Leica Store Miami has used S lenses on sale, $500+ off

[shanefking]

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Just a heads up.  Not many items in stock, but the prices look great.
 

Maybe they are clearing inventory for a mirrorless S system?  Or it may be discontinued…

 

let the baseless speculation begin…

[davidmknoble]

I have bought most of my S system from the Leica Store Miami.  They are a stellar group and Josh Lehrer is always transparent about lens condition and he is really picky about getting gear CLA’d when needed.

I have a hard time buying from anyone else….  Just sayin’

 

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[Milan_S]

Still seems a bit more expensive compared to used prices in EU shops, but I think Leica Store Miami has probably the most S knowledge from any store and I guess all lenses come with certifications of CLA and extra guarantee. 

[davidmknoble]

1 hour ago, Milan_S said:

Still seems a bit more expensive compared to used prices in EU shops, but I think Leica Store Miami has probably the most S knowledge from any store and I guess all lenses come with certifications of CLA and extra guarantee. 

It’s an interesting perspective on cost.  Yes, the CLA and time to get it done are worth cost to me.  I also think that the Leica Classics store has great gear, well graded, but the euro cost is much higher than my US dollar counterparts.

I’m sure the perspective is in part due to currency conversion…

 

[darylgo]

Josh has been great providing quality products and service.  I’m finding prices lower at other stores and at this point in time I’d prefer to buy with an old motor at a lower price and send it to Leica myself. The lenses are returned in like new condition from Leica for $500, new motor, cleaned, aligned.   
 

While the S system is out of favor, I can’t help but think the lenses are the best ever designed by Leica, a blend of styling that doesn’t depend on the camera altering the image.  That the prices are as low as they are makes me further realize others are missing what I see or more likely vice versa. 

[shanefking]

1 hour ago, darylgo said:

That the prices are as low as they are makes me further realize others are missing what I see or more likely vice versa. 

I think part of it is that there’s no “entry level” path to the system.  With an M, one can dip their toes into it by first getting a used body & a third party lens, or a Leica lens & adapter to another camera they already own.  With the S, the absolute minimum spend to enter is likely around $5000 for a quite old S2 body and a used 70.  That could get you almost any M lens you want instead.  And then so few people have it so there’s less discussion or samples online in general..

[John McMaster]

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I would have thought that $5000 could buy you an S(007) and 70mm non-CS these days...

john

[Pieter12]

You can find a used S 006 and a 70mm lens for less that 5G, more like 3.

[davidmknoble]

I love the way the S lenses draw. I also love using them on the SL system. Kind of a two for one. 

[Stuart Richardson]

I would say that there are two things stopping the S lenses from being worth dramatically more than they are:

1. There is no other mount that you can use them on, which makes them a non starter for the vast majority of users. The only functional adapter is very expensive, and allows you to use the S lenses with AF only on three cameras: the SL, SL2 and SL2S. You can use them in manual focus on the Panasonic cameras (and I assume Sigma).

2. The lenses do not have an aperture ring or any physical way to adjust the aperture, so any adapter that wants to fully make use of the lenses would need to incorporate electronics, and it seems there is no desire or demand for third parties to do it. The mount is also likely still under patent (or perhaps not?).

If you could use the S lenses fully functional on the GFX cameras, I think their value would go way up.

[Sarnian]

15 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

If you could use the S lenses fully functional on the GFX cameras, I think their value would go way up.

Indeed. I have a GFX100S now so I'm thinking of selling my 007 (it's currently at Wetzlar being fully reconditioned). I can't bring myself to let go of my 30-90mm, though! I have an adapter for the GFX that will allow me to use it but only wide open and manually focussed. Luckily, the S lenses are very good wide open (the 120mm particularly so) which makes me think that the 30-90mm might still be worth hanging on to. More testing is required. 

[Stuart Richardson]

11 minutes ago, Sarnian said:

Indeed. I have a GFX100S now so I'm thinking of selling my 007 (it's currently at Wetzlar being fully reconditioned). I can't bring myself to let go of my 30-90mm, though! I have an adapter for the GFX that will allow me to use it but only wide open and manually focussed. Luckily, the S lenses are very good wide open (the 120mm particularly so) which makes me think that the 30-90mm might still be worth hanging on to. More testing is required. 

As far as I remember, if you have access to an S body or an SL/Panasonic body with the S adapter L, you can stop the lens down to whatever aperture you want and remove it from the camera. Then it will stay at that aperture. So it should be possible to just set it at f5.6 or f8 as well, if that suits your needs better. But of course this means keeping another body around.

