Olsen Posted July 13, 2007 Share #1 Posted July 13, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I went to the Leica importer today to pick my two Leica lenses that has been to Solms for code tagging & bayonet replacement. Behind me comes a Leica customer who wants a M8 'fast'. He was answered that 'the whole city' (Oslo) is 'dry' and has been so for up to a month; there is no M8's available. We are now in the middle of the summer holiday here in Norway and the Leica importer Farnes/Interfoto runs on reduced staff. The guy behind the counter had 'no idea' about when new M8s would be available again. I interprit this as a good sign; that Leica must have sold more M8 'than they reckoned with'... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 13, 2007 Posted July 13, 2007 Hi Olsen, Take a look here M8 sold out. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
carstenw Posted July 13, 2007 Share #2 Posted July 13, 2007 They may be sold out in Norway, but they are not sold out in general. In fact, the opposite seems to be the case: Leica has caught up with M8 demand. Probably, the Norwegian distributor underestimated the demand, and so it simply takes a while to get another batch. There are several at my local Leica store, Leica Camera Berlin, in case the gentleman is desperate enough to order from Germany. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olsen Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted July 13, 2007 They may be sold out in Norway, but they are not sold out in general. In fact, the opposite seems to be the case: Leica has caught up with M8 demand. Probably, the Norwegian distributor underestimated the demand, and so it simply takes a while to get another batch. There are several at my local Leica store, Leica Camera Berlin, in case the gentleman is desperate enough to order from Germany. Carsten, That could well be. Norway was never a good market for Leica. But... I came through Kastrup Airport earlier this week and noticed that the ('tax free') photo shop there also told customers that they were sold out of M8s.... Alledgedly, a large norwegian shop with both 'live' shop and on line internet shop, have three examples in stock - link here: FotoVideo Oslo - But I have experienced over and over again that they supposedly should have items in stock while they in fact don't have them. This customer behind me had 'tried all the shops in Oslo'. I would guess that he had tried this one too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted July 13, 2007 Share #4 Posted July 13, 2007 Perhaps there is a central distributor for Skandinavia? What about the photo stores in København? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olsen Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted July 13, 2007 Perhaps there is a central distributor for Skandinavia? What about the photo stores in København? There is no central distributor for Scandinavia, but direct contact between Leica in Solms and the different importers in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. In Copenhagen you find the largest Leica shop in Scandinavia; Photographica. Link here: PHOTOGRAFICA.COM > default Photographica is one of the best photo shops in Europe and worth a visit whenever you are in Copenhagen. They usually are very well stocked, but their price lists do not explicitly states wether they really have a M8 on their shelves. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted July 13, 2007 Share #6 Posted July 13, 2007 I traded my old Olympus OM4 plus lenses for a Hasselblad 500C with 80/2.8 in Photografica once in a previous life (I grew up in Danmark). Nice store, and I would love to visit it again. It is not so far from where my mother lives (well, it is, but I am willing to walk there), so maybe next time... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted July 13, 2007 Share #7 Posted July 13, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) R G Lewis, in London, have an M8 with a 35 at a £500 discount, in their window. An "unwanted gift", apparently. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmelade Posted July 13, 2007 Share #8 Posted July 13, 2007 good evening, i really dont see the same situation as you Olsen, today when at work i saw one M8 get delivered to a customer (this in a store in Oslo) yesterday same situation. when i check the online status now they still have 3 black and 1 silver in stock. i can personally verify that there are several in stock, not to make this a "ad" but yes i do work at the place that "supposedly" dont have things in stock, and if the guy in front of you just checked with us he could have bought one easy peasy.. we even have a demo for touch and feel. so i guess it depends where and how one looks =) note2: as you Olsen may know the norwegian importer is now merged with another company, and even they have one silver.. wobble on! best wishes, are Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_b_elmer Posted July 13, 2007 Share #9 Posted July 13, 2007 Tom, I live inScandinavia,but for many years I have bought all my Leica equipment at Leica Bei Meister, Eppendorfer Landstrasse 64, Hamburg. They have an exquisite Internet-service on LEICA bei MEISTER and I have always been treated very well by Leica Bei Meister. It is true that Photographica in Copenhagen have a large stock of primarily used Leicas, but they are also expensive, and on some occasions I did not fel well treated by this shop. They once sold me a camera as new, although closer examination proved that it was not. On an other occasion, I had lots of trouble in getting a pair of brand new binoculars without obvious faults, and it took many months before I got what I had bought. Those experiences lie many years back, but since the owners are the same, I do not think the basic business philospophy has changed. I have never had any similar bad experience with Mr Martin Meister in Hamburg, so I recommend you to contact him (webmaster@leicabeimeister.de). He can probably deliver you a M8 by UPS tomorrow morning if you ask him! