Why does a black lens cost more?

[Crazy Cat Lady]

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I have been looking at used lenses and noticed that black lenses seem to go for more than silver. Why is that? And the silvers seem to be in stock when the blacks are not.

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[sdai]

This is not completely a joke, but most gearheads believe that black is the color for men and will hold its value a lot better ... but to be serious, there're two bad things about a silver lens, first, they don't fit a black body cosmetically ... while a black will just look fine on a silver chrome body, second, the silver lenses are heavy, now if you know most Leicaphiles own at least three different copies of 50mm norms, you'll know why we don't like the silver ones. LOL

[losta]

Maybe because people with both black and chrome bodies will buy black lenses but chrome lenses are probably only purchased by those with chrome/silver bodies. Also I think they list for the same price and more lenses are made in black than in chrome also chrome lenses are heavier.

[guywalder]

shouldn't it be the other way around!? The silver ones are heavier because they use brass for the barrel (in order to be able to get the surface treatment), whereas the black ones are painted aluminium (i.e. cheaper!)

Guy

[adan]

I can't confirm or deny your observation that chrome lenses as a class sell for less than black, or sell more slowly, since I haven't looked for any additional lenses recently myself...

 

But I can toss out a couple of ideas:

 

1) The earliest Leica M lenses were all chrome. Since they are older, more used, and of older optical designs, they tend to have lower prices as a group, which may bring down the average for chrome lenses overall. I.E. a 1960 chrome 90 or 50 or 35 or 135 may have a lower price than the 1970 or 1980 black lens that replaced it in the lineup.

 

(Lenses were primarily chrome from roughly 1955-1968, with black paint being a rarity - and collectible; primarily black anodized finish from 1968-1990; and available in both colors during the 90s. Leica discontinued most chrome models again during their recent financial crisis a couple of years ago)

 

2) For those lenses that were made optionally in chrome or black to the same specs in the same era, especially the 1990s ones:

 

a) the chrome lenses are heavier, because the silver chrome requires a brass barrel to accept the chrome-plating, whereas the black anodized finish can be applied to lighter aluminum. Light-weight is preferable for many Leica M photographers.

 

a lot of people feel that black lenses look good on either a chrome or black body, but that chrome lenses look a little weird on an all-black camera. I won't claim cosmetics is a rational reason to pick one or the other (and ironically the chrome finish is probably harder and will age better than the black) - but markets are often driven by irrationality.

 

I have all black lenses, but that's mostly because mine come from that middle period when few chrome lenses were being made (c. 1980).

[ho_co]

Jennifer--I noticed that same thing for new lenses at a web retailer the other day and was surprised by it.

 

If I'm not mistaken, when black and chrome versions of the same lens are offered, Leica charges MORE for the chrome version than for the anodized one.

 

I think in this case the reason some chrome lenses are listed at a lower pricepoint may be that they are older stock and that the price for the black ones has gone up in the interim.

 

Andy's summation of the issues involved seems pretty complete to me.

 

--HC

[Shootist]

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I think you are looking at Black Lacquer coated lenses. Yes those are always more then the standard black and chrome models.

[Guest Olof]

... Leica charges MORE for the chrome version than for the anodized one...

 

 

Thats not true (at least in Germany) the price for both type of lenses is the samen. I prefer the chromed ones and get the newest version of all the lenses i want in chrome ( 24mm ASPH, 50mm LUX ASPH, and 90mm Macro-Elmar).

[adan]

Ed makes a good additional point. There are some black-painted lenses out there - and those DO command a premium over either the chrome or "ordinary" black-anodized lenses, due to "collectability".

 

A scattering from the early years, and also some commemoratives from the 1990s Hermes/Leica era (35/50/90s). The 1990s ones are brass to accept the black paint, and thus heavier, like the chrome versions.

[ho_co]

(at least in Germany) the price for both type of lenses is the same.

Jan--

Thanks for the correction. As I said, I thought chrome cost more than anodized, but I take your word for it that I'm wrong.

 

--HC

[MP3]

Price wise.

 

Black lacquer (Black Paint) > Silver Chrome > Black Anodised

 

Even well brassed black paint vintage lenses are priced far higher than the other two.

 

That is always the case esp when the lens is off the list and in good condition.

 

This could be easily verifly on the internet.

 

Best

Matthew

[albertknappmd]

Agree with Matthew in that USED laquer is the most costly followed by silver and then anodized black...

[ibogost]

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I don't buy this "silver looks bad on black body" argument. I had a silver 50 Cron from before I got my M8, and I've been using it on my black body largely because selling/buying new equipment just for the look of it makes no financial or time sense to me. And you know what? It looks fine. Looks even better with my Rally colored Luigi case in fact.

 

And the photo's don't know the color of the lens casing around the glass that bent their light

 

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled postings.

[BillBrittain]

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I don't buy this "silver looks bad on black body" argument. I had a silver 50 Cron from before I got my M8, and I've been using it on my black body largely because selling/buying new equipment just for the look of it makes no financial or time sense to me. And you know what? It looks fine. Looks even better with my Rally colored Luigi case in fact.

 

And the photo's don't know the color of the lens casing around the glass that bent their light

 

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled postings.

 

Wait, before we return let me weigh in on your side, Ian. I like the chrome on black look, and I also like the added heft of the chrome lenses. Rangefinders are, for me, more about compactness than weight.

 

I'm such a heretic that I put a chrome grip on my black M8. I love the look.

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[ibogost]

Wait, before we return let me weigh in on your side, Ian. I like the chrome on black look, and I also like the added heft of the chrome lenses. Rangefinders are, for me, more about compactness than weight.

I'm such a heretic that I put a chrome grip on my black M8. I love the look.

 

Wow, you are a heretic ! I think the point here is that all the equipment looks good together.

 

I haven't seen a lot of Leica formal dress converstions on this forum, thankfully, but I suppose it is true that many users don't want chrome lenses with their black bodies, which no doubt affects s/h value.

[grober]

BTW: Leica chrome lenses are a tad heavier in physical weight the equivalent black lens only because of the material used to build the chrome ones.

 

On pure looks (although I've never owned this combo), I think a titanium body with a black shutter speed dial and a black baseplate, wearing black or titanium lenses, is the sexiest-looking Leica M.

 

-g

[Crazy Cat Lady]

How much more can a silver lens weigh than a black? On the B&H website, the weight is the same for the two 50 lux's. Another thing I noticed is that the silvers do not seem to sell as quickly. As an example on B&H the black 50 lux has been sold out since I have been looking last week, but the silver has been in stock and still is.

 

Thanks everyone! I am really learning alot already. My M8 should arrive today....I can't wait!

[BillBrittain]

Perhaps B&H's weight is the shipping weight, including the case and packaging. And somewhat averaged after that?

 

I've been eyeing the 90mm Macro-Elmar and the technical data sheet I downloaded from Leica says that the weight of the black is 240g and the chrome is 320g.

 

Enjoy the M8!

[cmb_]

If you look at the tech specs on the Leica site it does list the difference in weight for some, but not all, of the chrome lenses. Two examples: 35/2 - 255g in black and 340g in chrome; 35/1.4 - 250g in black and 415g in chrome.

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[Philinflash]

The silver ones are heavier because they use brass for the barrel (in order to be able to get the surface treatment), whereas the black ones are painted aluminium (i.e. cheaper!)

Guy

 

Guy is correct and this is the way it has been done since the European camera makers have been producing black-painted lens barrels over the past 40 years or so. As a result, the "silver" ones are much more robust than are the blacks.

 

And they don't show the cat hair as badly, either.

 

Having said that, I must admit to owning black.