Leica Miami best selling list does not include M cameras up to #4 on list

[algrove]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I find this interesting since we always hear that the M is Leicas flagship camera.

That seems to no longer true since a few stores now say the Q has out sold the M for some time. Even the SL3 has out sold the M at Leica Miami.

At a recent Paris photo fair Leica acknowledged the Q had out sold the M to that 2024 date.

[rxj]

Do you have the list?

[lexffm]

There could be various reasons for this:

1. It's just a snapshot (how long does this list cover?

2. The people there don't really want an M

3. The salespeople may be more likely to recommend other models because they themselves aren't "M" fans. I don't know anyone there but it's possible.

In my opinion, the M has been a bestseller for decades, so it can easily not be at the top of the list...

[SrMi]

39 minutes ago, algrove said:

I find this interesting since we always hear that the M is Leicas flagship camera.

That seems to no longer true since a few stores now say the Q has out sold the M for some time. Even the SL3 has out sold the M at Leica Miami.

At a recent Paris photo fair Leica acknowledged the Q had out sold the M to that 2024 date.

A flagship camera is never a bestseller.

[costa43]

It could also come down to the fact that the M is now rather ridiculously priced at nearly 10 grand for the body. 

[GFW2-SCUSA]

Perhaps the M isn't listed because they are so hard to get. Leica Miami is out of stock most of the time for the M11.  They are an honest bunch so I suspect the figures are correct. 

[Elliot Harper]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Patek is certainly better than Rolex in every aspect such as design, complication, etc. But patek sells less than one-tens of Rolex every year .

[Smogg]

It's not surprising at all: pop music is much more popular than classical music.

[LocalHero1953]

It wouldn't surprise me that the Q outsells the M and SL (and S). OTOH it may be related to model timings: the Q3 43 was launched recently while the M11P was earlier last year - and the M11 series may only have another year of life.

Edited January 9 by LocalHero1953

[Smogg]

There is a joke: Two cars stop at a traffic light - a Renault and a Lamborghini. The Renault driver, turning the handle, lowers the window and asks the Lamborghini driver:
- How is the car in general? Does it break down?
- It seems like a normal car, why are you asking?
- Well, I see that not many people buy them😜

[Elliot Harper]

4 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

I strongly disagree on design.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, as they say.

I just don’t like the bubbly cyclops of the Rolex’s. That’s why I have a very simple submariner no-date.

Patek has lots of entry level ugly watches too. But I favor its 5205-R. I think it’s prettier than any of the Rolex.

[Homo Faber]

vor 38 Minuten schrieb Elliot Harper:

That’s why I have a very simple submariner no-date.

Rolex Submariner - the watch for gentlemen who have the people's best interest at heart...😂

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited January 9 by Homo Faber

[SrMi]

56 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

B&H has stock.

Of Pateks? Impossible! 😂

[Lee S]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

A flagship camera is never a bestseller.

1 hour ago, costa43 said:

It could also come down to the fact that the M is now rather ridiculously priced at nearly 10 grand for the body. 

My view is these are the two reasons for lower sales. 10k for a rangefinder is getting bonkers. 
 

Edited January 9 by Lee S

[algrove]

It could also be attributed to the high M prices and the fact that Leica could not solve the freezing issues for a few years causing many to forego the M11 entirely.

[algrove]

Also look at #10 on the list . A regular M11 and in stock.

[RexGig0]

Some thoughts:

With M cameras often being shown as “Out of Stock,” I am thinking that Leica Store Miami is selling as many M cameras as Leica USA allocates to them. Assembling and calibrating a rangefinder is a quite complex task, so, it would make sense, to me, that Leica produces fewer M cameras than Q cameras. I have no access to the relevant statistics, or information on the demographics of the typical Q-series, but, not many photographers are willing to settle for manual-focus cameras, so, i am not suprised to see an indication that there is high demand for Q cameras. 

I have two Nikon D5 cameras, Nikon’s “flagship” camera body, at the time that I bought them, in 2018 and 2019. (At the time, my wife and I were thinking about doing some serious traveling, to photograph birds and wildlife.) Only a select few Nikon dealers would stock the D5, because each of the other Nikon DSLR, except perhaps the quirky Df, out-sold the D5, during its production cycle. A “flagship” or “halo” product does tend to be sold in limited quantities.

Personally, I may only ever buy one new Leica M camera, that being my M10, purchased in April 2018, from Houston Camera Exchange, an official Leica dealer. Nothing digital will endure forever, but, Leica M cameras are quite sturdy. I have ordered new Leica accessories from Leica Store Miami.

Edited January 9 by RexGig0

[Markey]

52 minutes ago, Lee S said:

My view is these are the two reasons for lower sales. 10k for a rangefinder is getting bonkers. 
 

I would imagine that the manufacturing costs are now disproportionate .

Old technology eventually becomes expensive in comparative terms plus the user base has probably been eroded considerably too.

[Lee S]

8 minutes ago, Markey said:

I would imagine that the manufacturing costs are now disproportionate .

Old technology eventually becomes expensive in comparative terms plus the user base has probably been eroded considerably too.

Good points, especially user base.

Genuine question, is the rangefinder really a mechanical masterpiece that’s hard to manufacture though? The mechanism is unchanged from the M10 so no further R&D costs or tooling costs to amortise. 

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[WenckebachMD]

Flagships are rarely best sellers. The M is the definitive Leica, but it has the least commercial appeal. 

 

The Q and SL are exponentially more user and professional friendly, the SL has just as powerful a lens ecosystem and has more appeal for professional use. 

 

Makes sense that they don't sell 9 thousand dollar manual focus only bodies the way the 6500 dollar or less autofocus ones do.