M lens price increase

[archive_all]

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I saw this article today for M lenses and other products: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2022/03/leica-price-increase-coming-april-1-2022/

I found it interesting the 35 and 50 Summilux lenses were absent from the list. Could it be there will be a new 35 Summilux along with the new 50 Summilux? Maybe it's too soon for that with the 35 APO being so new and impossible to get but you never know.

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, archive_all said:

I saw this article today for M lenses and other products: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2022/03/leica-price-increase-coming-april-1-2022/

I found it interesting the 35 and 50 Summilux lenses were absent from the list. Could it be there will be a new 35 Summilux along with the new 50 Summilux? Maybe it's too soon for that with the 35 APO being so new and impossible to get but you never know.

The 50 Lux is rumored to be the next updated lens with a closer MFD.

Interesting the 28 Lux was the highest increased lens.

[didier]

And no price increase for the 50/1.2 re-issue?

I wonder of it sells well : I was surprised to notice one of the French (small) Leica Stores has 3 in stock, whereas most Lenses are not in stock.

[Jeff S]

32 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

Interesting the 28 Lux was the highest increased lens.

Its $300 increase is +4%.  The $300 increase for the 75 APO M Summicron equates to +6.7%.  (The largest lens increase across product lines is $600, which is a whopping 10%, for the SL 50 Summilux.)

Jeff

[RexGig0]

Thanks for the warning. I had been considering adding a 21mm SEM, sooner, or later, though I recently acted on an opportunity to get a well-preserved, pre-owned APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, for a favorable price, so I probably cannot justify adding another Leica lens, so soon. I have only bought pre-owned Leica lenses, thus far, and had thought that I might finally buy a new one, this year. (On the other hand, I like to tell myself that it is a privilege to possess a pre-loved Leica lens, and to see it as stewardship, rather than ownership.)

It is probably just as well that I bought my pre-owned 75mm ‘Cron, because the $300 price increase, for new ones, will probably drive the asking prices of pre-owned 75mm ‘Crons upward. 

[rsolomon]

1 hour ago, RexGig0 said:

Thanks for the warning. I had been considering adding a 21mm SEM, sooner, or later, though I recently acted on an opportunity to get a well-preserved, pre-owned APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, for a favorable price, so I probably cannot justify adding another Leica lens, so soon. I have only bought pre-owned Leica lenses, thus far, and had thought that I might finally buy a new one, this year. (On the other hand, I like to tell myself that it is a privilege to possess a pre-loved Leica lens, and to see it as stewardship, rather than ownership.)

It is probably just as well that I bought my pre-owned 75mm ‘Cron, because the $300 price increase, for new ones, will probably drive the asking prices of pre-owned 75mm ‘Crons upward. 

I have the 75 Cron, awesome lens.  I also have the 21 SEM, yet another awesome lens ,  I happen to have the 35 Cron which I also consider awesome.  I bought the 35 and 75 new, the 21 was a mint used. I’m looking for a 135 used but prices are crazy high in my opinion….. one day. 

[hdmesa]

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9 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Its $300 increase is +4%.  The $300 increase for the 75 APO M Summicron equates to +6.7%.  (The largest lens increase across product lines is $600, which is a whopping 10%, for the SL 50 Summilux.)

Jeff

The list did seem short, so I guess I missed those or it was updated.

[archive_all]

10 hours ago, hdmesa said:

The 50 Lux is rumored to be the next updated lens with a closer MFD.

Interesting the 28 Lux was the highest increased lens.

I've heard about the new 50 lux rumored to be announced (soon?). I found the lack of an increase on the 35 lux interesting in particular. Maybe that's also in the works or maybe they feel the high $6000 price is where it should be.

[Jeff S]

9 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

The list did seem short, so I guess I missed those or it was updated.

Rumors published a truncated list, but as usual, Red Dot Forum (their source) provided thorough information from the start.

Jeff

[Dennis]

I vote for a Black Friday w/ 50% off on all the M lenses and cameras 🏆

 

[Ray Vonn]

I'm wondering why they didn't increase their prices more.  One thing about Leica, they know their customer base, the strategy works.

[RayD28]

Not too bad of an increase.  A gallon of milk is up 25%. 

[RexGig0]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:32 PM, archive_all said:

I saw this article today for M lenses and other products: https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2022/03/leica-price-increase-coming-april-1-2022/

I found it interesting the 35 and 50 Summilux lenses were absent from the list. Could it be there will be a new 35 Summilux along with the new 50 Summilux? Maybe it's too soon for that with the 35 APO being so new and impossible to get but you never know.

I have noticed that Leica dealers, in the USA, seem to have ample 35mm and 50mm Summilux lenses available, for sale, and, if I recall correctly, this has been so, for some time. If demand has been low, Leica may wish to avoid raising prices on the items that have been slower to sell.

[adan]

Looking at that price list (either before or after April 1) kinda puts the M11 price in perspective.

To get about a 2-stop increase in low-light capability (which is my only current "felt need" in photography), I can get:

 - an M11 for $9000 plus taxes (based on playing around with M11 ISO 50000 files compared to my M10 Mk.1 ISO 10000 files - which in 2017 were quite a jump from the M9 already).

- or a 21 f/1.4 to replace my 21 f/2.8; a 28 f/1.4 to replace my 28 f/2.8; a 75 f/1.25 to replace my 75 f/1.5; and a 135 f/3.4 to replace my 135 f/4.0 (the last two don't help as much) - for $35000 plus a bit, plus taxes.

Better image quality of some kind from the lens upgrades? Possibly - but larger apertures do stress the lpmm. Larger, heavier and harder to RF-focus? Definitely/possibly.

Hmmmm.....

My heart does go out to folks buying into the M system today (sort of like it does to kids paying off student debt today). Given that my M lenses (bought used or "new old stock" since 2001) average out to about $1000 each.

But I assume Leica looks at their numbers and do what they have to do.

[Jeff S]

Well, the new folks could buy a nice set of CV lenses for about 800 bucks each, albeit not always quite as fast, e.g., 21 f/1.8, etc.  

The M10 Monochrom is still the apparent king of low light in the Leica portfolio.  A used one and a set of used Leica M lenses, or third party options, would serve anyone well, if of course b&w satisfies.

Jeff

[ivohula]

Is this price increase a world wide increase or is it only happening in North America? 

[Danner]

On 3/5/2022 at 11:36 AM, Ray Vonn said:

I'm wondering why they didn't increase their prices more.  One thing about Leica, they know their customer base, the strategy works.

Indeed, all thing considered, I'm surprised the increases weren't much higher.

[didier]

4 hours ago, ivohula said:

Is this price increase a world wide increase or is it only happening in North America? 

European prices are expected to increase as well

[didier]

1 hour ago, Danner said:

Indeed, all thing considered, I'm surprised the increases weren't much higher.

Maybe there are 2 contradictory effects : price increase from Leica and Eur/$ exchange rate 

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[rramesh]

On 3/6/2022 at 12:02 AM, Dennis said:

I vote for a Black Friday w/ 50% off on all the M lenses and cameras 🏆

 

Followed by a Chrome Saturday and a Black Paint Sunday Sale.