Leica Noctilux-m 50mm f1.2 ASPH black version is it limited run?

[Jeff S]

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3 hours ago, Steven said:

I have in my procession a 50 1.2 reedition, unopened box, which I bought because I could, but I dont intend to keep it. I dont like 50mm that much. 

My question is, should I sell it now around 10K (paid 7k) for it, or should I hang on to it and the value will keep going up if they stop production ? 

The silver version is limited edition; the black is a regularly serialized lens within the ‘classic’ line.  It currently retails for $7895, on pre-order for patient buyers, which means that someone with a strong dealer relationship should pay less.  No favor for anyone willing to pay $10k unless they really don’t care.  In this market, one could stumble into far greater investment returns in short order.

Jeff

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[rtai]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

1800 is the amount of 35AA around.... It's rare enough to cost 25K... 

In the days before the internet people didn’t have this information. Who knew at the time the AA was going to be a small run? So people bought it and used it. It is not just about total produced but the remaining mint in box samples that are going for $25k. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by rtai

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

I have in my procession a 50 1.2 reedition, unopened box, which I bought because I could, but I dont intend to keep it. I dont like 50mm that much. 

My question is, should I sell it now around 10K (paid 7k) for it, or should I hang on to it and the value will keep going up if they stop production ? 

Why does it even matter with the amount of money or purchasing power you seem to have?

[giannis]

On 6/10/2021 at 6:28 AM, JimmyCheng said:

I'm just not sure if it is a good investment

This one is easy to answer.

No lens, or any mass produced, machined product is an investment, let alone a good one. When people talk about "investments" in lenses, it's just feelgood wishful thinking to justify spending money on something they like/want (nothing wrong with that), trying to convince themselves that they're not only getting it cause they want it, but also because it's a "wise" financial decision. Well, it's not. And when people claim it is, it's usually a lens that at most doubled in price (in absolute terms) over like 30 years, which many times doesn't even cover inflation, so at best you're breaking even. In very, very few cases, you might "win" a small amount even given the inflation. Does that make it a good investment? Doubtful. The same amount of money, even in a very conservative, low risk + low interest investment, would give you much more over the same span of decades.

So with that out of the way, nobody other than Leica knows the exact planned production numbers or whether those will change. It's up to them, and they can change their mind at any time. Unless there's a legally binding announcement/agreement for which can be used in a "misleading advertisement" lawsuit against them, they can change their minds and not keep their "promises" all they want, and there isn't anything to be done about it. In fact, many companies have historically done this, repeatedly, ranging from luxury cars, to luxury watches, bags, etc etc. .

In any case, if the money you spent on it wasn't disposable to you, then maybe you should sell it (if you won't lose much - or anything at all - doing so), and treat your short ownership of it as a low cost/free equipment loan. But definitely don't tie money you can't lose or that you need, into a lens with the hope that it'll "appreciate" based on a rumour/hearsay/"promise" that would have a private company acting against their own financial interests.

Just my 2¢.  

Edited July 3, 2021 by giannis

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, giannis said:

No lens, or any mass produced, machined product is an investment, let alone a good one.

While I never bought any Leica item for investment purposes, some turned out to be a decent investment. I bought a mint silver MATE 16 years ago for 1260 Euro. A comparable one now sells in a shop in Vienna for 7800 Euro (even higher prices on ebay). That's 12% per year, not bad. And no, Leica cannot just produce more of this lens, a supplier stopped producing one of the aspheric lenses. However, I will never realize these returns because I will never sell this lens.

But in general I agree with you. Stocks are a much better investment.

[JimmyCheng]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

Is it a nice lens anyway? Should I just keep it an use it ? Any image thread of that specific lens ? 

It is a fantastic lens, Steven. I love it more so than my f1 Noctilux and I think it is a lens that could be carried around daily. It is also really sharp at infinity (but dreamy at 1m), so it has distinctive characters. Here is a brief video I did about this lens and compared against my f1 Noctilux (v4)

 

[Capuccino-Muffin]

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The black paint, which will undoubtedly be made, will be the collector’s dream. And possibly a red one.

Who here has the 50APO Cron Black paint?

[ianman]

2 hours ago, Steven said:

How did you think I ended up with this purchasing power ? 

Selling great photos!?

[farnz]

10 minutes ago, Steven said:

Never sold a photo, never will. The day I do, everything is ruined. 
 

How so?  (Just curious and please ignore at your whim.)

Pete.

[pippy]

4 hours ago, Steven said:

How did you think I ended up with this purchasing power ? 

I'd like to think that you are the Man who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo......but I'll spare you all the youtube link.

Philip.

Edited July 3, 2021 by pippy

[farnz]

Thank you, Steven.

Pete.

[Jeff S]

In case you care to learn more about the lens you ‘accidentally’ bought…

https://www.slack.co.uk/leica-noctilux-f1.2.html

https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2021/01/leica-noctilux-m-50mm-f-1-2-asph-an-icon-returns/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4C6ngV_UTvM

Of course you could find a silver version (100 copies… so far). About $17k at release.

