posted by arminw

.......I paid 2300 pounds and it's now apparently increased to just above 3000 pounds...........
..

Ouch!

[bono0272]

Any official announcement that the Noctilux will be discontinued?

[marknorton]

As reported elsewhere, this is apparently down to increased production costs of the exotic glasses used in the lens...

[arminw]

As I understand it , it's because of the price increase of the gas they are using . Not sure what that means for the future of the Noctilux ?

[peter_n]

I would think it was glass rather than gas...

[arminw]

Originally Posted by peter_n

I would think it was glass rather than gas...

No, apparently they use a special Gas to produce this lens and the Gas has increased in price and therefor the Noctilux is more expensive. That's how it was explained to me !

[lll]

"Gas"???? It´s a rumor, nothing else. I simply don´t believe that. The "gas" for manufacturing a single lens costs now 2000 Euros more than before? Ridiculous. Anybody asked Leica directly for that?

Friedhelm

[ddp]

Let's approach this from a slightly different angle. From what I understand, the Noct is produced in very small batches due to demand - which is usually low. They don't run batches very often....but I know since the introduction of the M8, there has been quite an increase in Noctilux sales. I'm not so sure it's an issue of elements used in the manufacturing process in as much that it's a supply & demand issue.

As of right now - the lens is a current Leica catalog item, unlike the 75/1.4. No rumours of it being discontinued....just scarce and brutally expensive.

[lll]

Dan,

I see it the same way. I think they would like to discontinue the Noctilux better yesterday than tomorrow, but they cannot without giving up one of their best image flagships. It´s a legend and therefore an USP they cannot substitute by a Summilux of which quality ever.

Friedhelm

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by lll

Dan,

I see it the same way. I think they would like to discontinue the Noctilux better yesterday than tomorrow, but they cannot without giving up one of their best image flagships. It´s a legend and therefore an USP they cannot substitute by a Summilux of which quality ever.

Friedhelm

Agree: it's a lens that, even if sold in tiny numbers, is worth for them to be kept in their price list, at a very hgh price... a flagship, as you say... something similar happened years ago with the S-Telyt 800 6,3 : it remained for years in their Price List ("on demand", they used to specify) at a price monstrous almost as the weight of the lens itself...

[marknorton]

If it's methane they need, they can hook up to the cows in the next door field for free...