ShivaYash Posted September 7, 2015 Share #1 Posted September 7, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've been offered this lens for £2450, brand new, almost, in boxes. A good price? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 7, 2015 Posted September 7, 2015 Hi ShivaYash, Take a look here 35 FLE prices.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mmradman Posted September 7, 2015 Share #2 Posted September 7, 2015 Providing it is legitimate and in good condition it is excellent deal. I paid mine £3,550 new mid 2012. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted September 7, 2015 Share #3 Posted September 7, 2015 If it's too good to be true it probably is. Check this very carefully. Do you have a return option or warranty? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted September 7, 2015 Share #4 Posted September 7, 2015 You certainly find the apparent bargains. Did you pass on the ex-demo for €2400 in your earlier post? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted September 7, 2015 You certainly find the apparent bargains. Did you pass on the ex-demo for €2400 in your earlier post? Ah yes. That was pre-FLE and the seller was placing a lot of pressure to do a deal. Not too much perhaps but certainly keen. It sold in the end but not to me. The lens will be in my hands on Thursday and I feel even if I don't get on with it, a sale will be possible, so I won't lose out on my outlay. The story is this chap purchased it from a London premier dealer, now closed and shortly afterwards his m9 sensor cracked. It was repaired at Solms and he sold it with the new sensor. Now the lens is for sale. Still unsure whether he purchased it new but that does not really matter. I can inspect before parting with the cash. I've got him down £100 and he will come to London to meet in for the exchange. Whilst I love my 35f2 IV I do desire the extra stop and open wide sharpness. The proof is in the eating... Will report back. Any other checks to make, other than the obvious ones? Marks to the body and glass coating. Play in the barrel. Serial numbers matching, lens and box. Should this lens come with a small black Leica drawstring bag? Of course this will affect the image quality ;-) Ta. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spydrxx Posted September 7, 2015 Share #6 Posted September 7, 2015 A famous expression in the US regarding expensive items is "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted September 7, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) A famous expression in the US regarding expensive items is "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it". Thanks for this helpful comment... I always ask the price, I'm not a LEICAMAN, citation: Ken Rockwell, but do like their products. Nothing feels, to me at least, like getting a good deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
microview Posted September 7, 2015 Share #8 Posted September 7, 2015 Should this lens come with a small black Leica drawstring bag? Of course this will affect the image quality ;-) Better still: a zip-up leather case! I paid £2890 for a virtually new (possibly never used) silver – same weight – 35FLE a few months ago at a London s/h Leica dealer and after tests promptly got rid of the heavier, more awkward Zeiss 35 f1.4 I had been briefly using. Very satisfied! I later discovered that the silver was only just becoming available in the UK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhoh7 Posted September 8, 2015 Share #9 Posted September 8, 2015 FLE prices are falling fast, as are most of the newer lenses. Both 28 cron and 50Lux selling now as low as 2200. 3760USD fro FLE is now about the normal price used with some lower and some higher. Do not expect the lens to hold this value. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share #10 Posted September 8, 2015 2200 dollars right? Why is this lens not holding its value? A dud? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmradman Posted September 8, 2015 Share #11 Posted September 8, 2015 Better still: a zip-up leather case! I paid £2890 for a virtually new (possibly never used) silver – same weight – 35FLE a few months ago at a London s/h Leica dealer and after tests promptly got rid of the heavier, more awkward Zeiss 35 f1.4 I had been briefly using. Very satisfied! I later discovered that the silver was only just becoming available in the UK. It seems original owner of your Summilux 35 FLE was seduced by new Zeiss Distagon M 35mm f1.4. Let me guess, s/h dealer was Aperture? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colint544 Posted September 8, 2015 Share #12 Posted September 8, 2015 I paid £3600 for my 35mm FLE, brand new in October 2011. The price of these lenses has only slipped ever lower, since then. Doesn't particularly affect me, since I love the lens, and can't imagine ever selling it. It's definitely not a dud - it just doesn't seem to hold its value particularly well. Leica lenses only seem to creep upwards in price after they've been discontinued. Reminds me of the old Mark Twain adage - "Buy land - they're not making that any more". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uhoh7 Posted September 9, 2015 Share #13 Posted September 9, 2015 FLE is fantastic, and now neatly on par with a good 75 LUX (not loosing value), more can enjoy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share #14 Posted September 9, 2015 I'm going to pull the trigger for 2450. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted September 9, 2015 Boxed, original receipt, caps, test certificates etc. Can't help but feel a little nervous. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted September 9, 2015 Share #16 Posted September 9, 2015 If it all looks legit and clean then go for it. Prices for Leica lenses have come down in general except for the rarer ones like the 75mm Summilux which continues to rise. There is no longer the short supply of these lenses now, that is all. I don't give a damn what it sells for, I'm never selling mine. I consider it part of my holy trinity and one of the best ever lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted September 9, 2015 If it all looks legit and clean then go for it. Prices for Leica lenses have come down in general except for the rarer ones like the 75mm Summilux which continues to rise. There is no longer the short supply of these lenses now, that is all. I don't give a damn what it sells for, I'm never selling mine. I consider it part of my holy trinity and one of the best ever lenses. Thanks Paul J. The seller does seem legitimate and we are meeting tomorrow in Central London. I can't help but feel obligated to purchase but will definitely check everything before handing over the cash. What should the lens come with? A contents of the box would be handy. I would guess the following: Lens Box - matched serial number to lens Instruction booklet? Test certificate Anything else? Leather pouch A Leica drawstring bag for the lens? He has the original receipt from R G Lewis, so its not stolen! He purchased it new and naturally will give me that when I take ownership. PS. I am minded to sell my 35/f2 IV with this purchase but after a 12 year relationship, am finding it difficult to part with it... I don't need to sell it but also don't want to have too many lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted September 9, 2015 Share #18 Posted September 9, 2015 Lens Box - matched serial number to lens Instruction booklet? Test certificate Anything else? Leather pouch A Leica drawstring bag for the lens? It doesn't come with a drawstring bag, only the leather case. Check that it has the ring that is used to cover the thread when the hood isn't being used – it is normally found under some foam inside the bottom of the leather case. It sounds like an excellent deal and a sign of the current times when it comes to selling Leica gear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share #19 Posted September 9, 2015 It doesn't come with a drawstring bag, only the leather case. Check that it has the ring that is used to cover the thread when the hood isn't being used – it is normally found under some foam inside the bottom of the leather case. It sounds like an excellent deal and a sign of the current times when it comes to selling Leica gear. Thanks for this. I have been watching prices fall in the past year or so but from my conversations with deals, think they have bottomed out now. I can't seem them getting much lower to be honest. I intend on using this lens for a long time and passing it on to my son, who is 7 weeks old tomorrow ;-) I recall I paid around £350-400 for my 35f2 12 years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShivaYash Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share #20 Posted September 9, 2015 I did not know Leica had dropped the price of this lens due to the Euro/ Sterling rate decrease. It is however sold out in the London shop. I've rung several dealers and the price does seem OK. I am paying just a little less than getting it from a dealer... around 200-300 less. I've never understood what a warranty would mean for a lens, surely it either works or it doesn't, but perhaps I am being too crude in my understanding. There is an element of risk in doing private deals but with prices dropping a little, I think it is better for my pocket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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