[John McMaster]

2 hours ago, Sarnian said:

Indeed. I have a GFX100S now so I'm thinking of selling my 007 (it's currently at Wetzlar being fully reconditioned). I can't bring myself to let go of my 30-90mm, though!

That is the one lens (I have all but 30mm and 100mm) that I would get rid of first! 

john

[Sarnian]

1 hour ago, John McMaster said:

That is the one lens (I have all but 30mm and 100mm) that I would get rid of first! 

I would have agreed with you prior to my sending it to Leica (twice!) to get it adjusted/recalibrated. Now it's PERFECT - apart from its size and weight. Ha!

[Sarnian]

5 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

As far as I remember, if you have access to an S body or an SL/Panasonic body with the S adapter L, you can stop the lens down to whatever aperture you want and remove it from the camera. Then it will stay at that aperture.

If I 'set' the 30-90mm to f11, say, before I sell my 007 will it stay at that aperture? I mean, until someone puts it on an S body and dials in a different aperture setting, or will I need access to an S body every time that I want to use it on my GFX100S? Doesn’t the lens ‘reset itself’ when you turn on the S body? 

Perhaps I should have kept one of the badly sensor-corroded S2 bodies that I've had over the years! Drat. 

I guess I'm best placed to try it but I'm worried about damaging my 30-90mm! 😐

Edited March 17, 2023 by Sarnian

[davidmknoble]

In terms of medium format, the S lenses are incredible.  They pull light through the system and have large f/stops making the OVF a similar experience to shooting old Hasselblad 500’s.  That is something the digital EVF just doesn’t’ convey as well.  Even on the S3, I find sharp images and there is room to go with higher resolution sensors for these lenses.

The lenses are not made for sports or fast action focus, that was never the intent of the S system (contrary to the SL system).  Yet, the weather sealing is great.  I’ve shot the S sytem in a torrential rain storm in Iceland with no ill effects.  I’ve also shot it on the coast the morning after a hurricane with 40+ mph winds still blowing.  The R8 was a tank in its day (and still is) and the S is another tank.

I think it could help the after market on S lenses for other camera companies to build adapters, but most long term S users dont sell the lenses, they keep them.  

Just my thoughts as a heavy S user.

[shanefking]

4 hours ago, Sarnian said:

Perhaps I should have kept one of the badly sensor-corroded S2 bodies that I've had over the years! Drat. 

I’ve got one for sale or trade 😉

[helged]

20 hours ago, Sarnian said:

If I 'set' the 30-90mm to f11, say, before I sell my 007 will it stay at that aperture? I mean, until someone puts it on an S body and dials in a different aperture setting, or will I need access to an S body every time that I want to use it on my GFX100S? Doesn’t the lens ‘reset itself’ when you turn on the S body? 

Perhaps I should have kept one of the badly sensor-corroded S2 bodies that I've had over the years! Drat. 

I guess I'm best placed to try it but I'm worried about damaging my 30-90mm! 😐

If you detatch the lens from a S-body >>while simultaneously pressing the DOF-bottom on the front of the body<<, the aperture will remain fixed until attached to a S-body. I had GFX100S (with a dedicated, dumb S-lens adapter) back in time, but I never fell in love with the GFX. The adapter I still have, in case a forthcoming GFX-body becomes tempting.

[Sarnian]

2 hours ago, helged said:

If you detatch the lens from a S-body >>while simultaneously pressing the DOF-bottom on the front of the body<<, the aperture will remain fixed until attached to a S-body. I had GFX100S (with a dedicated, dumb S-lens adapter) back in time, but I never fell in love with the GFX. The adapter I still have, in case a forthcoming GFX-body becomes tempting.

I'll definitely try it when my 007 gets back from Wetzlar. The 30-90mm (at f11?) and the 102MP's of the GFX100S. What's not to like?!

The 120mm TS-Apo-Elmar-S might come into its own here as it's the only 'Leica' lens that has a aperture ring. Hmm.

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Sarnian

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[Sarnian]

On 3/18/2023 at 7:43 PM, Sarnian said:

 The 30-90mm (at f11?) and the 102MP's of the GFX100S.

I tried the 30-90mm at 90mm wide open (so at f5.6) and the level of detail that it captures is amazing. The Leica S lenses are definitely up to the challenge of a 102MP sensor like on the GFX100S.