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted July 13, 2007 Share #10 Posted July 13, 2007 I went to the Leica importer today to pick my two Leica lenses that has been to Solms for code tagging & bayonet replacement. Behind me comes a Leica customer who wants a M8 'fast'. He was answered that 'the whole city' (Oslo) is 'dry' and has been so for up to a month; there is no M8's available. We are now in the middle of the summer holiday here in Norway and the Leica importer Farnes/Interfoto runs on reduced staff. The guy behind the counter had 'no idea' about when new M8s would be available again. I interprit this as a good sign; that Leica must have sold more M8 'than they reckoned with'... Oh my goodness! Olsen, I thought you could find anything in Oslo and everywhere in Norway... even E67 IR Leica filters and WATE adapters... I'm just just teasing you mate. Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth_c Posted July 13, 2007 Share #11 Posted July 13, 2007 R G Lewis, in London, have an M8 with a 35 at a £500 discount, in their window. An "unwanted gift", apparently. That's the same description and price that London Camera Exchange used for their stock of M8's at one point. When I went in they actually said it was ex-demo stock, but it had clearly never even been touched. I think they just wanted rid of them! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted July 13, 2007 Share #12 Posted July 13, 2007 B&H will ship international and i'm pretty sure they have them in stock http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/462011-USA/Leica_10701_M8_Digital_Camera_Body.html Silver and black in stock Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth_c Posted July 13, 2007 Share #13 Posted July 13, 2007 Is the accidental damage cover not void if you buy 'outside' your own country? That is what Leica UK told me this week when I registered a second hand M8 originating from Italy, and not because it was second hand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olsen Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share #14 Posted July 13, 2007 good evening, i really dont see the same situation as you Olsen, today when at work i saw one M8 get delivered to a customer (this in a store in Oslo) yesterday same situation. when i check the online status now they still have 3 black and 1 silver in stock. i can personally verify that there are several in stock, not to make this a "ad" but yes i do work at the place that "supposedly" dont have things in stock, and if the guy in front of you just checked with us he could have bought one easy peasy.. we even have a demo for touch and feel. so i guess it depends where and how one looks =) note2: as you Olsen may know the norwegian importer is now merged with another company, and even they have one silver.. wobble on! best wishes, are Where did you see a M8 trade today? If you read my first post I have indeed visited 'the new' Leica importer (Interfoto) today. That fotovideo really has three M8s - as they state in their internet shop, I would doubt. - Link to them above. There is so much of the other stuff they say they have that they don't have. Further, I would guess that this customer had checked them already since he could confirm that 'the city is dry'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmelade Posted July 13, 2007 Share #15 Posted July 13, 2007 Where did you see a M8 trade today? If you read my first post I have indeed visited 'the new' Leica importer (Interfoto) today. That fotovideo really has three M8s - as they state in their internet shop, I would doubt. - Link to them above. There is so much of the other stuff they say they have that they don't have. Further, I would guess that this customer had checked them already since he could confirm that 'the city is dry'. hello, interfotos web says they have one silver in stock none black. the trades took place at fotovideo, one yesterday and one more today. and yes they (we) have them in stock... just out of curiosity what is it that "they" say they have in stock that they dont, some quirks there are/have been but that is normal with a combined online/inshop stock situation. the 4 they say they have are though all located in the oslo store.. as the rest of the goods. best wishes, are Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atufte Posted July 13, 2007 Share #16 Posted July 13, 2007 I went to the Leica importer today to pick my two Leica lenses that has been to Solms for code tagging & bayonet replacement. Behind me comes a Leica customer who wants a M8 'fast'. He was answered that 'the whole city' (Oslo) is 'dry' and has been so for up to a month; there is no M8's available. We are now in the middle of the summer holiday here in Norway and the Leica importer Farnes/Interfoto runs on reduced staff. The guy behind the counter had 'no idea' about when new M8s would be available again. I interprit this as a good sign; that Leica must have sold more M8 'than they reckoned with'... They have a black one in the fotovideo store in Oslo, saw it yesterday... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B&W Posted July 13, 2007 Share #17 Posted July 13, 2007 They have a black one in the fotovideo store in Oslo, saw it yesterday... That's a demo M8 But they have 3 black and one chrome listed! Interfoto has one chrome in stock as well Witch store did you visit, Olsen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted July 13, 2007 Share #18 Posted July 13, 2007 Is the accidental damage cover not void if you buy 'outside' your own country? That is what Leica UK told me this week when I registered a second hand M8 originating from Italy, and not because it was second hand. The UK passport warranty (the accidental damage bit) is offered by Leica UK in addition to the standard Solms international warranty. They only provide it for stuff officially imported through their channels and sold through authorised dealers. With a standard two year warranty, I'm not sure the passport is that useful anyway. In many years of Leica M ownership I've only had call to use the passport on one occasion (when one of my M6 bodies fell off a chair and ended up with a bent rewind lever). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted July 13, 2007 Share #19 Posted July 13, 2007 There is no passport on the M8, is there? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidigital Posted July 13, 2007 Share #20 Posted July 13, 2007 I'll be flying into Oslo next week to vacation in Norway for a couple of weeks ... maybe I'll bump into one of you gents as I make my way around the city. Cheers. Kurt Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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