disconnekt Posted September 26, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted September 26, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) They are in stock! The last time I tried to buy one they sold out while I was checking out. This time, as soon as I got the email in my mailbox, I frantically bought one. Then I realized that it won't ship until October 8, too late for my parents, who are coming to visit me in Paris, to bring it to me (they leave Oct 8). So that means I won't be able to get it until I go home at Xmas time. Arrrrggghhh..... and I don't exactly have $800 burning a hole in my pocket. What was I thinking? All that money for something I won't even touch for 3 months? With electronics going obsolete at the speed of light these days, it's pure folly. But when I got my L1 last December, I planned to use it with the 25mm lens, having no idea that damn lens would be impossible to get. Â I'm debating canceling the order and trying again later this year. But what if they never get back in stock? Or what if, on the contrary, they start producing tons and reduce the price? Oh, woe is me..... Â P.S. I refuse to pay the heavy customs fees to have the lens shipped to me in France, BTW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 26, 2007 Posted September 26, 2007 Hi disconnekt, Take a look here Panasonic Four Thirds 25mm/1.4 @ B&H. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
goodbokeh Posted September 26, 2007 Share #2  Posted September 26, 2007 hi disconnekt  I ordered a 25 Lux last night and like you will need to wait until October 8th for shipment. B&H is open until 1pm EDT today. Have your parents call them up right now and plead your case for shipment today. If that doesn't work then hold on tight until Christmas. Electronics do move on, but a lens like the 25 Lux should be useful through many generations of DSLR bodies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptomsu Posted September 26, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted September 26, 2007 also not available in Austria. I will get mine end October earliest, my dealer told me this is because Panasonic had stopped production because they changed something (not aware what this was) and I will already get the new version /(which has same name as th old one). Â So I am at least happy to wait some more weeks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted September 26, 2007 Author Share #4 Â Posted September 26, 2007 ptomsu, is your dealer Leica or Panasonic? I live in Paris, France and couldn't find ANY dealer here who heard of the lens. Leica told me they would not sell it because it's Panasonic, and Panasonic said they are unaware of the lens! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptomsu Posted September 26, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted September 26, 2007 ptomsu, is your dealer Leica or Panasonic? I live in Paris, France and couldn't find ANY dealer here who heard of the lens. Leica told me they would not sell it because it's Panasonic, and Panasonic said they are unaware of the lens! Â The dealer in Austria at least is for sure Panasonic. Leica told me they do not sell any of these lenses (except the kit lens for the Digilux3) and my dealer ordered from Panasonic - who gave him this information. Â So maybe Panasonic France have some problem - try to escalate to their management and if this does not help to Panasonic Europe. Â Another option would be to order from some dealer in Europe (Germany, Austria, etc) since we all are EU there should not be any taxes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodbokeh Posted September 27, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted September 27, 2007 With the US Dollar declining in value compared to the Yen, I was pleasantly surprised that the B&H price was still $799. Japanese photo stores on ebay are selling the 25 Lux for between $949 and $1056. Also mentioned in one of the auctions was that the lens firmware had already been updated. That may be the reason for the production pause mentioned by ptomsu. Â disconnekt, if you can't wait until Christmas there is a private ebay seller in California. He is offering a recently purchased 25 Lux, with receipt, at a starting price of $799 and a buy it now price of $899. The auction ends October 3rd and the item number is 190156949618. Keep in mind that the US Panasonic warranty is 1 year parts and 90 days labor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivi1969 Posted September 27, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted September 27, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) you want your cake and eat it too... you want it fast, you do not want to pay taxes or spend 800 for it, you claim it may be obsolete in 3 months but at the same time you may be willing to wait until Leica mass-produce them to buy it in Walmart. It is a lens, not a house, don't overthink it buy it now and ask your parents to send it later via fedex declaring a lower value so you pay less for import taxes... But then there is the insurance issue, damn! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