Jeff

Edited July 3, 2021 by Jeff S

[Fedro]

15 minutes ago, Steven said:

Problem solved. 

I was too curious, I opened the paper box. Inside I found a beautiful plastic case. 

I was too curious, I opened the case. Inside, I found a gorgeous lens. 

I was too curious, I mounted it on my camera. Damn it takes nice photos. 

I'm not a huge fan of the 50mm, but I got very quickly attached to that lens. In a couples hours only. It's all I love in a lens. Sharp, but with character. Good ergonomics, and a very vintage feel. The swirly bokeh makes foliage background look amazing. 

I am keeping it for sure. It's my third 50mm lens, and 50 is my third focal length, I suppose. But funny how you can go into the store, buy something you don't know about or don't even need, and end up with an inseparable gem.

If they ever make this in BP.......

good choice, it's a great lens, I think you will love it

[Gobert]

5 hours ago, Steven said:

When I was younger, I actually studied cinema and fell in love with photography very quickly. But I got married and got kids and it didn’t financially cover the lifestyle I wanted. So so far from it. 

 

So I did other things. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep, all I do is make money. 

 

Photography and cinema have become an escape. Not the place where I make money, but rather the one where I spend my money. I invest in films, I buy expensive cameras. I prefer it this way. I live it like a passion and it’s a privilege. 

 

another reason why selling photos has always been out of the question, is because of judgement. I don’t like people judging me (in good or in bad). Not because I get embarrassed, but because someone it influences what I do. 

i used to take photos to please people, feel proud in front of friends and family. So I did what I thought they would like. And when they didn’t like it, it hurt. 

One day I decided to stop showing my work to people I knew to liberate myself from their judgement. I became “anonymous” on Instagram … I did what I liked, without caring what people thought. And I started feeling great. 

 

To some extent, I think that I would feel arrogant if sold photos. I mean I like my photos and I’m proud of them, but who am I to say they’re worth money ! 

 

Many people ask me to buy some prints on Instagram. I usually ask for their email, send my photo in high res, and let them do whatever they want with it. 

 

if photography becomes a business, it’s over for me. 

Photography has been a business for me and the passion was completely gone after a while, although the customers where quite satisfied with the results. Then I started another career and the passion came back after 10 years or so.

[Gobert]

6 minutes ago, Steven said:

I know exactly what you feel. 

The real freedom of photography is when you don't have a predefined mission when you pick up your camera. That's when you let your eyes see what they want to see. 

It has become a hobby. I don’t want to be it more than that.

[ianman]

2 hours ago, Steven said:

Already do.

Please don’t take this badly but sometimes I find it really hard to understand you. Like in other threads where you ask about a lens then 3 weeks later tell us that you’ve already been using it for a month. In another you mention having two m10rbp sitting in your lap only to say after that you are getting the second one a few days later. Here you “love” a 50mm lens just a day after telling us that you don’t like 50mm much. It’s all so inconsistent sometimes it’s difficult to understand.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Steven said:

How did you think I ended up with this purchasing power ? 

I suppose i was thinking you were at heart a romantic camera enthusiast who just loved his hobby and spent money he had earned in his professional or business for the sheer joy of it.

I know the wal-mart founder joe walton or something like that would always pick up a dime or whatever if he saw one on the floor which i found a bit bloody stupid when your worth billions but maybe thats why he was rich and not me?

[ianman]

1 hour ago, Steven said:

I have NEVER done that. 

Mmmm

june 8 - Start of thread "Choosing a compact 28mm lens"
june 10 - "I will get the Summaron."
june 30 - "I got the Summaron, I tried it for a month."

if you’ve been trying it for a month, you got it end of May.

1 hour ago, Steven said:

I am not inconsistent

june 27 - "I got the Summaron, and saying I am underwhelmed by it would be an understatement"
june 28 - "I do like it."
june 30 - "I hated it."

Underwhelmed, like it, hate it? Quite inconsistent I’d say.

in your post above you say you have fallen in love with 35mm and never looked back but go on to mention that going on a photo trip you’d take a 28mm only. That is inconsistent.

Like I said, don’t take it badly but yeah, sometimes things don’t quite add up.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Wonzo]

vor 8 Stunden schrieb ianman:

Like I said, don’t take it badly but yeah, sometimes things don’t quite add up.

Do we really need to understand, what Steven does ? He is free to do, whatever he wants, no matter if it makes sense to us or not. I bet, there are lots of other forum members practicing similar behavior, the only difference is, that they don`t communicate als freely as Steven does. He has opened up a few threads, which are quite interesting and entertaining. This is all that counts for me.

[ianman]

No I don’t need to understand what he does and neither do I care. But I would have liked to know that when I spend my time sharing experience when a user is choosing a lens, that he already bought the thing weeks earlier. See dates above...  

Anyway, no prob, case closed.