deeelite Posted October 17, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 17, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I live in Korea and I have placed an order for a steel gray M9 on 9/10/2009 with the local Korean Leica dealer, but I was down at around 150th on the waiting list. They sell M9 for about $8,800 here, and I was shocked that so many people had reserved for one so fast. My dealer told me the other day that I had to wait couple months before I get mine, and now I regret to have sold my M8 on 09/09/2009 thinking I would receive my M9 sooner. I am left with lenses and no camera--it's driving me nuts! I started checking the stores in Japan and Hong Kong, and even in the U.S. who might have one in stock, and I am even willing to fly out to one of these countries to pick one up since an M9 would be cheaper even with a round-trip plane ticket; but no one have them in stock, of course Anyone living in the Far East here who knows a dealer who has one in stock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 17, 2009 Posted October 17, 2009 Hi deeelite, Take a look here Leica M9 availability in the Far East. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rennsport Posted October 18, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 18, 2009 A good friend of mine in HK informed me that the first batch of M9 had arrived (and all sold) in HK. I'm also waiting for mine in Thailand. Even the distributor still doesn't know when the first batch will arrive here. They're expecting to receive some in November, tho my dealer doesn't expect too much before X-mas! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookchang Posted October 18, 2009 Share #3 Posted October 18, 2009 US$8,800? No kidding!! You must have made a mistake in calculating exchange rate. Anyway, good luck!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddale Posted October 18, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 18, 2009 You need to get on a wait list - the situation is bad worldwide. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeelite Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted October 18, 2009 US$8,800?No kidding!! You must have made a mistake in calculating exchange rate. Anyway, good luck!! You're right--my calculation was a bit off I did it again and it should be $8,000 even. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikasmg Posted October 18, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 18, 2009 Anyone living in the Far East here who knows a dealer who has one in stock? I live in Singapore and the same situation here. However by a stroke of blind luck I called a dealer in Perth just before a business trip a month ago and he had this ONE piece. WHat can I say - it will be worth the wait. - Vikas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guido Posted October 19, 2009 Share #7 Posted October 19, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Tim Cheung Camera Co. in Hong Kong lists the M9 black as "out of stock", while no such indication is made for the M9 grey. No idea though whether this simply is an oversight, or whether they actual have a grey M9 in stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brill64 Posted October 19, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 19, 2009 tin cheung also lists the x1 but it's not supposed to be available until january, according to leica Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiro Posted October 19, 2009 Share #9 Posted October 19, 2009 The situation is no different in Tokyo where I understand a few early orders were actually filled but I have heard of no news since. In fact I have not seen one M9 on a store shelf of any of the camera stores in town so far. Nevertheless Leica Japan has been showing in their Ginza store a prototype demo M9, which I presume have been used for publicity or development purpose, and if you want to feel the camera, that's where you should be. They may also have delivery information within Japan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oexpress Posted October 20, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 20, 2009 I am in the same boat. I got on the list but did not realize it was that long in Korea. Like you said, it would probably be cheaper and faster to fly overseas and buy it. Hopefully we can get delivery before next summer and sounds like no one is getting steel color... Deeelite: What was the price in KRW? I am assuming you are talking to Bando Camera? Could the other members in Asia post what prices they are seeing in each country for comparison? Good luck to everyone! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKK dan Posted October 20, 2009 Share #11 Posted October 20, 2009 That's how you create artificial demand. The M9 may look much hotter due to the tight supply than the camera actually is from a purely business point of view. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte Posted October 20, 2009 Share #12 Posted October 20, 2009 The situation is actually becoming quite silly in Singapore. I understand that the local distributor had its first shipment last Saturday of 4 units (!) of M9, one unit each for each of the 4 Leica dealers in Singapore. The rumour is that the dealers were "not discouraged" from selling a higher prices (at least at the list price) because of the scarcity (typically the Leica cameras would sell at a discount to list price - the discount varies depending on how good a customer you are)..... It's a doubly whammy for Leica enthiusiats/user that because of the success of the M9, the very people of supported the company in the past, have to either (1) pay a "premium" if they wish tor receive their M9 soon or (2) wait patiently...... Unfortunately, Leica's inabilty to up production to meet demand encourages "profiterring" the market... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeelite Posted October 21, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted October 21, 2009 I am in the same boat. I got on the list but did not realize it was that long in Korea. Like you said, it would probably be cheaper and faster to fly overseas and buy it. Hopefully we can get delivery before next summer and sounds like no one is getting steel color... Deeelite: What was the price in KRW? I am assuming you are talking to Bando Camera? Could the other members in Asia post what prices they are seeing in each country for comparison? Good luck to everyone! The price for the first batch was 9.38 million Korean Wons for each unit--there's a rumor that this price might go up because of the exchange rate, but I doubt it. Something interesting I've discovered. When Bando received their 5 units, two small mom-and-pop stores around where the Bando shop is have gotten one in each shop--people didn't even think that these small stores would have M9s on the shelf, and they were just sitting there until someone discovered them. One M9 was actually purchased by this kid who's a regular at www.slrclub.com and he purchased one unit only to open the box, take like 50 shots with it, and then he sold it to another SLRCLUB forum member with $300 premium. What a shame; but South Korea is supposed to be a free country So, if you're in Korea, you shouldn't limit your M9 inquiries with just the Bando people. Any SLRCLUB.COM members here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnakChan Posted November 4, 2009 Share #14 Posted November 4, 2009 Just as an update for Tokyo, AFAIK, still now M9's. However my fav shop just kicked up the price by about Y20,000 from Y680,000 (USD$7535) -> Y700,000 (USD$7756) between Oct/Nov. This is despite not making -any- deliveries. P.S. FYI, the RRP in JP is Y777,000 (USD$8610). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsl757 Posted November 4, 2009 Share #15 Posted November 4, 2009 The situation is no different in Tokyo where I understand a few early orders were actually filled but I have heard of no news since. In fact I have not seen one M9 on a store shelf of any of the camera stores in town so far. Nevertheless Leica Japan has been showing in their Ginza store a prototype demo M9, which I presume have been used for publicity or development purpose, and if you want to feel the camera, that's where you should be. They may also have delivery information within Japan. I went to the Leica store in Ginza two weeks ago and was able to handle the Steel Grey M9. It was not on display and they brought it from the back once I inquired if they had one. I have one on order here in the States but still have more waiting to do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleeman Posted November 10, 2009 Share #16 Posted November 10, 2009 I walked into a store in Walnut Creek, California, where they were delivering their first m9 to a 80yr old man. He was really happy with it, the whole scene was so sweet I think I might have given him my m9 if I had one. Than again I might not:-) I am 30th on a list here aswell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnakChan Posted November 11, 2009 Share #17 Posted November 11, 2009 This is probably due to my frustration but I'm speculating preferential distribution towards the Americas/European/Oceanic countries than to Asian ones. Looking at the M9 registry thread and from talking to members in this and other forums, Korea had one, Japan has 2, none in HK, one in Thailand? But look at the number of ppl who have received in Americas alone is in the double digits, similarly Europe. Unhappy.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddale Posted November 11, 2009 Share #18 Posted November 11, 2009 I think this actually reflects the usage and demographics of this forum rather than distribution of cameras- Australia is considered a small part of the Asian region from a Leica perspective and if we have received 17 cameras Japan/Hong Kong have received proportionately many more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theodor Heinrichsohn Posted November 11, 2009 Share #19 Posted November 11, 2009 While dropping in on my friends in several Tokyo camera shops selling Leicas, I met two Japanese gentlemen in separate shops with black M9's. With mine that made 3 in a very small area of Tokyo. All shops were complaining of long waiting lists and rumors of delivery after Jan. 2010. I really don't think that anything else but gossip is circulating here at the moment. Teddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_bowles Posted November 11, 2009 Share #20 Posted November 11, 2009 My coworker and I have one each here in Tokyo but we haven't registered on that thread. I'd estimate around 50-60 units already shipped in Japan, but that's merely a guess... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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