disconnekt Posted September 27, 2007 Author Share #8  Posted September 27, 2007 Goodbokeh, thanks for the link to the eBay auction—nice to know I have other options. This whole "new firmware" thing has me worried, too. What if the one I ordered from B&H is the old firmware?  BTW I called B&H yesterday to beg but they were (as expected) intransigent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted September 27, 2007 Share #9  Posted September 27, 2007 .......... Also mentioned in one of the auctions was that the lens firmware had already been updated. That may be the reason for the production pause mentioned by ptomsu..........  Myth? I can't find anything anywhere about an update. If there is a firmrware update surely it would be posted on the Panasonic site? Nix! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted September 27, 2007 Share #10 Â Posted September 27, 2007 BTW: LFI says that the D lenses are being sold by Panasonic dealers, not Leica dealers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted September 27, 2007 Share #11  Posted September 27, 2007 UK price is £699 ... that equates to US$1400 approx. ... would be cheaper to import one from USA even allowing for VAT and Duty and charges ... probably save at least £150 on the UK new price   dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogberry Posted September 27, 2007 Share #12 Â Posted September 27, 2007 I just canceled my order from BH because I find it ridiculous to have to wait until October 8th for shipping. BH aren't a bad store but they seem to love having these blackout periods when you can't order anything and they won't ship anything. I'm very disappointed by this poor turnaround and tardy service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
audidudi Posted September 28, 2007 Share #13 Â Posted September 28, 2007 BH aren't a bad store but they seem to love having these blackout periods when you can't order anything and they won't ship anything. I'm very disappointed by this poor turnaround and tardy service. Â You do realize the store is run by orthodox Jews and their "blackout periods" coincide with religious holidays or observances, right? I'm not saying I disagree with you about this being a major inconvenience, but I wanted to point out that their policies aren't quite as arbitrary as they might otherwise appear to be... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodbokeh Posted September 28, 2007 Share #14  Posted September 28, 2007 Goodbokeh, thanks for the link to the eBay auction—nice to know I have other options. This whole "new firmware" thing has me worried, too. What if the one I ordered from B&H is the old firmware? BTW I called B&H yesterday to beg but they were (as expected) intransigent.  Don't worry disconnekt. If the firmware update does really exist, and is not a myth, I suspect our new lenses possess the very latest firmware because they have just arrived. Even if our Luxes are not the latest firmware we will be able to update them easily in the near future, just like we have already done with version 2 firmware for our D3/L1k bodies.  Leica lenses rarely go down in price but in fact just the opposite usually happens over time. The $799 B&H price is the lowest on the planet and they are a very reputable, albeit a quirky company with their holiday schedules. You've done good disconnekt, stay the course until Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted September 28, 2007 Share #15 Â Posted September 28, 2007 Jeffrey - Â You are correct that B&H is owned and operated by observant, orthodox Jews, and their days open and hours of operation exactly reflect that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogberry Posted September 28, 2007 Share #16 Â Posted September 28, 2007 I actually didn't know that BH was run by orthodox Jews. I guess I was unfortunate in trying to order a lens that I really needed quickly during a Jewish holiday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodbokeh Posted September 29, 2007 Share #17 Â Posted September 29, 2007 So dogberry, what lens did you end up purchasing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogberry Posted September 29, 2007 Share #18 Â Posted September 29, 2007 goodbokeh - I specifically wanted the 25/1.4 for a trip I was planning this weekend, and I didn't realize that it would take so long to ship. In the end I just canceled my order and I haven't ordered any other lens right now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodbokeh Posted September 29, 2007 Share #19 Â Posted September 29, 2007 Yes, it is a long time to wait for B&H to ship the lens on October 8th (my birthday) but I'm happy. With the winter season right around the corner, we are just now entering prime time for the 25 Lux and its 1.4 aperture. Â This lens has developed such panache in the 4/3rds community. With the recent Pop Photo test, LFI article and more user reviews, that reputation will soon turning legendary. No curvilinear distortion for this high speed lens is very unusual and desirable. Clearly its resolving power exceeds current 10 MP chip capabilities. This is a lens purchase that goes beyond a weekend dash or a drawn out wait until Christmas. This is a lens purchase that will still be standing strong ten years from now. It may be the only current piece of kit we will be using in 2017. Â We have all been waiting weeks and months for the 25 Summilux Aspherical to restock. Now the fabled lens is here but for how long? B&H will start again with processing web orders tonight at 8:00 PM EDT. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spylaw4 Posted October 1, 2007 Share #20 Â Posted October 1, 2007 Those in the UK (or even elsewhere) might be interested in this! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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