craig talmy Posted December 20, 2007 Share #1 Posted December 20, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have heard a rumor that Leica has plans to raise their prices across the board stating in the new year. Anyone else aware of this? Should I go out and empty my kids college funds before the years end? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 20, 2007 Posted December 20, 2007 Hi craig talmy, Take a look here Rising Prices from Leica?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted December 20, 2007 Share #2 Posted December 20, 2007 It woudn't surprise me in the States. They must be losing money on the Dollar-Euro rate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_j Posted December 20, 2007 Share #3 Posted December 20, 2007 I was told the same by my dealer the other night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrc Posted December 20, 2007 Share #4 Posted December 20, 2007 You might be too late. Checking prices at Popflash, it seems to me that everything is more than it was a few months ago. JC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted December 21, 2007 Share #5 Posted December 21, 2007 Didn't I read somewhere that this was a part of the Summarits' introduction plan? That is, we get a range of reasonably priced, easier-to-produce, available lenses; and in exchange, the high-speed lenses whose production requires higher technology costs will see their prices raised. In other words, IIRC, in addition to currency fluctuations, this is in part a marketing decision. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
4X5B&W Posted December 22, 2007 Share #6 Posted December 22, 2007 My dealer (in Toronto) mentioned the same last week. It is surprising to me, being right on the heals of the M8 price increase just a month or so ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted December 22, 2007 Share #7 Posted December 22, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Same, but the increase will be in March 08. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Albertson Posted December 24, 2007 Share #8 Posted December 24, 2007 5% across the board, 1/1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker Posted January 10, 2008 Share #9 Posted January 10, 2008 You might be too late. Checking prices at Popflash, it seems to me that everything is more than it was a few months ago. JC Prices have just creeped up at Popflash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steed Posted January 10, 2008 Share #10 Posted January 10, 2008 What about the need to cover what must be staggering warranty repair/replacement costs, since it looks like a significant percentage of the new items are either lemons or dogs. A price hike might help defray those costs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted January 12, 2008 Share #11 Posted January 12, 2008 In Switzerland a price hike for M8 from CHF6600 to CHF7800 was announced in November from 1 Jan. (CHF1.2=US$1) ... other prices including all lenses stayed at same price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darkstar2004 Posted February 23, 2008 Share #12 Posted February 23, 2008 What about the need to cover what must be staggering warranty repair/replacement costs, since it looks like a significant percentage of the new items are either lemons or dogs. A price hike might help defray those costs. Leica releases defective equipment then the customer pays for fixing it via price increases? That's called "making love to" the customer - not a smart strategy, if you want to stay in business. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dot Posted February 23, 2008 Share #13 Posted February 23, 2008 It woudn't surprise me in the States. They must be losing money on the Dollar-Euro rate. No need to justify it. Leica will raise prices regardless of what the dollar is doing. It's what they do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted February 24, 2008 Share #14 Posted February 24, 2008 That`s why I gave up and bought a Nikon. Not as nice as Leica`s upcoming R10 to be sure, but at least I don`t have to empty the retirement fund to pay for expensive German wages and panach. They are down to a few hundred employess form 6000 according to Leica Historical Society. I suppose that is all it takes to build a few cameras for a few oil shieks. As the volumn shrinks, the developmental costs and fixed overhead needs to be spread over fewer and fewer units making them cost more and more, sales plunge more, costs rise, death spiral. Just how much market is there for $10,000 cameras without lenses. You laugh? Price the new M9 and R10. You read it here first. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darkstar2004 Posted February 26, 2008 Share #15 Posted February 26, 2008 Maybe Leica should introduce a new category of cameras:, the RAF edition (RAF for Rich And Fabulous). They could start with the M9 and R10. They could have the Oil Shiek models - platinum plated, encrusted with rubies. They could also have the Pimp Daddy line - gold plated and diamond encrusted, for billionaire rap "artists." Of course, the aperture rings on all the lenses would continue to spin for five minutes after you set the camera down. They could have the Useless Twat line, chrome plated with pink leather, which would burn up the fashion runways from New York to Paris to Brunei. And of course, there would be the Herpes line of Leicas LeicaHermes Maybe Leica could even see fit to continue to build a few plain black MPs, M7s and M8s and lenses for real, honest-to-god photographers - people who are passionate about imagemaking and Leica cameras; you know, people who actually put film in their dinged and brassed Leicas and use them to make actual photographic images. Just a thought... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craftsman Posted February 26, 2008 Share #16 Posted February 26, 2008 Those are wonderful ideas for new releases. I like to see a continuation of tradition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dot Posted February 26, 2008 Share #17 Posted February 26, 2008 Maybe Leica should introduce a new category of cameras:, the RAF edition (RAF for Rich And Fabulous). They could start with the M9 and R10. They could have the Oil Shiek models - platinum plated, encrusted with rubies. They could also have the Pimp Daddy line - gold plated and diamond encrusted, for billionaire rap "artists." Of course, the aperture rings on all the lenses would continue to spin for five minutes after you set the camera down. They could have the Useless Twat line, chrome plated with pink leather, which would burn up the fashion runways from New York to Paris to Brunei. Judging from the new website design I'd say they are already heading in that direction! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted February 26, 2008 Share #18 Posted February 26, 2008 Price increases are standard for Leica, they do this every year. So it wouldn´t surprise me at all. And to be honest, this makes them unique - non of the professional camera-manufacturers can do it this way! Don´t forget: It´s much easier to produce one Leica camera for 60.000 $ instead of ten cameras for 6.000,- $ - and it reduces the customer service costs too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveco Posted February 27, 2008 Share #19 Posted February 27, 2008 So...it really IS an investment? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
usefeet Posted February 27, 2008 Share #20 Posted February 27, 2008 Just be happy you already have some Leica gear to use (at the old price, or the very very old price). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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