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Leica Australia?


tonyNZ

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Just heard from a dealership that Leica Australia will be established on 1 April.

 

Has anyone heard about this, and might this mean that we will get more realistic pricing across the board - the M for example is roughly $1000 more expensive here compared with the US.

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...did a little more digging and got this from another dealer: "Leica Australia is now looking after importing cameras in to Australia now from the 2nd of April and they have reduced the number of Leica dealers".

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Yes, according to open industry sources confirmed by multiple dealers, Leica Camera Australia will commence trading on 2 April. I would guess that 1 Apr is being avoided for any announcement.

 

A suggested Australian retail price has not been announced for the M as far as I am aware. The current distributor Adeal, did provide costings to dealers but the anticipated selling prices I have seen across several dealers thus far have varied up to $800.

 

The only number that counts will be what an authorised dealer will sell you an M for and when they can supply it of course.

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I have heard the price from Fotoreisel in Sydney is $7999 and Michaels in Melbourne is $8199. Waiting to hear from Camerapro in Brisbane.

 

I was hoping that the price would be similar to the US - $6950 - not sure whether that includes tax?

 

UK cost is around $6300 (tax free) and if you don't declare at customs when you return. Shame I'm not planning to go there in the near future!

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I have heard the price from Fotoreisel in Sydney is $7999 and Michaels in Melbourne is $8199. Waiting to hear from Camerapro in Brisbane.

 

I was hoping that the price would be similar to the US - $6950 - not sure whether that includes tax?

 

UK cost is around $6300 (tax free) and if you don't declare at customs when you return. Shame I'm not planning to go there in the near future!

 

Then you would be breaking the law :eek:

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I Waiting to hear from Camerapro in Brisbane.

 

Got a feeling that Camera Pro was one of the dealers deleted.

 

On the other hand, with Adeal 'dumping' stock on hand, there have been a number of spectacular bargains where I have been picking up new lenses cheaper (including GST) than second hand from the US, and no freight or import GST to pay!

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Tony I don't think that we should be discussing prices from individual dealers in this forum.

I try not to in any case. Some dealers have prices on their websites of course. Maybe some of those numbers might vary when actual stock lands. That is just a guess.

 

If you do not have an order with a deposit with an authorised dealer already, in my opinion you are unlikely to see a camera from the first Australian stock. If previous experience is anything to go by there won't be enough stock for the existing orders initially.

 

Entirely up to the individual of course where and if and when on ordering. Some supernaturally lucky individual is bound to post that they were just in a dealer's shop when an order was cancelled or something and they got a camera on day one :D

 

As far as I know none of that first tiny trickle that went to Europe, USA and Singapore came down under. At least I haven't heard any excited announcements from anyone :rolleyes:

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Hello Tony

I am just getting into Leica, and have just bought my first 4 lenses with the new M on order. I live in Australia, and also don't like the prices here. As a result I looked to source from overseas, and found the UK to be best, correcting for the VAT free price. I was surprised that the USA (Amazon, Adorama, etc) was more expensive. My purchases include a Leica M, 28 Elmarit, 35 Summicron, 50mm Summicron and the 90mm Macro-Elmar. Using todays exchange rate in the Financial Times, buying the above in the USA and shipping it out to Australia comes to AUD18181 +10%GST (AUD19999), buying in the UK less VAT is AUD15558 +10% GST (AUD17,114), while buying in Australia the total cost is AUD21,382.

 

Note, any products imported into Australia above $1000 attract a 10% GST. Luckily there is no 5% duty on photographic equipment.

 

There is a shipping charge, but at $100-150 it is negligible. I assumed a new Leica M in Australia would be $8000.

 

Buying it VAT free in the UK and bring it back to Australia in person will save and extra $1500, but that of course is illegal.

 

I have a little spreadsheet, but don't know how to attach it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The launch of "Leica Australia" seems like a re-brand. From my exprience and that of others in this forum, Adeal have not been able to provide. Similar team but different name; what can come of it?? Until Leica Germany is interested in Australia, service standards and pricing will remain the same.

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My experience is mixed.

 

After a number of extraordinary stuff ups at Camera Clinic in 2011/2012 with subsequent intervention by Adeal and senior staff at Camera Clinic (who I should add are always very pleasant to deal with) one of my lenses was replaced with new, and an extended new camera warranty given for my M9. Although the problems should not have happened I appreciated that all worked very hard to then make good, but Leica really needs to provide a more consistent service experience here.

 

The Australian prices of the Monochrom and APO-Summicron 50 are the highest in the world (allowing for various countries sales tax/GST/whatever). UK was close but does offer Passport warranty. From what I can tell the local dealers were keeping their usual markups (which I would think they are entitled to do) but the cameras were just costing them that much more. I therefore turned down the Monochrom here in Australia (and I was #1 on the list with my dealer).

 

I therefore bought my Monochrom overseas at significant savings and a delay of 2 months or so - and yes Jeff it did attract GST on import (unfortunately:rolleyes:).

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Mark I have been told some depressingly low prices that a few friends have paid on some stock being (presumably) cleared by Adeal. One friend bought a Monochrom, a Summilux M 35 and a 24.

 

Still waiting on my M as everyone else is here, as far as I know. Let's see what April brings.

 

But then these are first world problems :D

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There is indeed a big difference from country to country. The exchange rate should make a difference -- booming Kiwi and Aussie dollars, depressed Greenback, plummeting pound and anemic Euro. So it didn't make sense why the M9-P should cost $NZ1,000 more here on release than it did in the US! I still believe in going to local dealers if possible. Slight price variations should be weighed up against the support and peace of mind you get by buying locally.

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