Am I imagining it, or have Leica lens prices shot up?

[sparkie]

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esp the rare pieces, like the 35/1.4 ASPHERICAL and nocts? Been away for a few months, and a 35/1.4 V1 Aspherical sold for US $7,708.00 and another for US $6,298.00 ?!?

 

Or have Leica stuck up the prices of new lenses causing 2nd hand lenses in general to elevate. Is there a shortgae due to the M9's

 

Sorry need to catch up on whats been happening

[stunsworth]

The ASPHERICAL version of the Summilux is a collector's item and rather rare - hence the price.

 

Noctilux prices shot up when the M8 was released - mainly due to people who's never used one wanting one IMHO.

[sparkie]

yes the 35/1.4 ASPHERICAL is a collectable, but never seen prices go up as much as what a couple have recently sold for at 'that' auction site

[bscott]

I had the same thought recently myself. The prices on ebay seem to have gone up during the last six months or so and I'm happy to know that someone else had the same thoughts.

[yanidel]

It can be seen on some lenses that had felt out of favour with the M8. Typically a 90mm Elmarit could go around €400-500 before the M9, now it is more €600 and upward.

Same with Summicron pre-asph.

[UliWer]

esp the rare pieces, like the 35/1.4 ASPHERICAL and nocts? Been away for a few months, and a 35/1.4 V1 Aspherical sold for US $7,708.00 and another for US $6,298.00 ?!?

...

 

The 1,4/35 Aspherical was at it's time by far the most expensive Leica M-lense. In the list from 1992 the price was 5338,- DM, the f/1 Noctilux was 4348,-.

[adan]

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Yes, used prices seem to be rising at least in dollars for wides, especially. I just noticed a 21 pre-ASPH going for an asked $1,899; a couple of years ago they were $1,000 +/-.

 

28 f/2.8s that were $750-$950 are now bringing $1,200.

 

I expect it is a function of Leica's price increase for new lenses, demand from new M9 owners, and some shortages of new lenses (e.g. 50 f/1.4 ASPH).

 

KEH's list of M lenses was as high as 100 lenses not too long ago - since the M9 came out it has dropped as low as 20 at times. My local shop had as many as 13 or 14 used M lenses a year ago - now down to 3.

[sparkie]

Y

 

28 f/2.8s that were $750-$950 are now bringing $1,200.

 

 

you must mean the non-ASPH 28's, possibly 4th V. b/c the ASPH 28/2.8s are going for 1500 -1700ish

 

also think the 2nd hand M8's drip feeding through to 2nd owners are pushing up demand for lenses as the M9 upgraders keep their lenses

[menos I M6]

I bought a 28 Cron ASPH used just 2 weeks before 01.Jan.

 

The seller bit his teeth hard and made no room for negotiations on his sticker price, which he did with all other items, I bought from him earlier last year.

 

All signs showed: "They do not want to sell this one to me now!"

 

2 weeks later, the two other 28 Cron ASPHs, I also tried were priced apr. 10% higher than when I have tried them.

 

Too bad, as I took uncoded sample back then, as it was the smoothest and only mint sample, I tried that day, only to find out, that the 28 Cron does produce some color shifts on the M8.2, I bought later.

 

All Leica lens prices have gone up substantially since Jan.

In the end of last year, the occasional f1 Noct could be had for around 3.000 − 3.5000,- EUR.

The same samples have sticker prices of above 4.000 now - talk about greed!

[NZDavid]

May be the Greenback. According to Leica dealer here, New Zealand Leica prices are among the best in the world right now (exchange rate helps). No that makes them exactly cheap of course! Worth shopping around.

[frozenace]

I bought a non-coded 35 cron asph NEW from ebay in November for GBP 1020 pounds.

 

Now some of the used ones go for 1300... I'm well chuffed.

[sparkie]

Its incredible how prices fluctuate wildly. Its possible to shoot with some Leica M gear for decades, if taken care of, and sell -- and not make a loss on the original investment. Especially the lenses and some bodies (excepting the M8 onwards). There's not many brands out there that can claim to do the same.

[Xmas]

Hi

 

In UK Leica increased all their prices Jan 2010 except for the M9, and VAT increased at same time.

 

Some M8 and to a greater extent M9s are to new customers not upgrades, people expect cameras to be digital now days. They need to buy lenses as well.

 

The Yen is hardening so Cosina prices are escalating as well.

 

Second hand is tracking this, some popular lenses seem to have all but disappeared.

 

Noel

[MetaD]

I don't know about prices, but suddenly it seems harder to find recent summicrons, wide angles and ASPH summilux lenses. Recently, I picked up an M6 plus 35 Summicron asph, 50 Summicron-M and 90 Elmarit-M. The batch price was good, but if I want a 21, 24 or 28mm, I may have to pay close to full price.... if I can find one.

 

I compared a KEH.com catalog from September 2009 with March 2010. This company carries a lot of used gear. Six months ago, there were 92 M-lenses in the 21-90mm range, and in the latest catalog only 36.

 

21mm 5 vs 4 (No Elmarits, 1 Summilux!)

24mm 2 vs 0

28mm 5 vs 0

35mm 24 vs9

40mm 6 vs3

50mm 22 vs11 (only 1 Summicorn-m)

75mm 6 vs 2 (Both Summilux)

90mm 20 vs 7

 

That is a significant inventory change. (With the Pentax D645 announcement, the 645 auto focussing lenses have all but disappeared, also.) Note the complete absence of 24 and 28. The only Summilux is at 75mm, the 35mm Summicrons are all users, and most of the 50mm Summicrons are older, DR lenses.

 

It seems to me that M9 sales have probably been good, and that many M9 buyers are looking to the used market to complete their lens collection. I'm thinking Leica's projections for lens sales didn't match up to body sales.

 

Leica used lenses are so good and the M9 is so expensive that it is reasonable for a consumer to buy recent-gen used lenses. But if new M9 buyers are turning to the used marked, then Leica is leaving profit on the table from all the new lenses they aren't selling. I don't know whether Leica lens production is maxed out, but if not, they probably should do some price discounting, especially if someone is buying a package of two or three.