Dikaiosune01 Posted January 14, 2014 Share #1 Â Posted January 14, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) This sounds like a stupid question, but I'd ask you bear with me. Â I know I want a 50mm summilux. I use the 50mm planar the most. So much so, that I have no regrets to not getting the summicron - except for the ocassional 6-bit convenience. I'm very happy with the way it draws, and its sharpness and the overal results I get from my files. However, there are the odd occassion where speed is necessary. Hence the Summilux. Â I believe I will be using this lens for the next 30 years. Along side my M3, my MP and some current reliteration of a digital body. Â I do also believe that a lot of us Leica users, have staples and experimental flings. In my mind, the planar is my go to. Supplemented by the 28mm elmarit - these are my staples. My experimental flings that will come and go are, CV 21mm, 40mm nokton, 50mm elmar, 90mm elmarit fat, 135mm elmarit. Â I'm trying to convince myself (and my fiancee) that now is better than later. That the 50mm summilux will be my low light staple. Â (If you smell anything, that is 5% fart 95% G.A.S.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 14, 2014 Posted January 14, 2014 Hi Dikaiosune01, Take a look here Has leica lens prices ever dropped?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
marknorton Posted January 14, 2014 Share #2  Posted January 14, 2014 Leica lens prices only ever go up and typically at more than the rate of general inflation, depending of course on where you live.  There seems to be no corresponding downwards influence on lens prices which we've become used to over decades on other stuff. Price performance of hard disk drives, for example, has increased 1000-fold over 20 years (my guess). A 3Tb drive costs less in money terms than a 2Gb did in 1996, for example.  With Leica lenses, the materials and processes are expensive, done in a country with high unit labour costs (but not the highest) and their prices increase every year. My Noctilux cost £5600 in 2008/9, it now costs £8000. At £2800, the 50mm Summilux costs more than 4 times what I paid for its predecessor in 1992. The 75mm Summicron costs double what I paid for mine in 2006. And so it goes on...  Part of the problem is a lack of competition also...  If you want a 50mm Summilux, buy it now because it will certainly cost more in the future.  Personally, I have reached something of a watershed in that the ever increasing prices are not being matched by an increase in utility, the APO 50mm Summicron being a case in point. The talked-about 28mm Summilux will certainly be between the 24 and 35mm Summiluxes in terms of price as well as focal length and since I have both those neighbours, I don't expect to be making the call to my dealer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rramesh Posted January 14, 2014 Share #3 Â Posted January 14, 2014 I would think the only time a Leica lens price drops is shortly after the lens drops. Â In most cases a perceived drop in price is due to currency fluctuations combined with parallel imports. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 14, 2014 Share #4 Â Posted January 14, 2014 Also consider the fact that the arrival of new cameras on the market, which have the ability to take lenses in virtually any existing mount with an adapter, will push demand and prices, both new and used, further up. Hope this helps in rationalising the GAS attack... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
derleicaman Posted January 14, 2014 Share #5 Â Posted January 14, 2014 When I was an active authorized US Leica dealer back in the 80's and 90's, pricing would vary most due to the exchange rate of dollars to DM. At times, Leica would offer rebates on cameras or lenses and I think this was a result of favorable exchange rates. When an item is discontinued, this would lead to lower pricing and also when Leica sells off exhibition or demo merchandise. I used to acquire all my own personal purchases from Code U demo goods. Another reason may have been to meet quarterly or year end goals that Germany expected Leica USA to meet. Since the advent of the M9, Leica has been in the cat bird seat with high demand and limited supply, with ever increasing prices for lenses especially. I don't see this as changing any time soon. Unfortunately for lens buyers, it's a question of how high is up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotharZhou Posted January 14, 2014 Share #6 Â Posted January 14, 2014 Leica lens in Asia has been significantly dropped, both official and grey market. New summilux you can get it for less than 2300pounds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orient XI Posted January 15, 2014 Share #7  Posted January 15, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought my 35mm f/2.8 Summaron (M3 type) together with a new M3 for £200 in 1968 at the end of their production runs. Similarly there was a £1000 reduction on M9-P's a little over a year ago. Nor should we forget the 15% reduction on all four Summarit lenses in the autumn of 2007. The sniffy reception given to these four lenses as a result will certainly discourage Leica from ever doing anything like this again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted January 22, 2014 Share #8  Posted January 22, 2014 Is all can say--  farts float away and are forgotten  GAS lingers until satisfied  Get the damn lens and enjoy it before the GAS makes you fart. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted January 22, 2014 Share #9 Â Posted January 22, 2014 The only time that I recall significant discounts on Leica lenses in the UK was at the time when the M8 was about to be replaced and so it was substantially reduced in price. At that time, five years ago, a worthwhile discount of about 10% applied to most in stock lenses. I bought two and so did many members who live outside the UK. Those halcyon days have not returned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jankap Posted January 22, 2014 Share #10 Â Posted January 22, 2014 Is all can say--farts float away and are forgotten GAS lingers until satisfied Get the damn lens and enjoy it before the GAS makes you fart. Â +1 jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 22, 2014 Share #11  Posted January 22, 2014 Is all can say-- farts float away and are forgotten  GAS lingers until satisfied  Get the damn lens and enjoy it before the GAS makes you fart.  LOL + a million  Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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