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"Welcome to Leica, everything's in stock! Every camera body, every lens, every accessory. Now, how can I help you today?"

 

Is it possible we might hear these words even before the end of the year?

 

It looks to me as if the only items not readily available today are the M240 and it's accessories and the new 50 APO Summicron. Shipments of both are slowly beginning to increase, but inventories of everything else seem...well, plentiful. I talked with one Leica dealer who has 14 brand new Noctilux lenses in inventory. In Hong Kong you can buy a brand new Noctilux (grey market from European dealer) for $9500. Leica S system cameras and lenses? Wow, what a beating those prices are taking. Talk about discounts.

 

How times have changed. How many years has it been since you could just walk into a Leica store or large dealer and expect to find what you wanted in stock?

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I think the reason so many lenses are in stock is exactly because the M240 is unavailable. If all the pre-orders were fulfilled tomorrow a large percentage of the lenses would go at the same time.

 

Steve

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If all the pre-orders were fulfilled tomorrow a large percentage of the lenses would go at the same time.

 

Steve

 

I realize that's part of the reason for the glut of inventory, but by the time the M240 rolls in significant volume you will also have a new factory coming online. I believe the halcyon days of 100%+ production demand may be at an end.

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Don't forget that for some two years demand for lenses outstripped supply by some margin. Leica responded by increasing the rate of production but new cameras cannot match the demand. Hence the imbalance. A strange world, isn't it?

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I think the reason so many lenses are in stock is exactly because the M240 is unavailable. If all the pre-orders were fulfilled tomorrow a large percentage of the lenses would go at the same time.

 

Steve

 

I think that's definitely a big reason. My local vendor has over 150k USD in lenses sitting on the shelf and no cameras to go with them. He's having a hard time selling those lenses right now without cameras and he's pretty nervous about paying his Leica invoice which will be due soon. And he's not buying any used Leica lenses now because he's sitting on too many new ones.

 

The days of a used Leica lens being sold for close to new prices may be over now.

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Walked down to the local Leica dealer at lunchtime. They have the following in stock:

 

- Monochrom

- M-E

- Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH FLE

- Summicron 35/2 ASPH (x2)

- Summicron 50/2

- Summarit 75/2.5

 

Doesn't seem too bad to me.

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I think that's definitely a big reason. My local vendor has over 150k USD in lenses sitting on the shelf and no cameras to go with them. He's having a hard time selling those lenses right now without cameras and he's pretty nervous about paying his Leica invoice which will be due soon. And he's not buying any used Leica lenses now because he's sitting on too many new ones.

 

The days of a used Leica lens being sold for close to new prices may be over now.

 

It's certainly over in Hong Kong. A mint Noctilux will not bring more than about $9000, so that's a $2000 or more depreciation. Of course it doesn't really matter as long as you just use your kit and don't worry about market value, but it does change the dynamic of buying a lens to try with the idea to sell or trade if you want something different.

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Are we complaining because Leica products are generally available from stock now? :eek:

 

Nope, just an observation. I, for one, will not miss the speculators who drove used prices through the roof and sucked up what little inventory was available. Nor will I miss all those "What Leica should I buy as the best investment" threads. But I do wonder where Leica will be in 2-5 years. In China demand is already waning for many luxury goods as shoppers have more choices and buying options (online) than ever before.

 

Has luxury peaked in mainland China? | South China Morning Post

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  • 4 months later...

Just an update to my original post from May, I was in Hong Kong last week and absolutely every lens and camera body was available for sale at or below MSRP. The M240 (MSRP $HKD 65000) which was selling for nearly 80K a few months ago is now available on the shelf for 65K or less. Actually there is still one lens selling above list, the 50 APO Summicron, but the price is falling fast as stock is increasing and I saw several on the shelves of stores. Other lenses, like the Noctilux and 90 APO Summicron, which were impossible to find 12-18 months ago, are selling for thousands ($ USD) less than before. Hong Kong seems to now be a clearing house for Leica dealers worldwide to flip excess inventory.

 

The X Vario have been discounted almost from day one.

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