Buying a used Q

[jbripley]

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Since Photokina came and went without even a rumor of a Q2, I was thinking of buying a used Q to tie me over.

 

What common faults should I be on lookuout for? I’m assuming the regular dust on sensor and scratches on the lens apply, but is there anything else?

 

In the EU, used prices for a good condition copy seems to be around 3400€. Does that sounds reasonable?

[jaapv]

Not really. You can buy a CL 18 mm kit for that - new.

I see prices around 2500 Euro

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[dancook]

I got a titanium version from a retailer, used, for £3200 - it was a bit more than I was typically looking to pay - but couldn't fault condition and I wanted it in time for holiday

 

I saw ebay results with multiple accessories for £2500+

[jbripley]

Seems you're both a lot better at finding good prices in Europe   I've just done some searches on eBay, since I don't really know where else to look for used Leica cameras online and the local selection in Stockholm is less than stellar.

[MikeTaylor]

I paid £3700 for mine brand new fromLeica. I've had nothing but excellent service from their London store and team. I'd seriously consider saving the extra 3-400£ and buying new from the source. 

[tgdinamo]

Not really. You can buy a CL 18 mm kit for that - new.

I see prices around 2500 Euro

 

However that's comparing FF vs APS-C, and that 18mm kit lens is not Sumillux quality. Anyhow, when I was making the decision which Leica to buy those were the 2 deciding factors.

I know a lot of people love the CL which is great, and I'm sure they know what they are talking about. However, I see higher percentage of images I like posted in the Q forums than in the CL forums (not sure if this is because of camera, or lens, or just happen to be the case for some miscellanous reason. As a matter of fact, I even prefer Q images to what I typically see posted in the M forum - maybe the reason is that I like the 28mm more than 50mm which seems to be dominate focal length on the M forum.

[jaapv]

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Personally I judge a camera by the images I take myself. The input of the camera type is virtually nil, especially at web compression.

In the end it is about lenses, ergonomics, user interface, design, etc. The technical part inside is food for geeks, and interchangeable for daily use.

[grick]

I just recently purchased a used Q online for US $3688, which would be about £2800 or 3100€. I got a Q, that is in pristine condition and less than a year old, an extra Leica battery, an expensive brand UV filter, a Leica grip and a finger loop and all boxes and included items. I jumped at this after seeing many beat up looking Q's at similar prices on ebay.

 

One strategy I used was that I looked carefully at the photos and started noting the serial numbers. The older ones seemed to start with 49xxx while the newer ones began with 52xxx. Mine was a higher 52xxx number. Not a fool proof method, of course, but for me it seemed a good starting point.

 

Greg

[tgdinamo]

Personally I judge a camera by the images I take myself. The input of the camera type is virtually nil, especially at web compression.

In the end it is about lenses, ergonomics, user interface, design, etc. The technical part inside is food for geeks, and interchangeable for daily use.

 

I don't care about technical geeky parts either (or I would be on Sony forum), but to me cameras still do matter (even with web images, although less so than print).

For example, I tried APS-C back in my Canon days (7D), but found I was not as happy with it as I was with their FF at that time (5D).

Also, I can often see differences between FF and MF (for example even though I don't have this camera, I love the X1D images I see on the web - I hate to say this on the Leica forum, but oftern prefer them to Leica M or SL images - and it's not because of number of pixels either - often X1D images just seem to have a different 'look' which I'm guessing must be due to MF).

[RMF]

I purchased a new Q from an authorized Leica dealer here in the states about a month ago and the serial number is 533xx*

[Viv]

That price seems a bit on the high side. Of course, Qs rarely come on the used market.

 

If you can, buy a new one. You won't be sorry. The Q2 may be years away.

[jaapv]

https://www.marktplaats.nl/a/audio-tv-en-foto/fotografie-camera-s-digitaal/m1323163348-leica-q.html?c=be2da871b0d84f75c3056cc6db858f31&previousPage=lr

[Viv]

Yes. That is a more realistic price.

[jbripley]

Much thanks for the link jaapv. I’ve sent them a message and we’ll see if they want to ship to Sweden.

 

Maybe a more realistic price, but looking a bit deeper yesterday I haven’t found much below 3000€. Even the same auction site above have a couple at 3500€. I can get a new for 3700€ though, with a coupon at a local dealer, so I might just go with that.

[brickftl]

I bought mine lightly used about a year and a half ago from a seller on Fred Miranda, about $1000 of retail price. At the same time I bought the Sony RX1rii so that I could compare them and sell the one I didn't like. No surprise the Q won out and I sold the Sony for about what I paid for it. The Q has operated flawlessly ever since, I just can't say enough accolades about this fabulous gem of a camera. 

[jmschuh]

Not really. You can buy a CL 18 mm kit for that - new.

I see prices around 2500 Euro

 

 

A Leica CL that has as much depth of field at aperture f2.8 as a Leica Q at f4 is hardly suitable as a replacement for a Q because the difference to aperture f1.7 is enormous, but the price is interesting.

 

 

Where can I get a new CL as a kit version for 2500 Euro? Or did you mean prices for a used Q?

[jbripley]

To close the loop on this. I was all set to buy it new today, since the coupon was expiring. Luckily an ad popped up yesterday evening on a local Swedish site for photographers, with a very competitive price.

 

After I bumped asking price slightly to fend of the (according to the seller) large set of other buyers, we came to an agreement. I just met up with the seller today and now I own an excellent condition (~1 year, 800 photos) Q for 2500€.

Edited September 30, 2018 by jbripley

[likealot]

One thing I dont understand; why do people consider the realistic price for a used Q to be around €2500? That is quite a low price at quite an early stage of the product's life. An M9, despite all its sensor corrosion issues and despite being near a decade old still sells for about half its price in the used market.

 

Personally I think that a more realistic price for a used Q would be in the region of €2700-€3000.

[jackbaty]

I just bought one in LN- condition from KEH.com for $3,800USD. Box, cap, hood, strap, etc all came with it. It's beautiful. I could probably have found one a little cheaper but KEH has always treated me well.

 

Also, I LOVE the camera!

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[jaapv]

One thing I dont understand; why do people consider the realistic price for a used Q to be around €2500? That is quite a low price at quite an early stage of the product's life. An M9, despite all its sensor corrosion issues and despite being near a decade old still sells for about half its price in the used market.

 

Personally I think that a more realistic price for a used Q would be in the region of €2700-€3000.

A matter of buyer perception. Despite its enthusiastic following and undisputed quality, it is still the most expensive point-and-shoot on the market by far. People who are looking for a second-hand camera are simply not prepared to pay more, the few that are into Leica  and Leica pricing are more likely to go for a CL kit when they have 3000 or more Euro to spend.