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Leica markup!


gvaliquette

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On a whim, I just checked the price of the 28mm f2.8 PC Super-Angulon at B&H in NYC:

 

Leica R mount: US$ 3,895.00

 

Canon EOS or Nikon mount: US$ 2,078.95

 

Lens without mount adapter ring: US$ 1,923.95

 

Mount adapter for various cameras: US$ 141.00 - 187.95

 

Same lens, different mount.

 

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, no mount is available for Leica R

 

Comments, anyone?

 

Guy

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Well, one has got a Leica badge, and the others have got a Schneider badge!

 

More seriously, it is possible that Leica's quality control requirements are more stringent than Schneider adopt themselves. (For example, in theory, Leica set up every lens sample individually, for centreing, etc.) Whether that is sufficient to justify the difference is of course another matter.

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Isn't it also possible that it's supply and demand. More Canon and Nikon users, hence a longer production run and more lenses to subsidize the cost of the lens mount.

 

Are you kidding yourself :confused: - a one off custom CNC mount would cost a lot less than the $1800 difference.

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So, who makes these lenses?

 

Leica?

 

Or someone else...?

 

Maybe it's someone else's mark-up...

 

Andy

 

It's made by Schneider for Leica, and Schneider also release this lens design under their own name with other mounts. My point was that it's just possible that for their own name Leica lenses, Leica might be imposing tighter (and therefore more expensive) quality control measures than Schneider otherwise might use (just for example centreing every element of every individual sample, and testing every individual sample). As you imply though, it's also possible that Schneider might be charging Leica more than the (otherwise) going rate simply for the privilege of putting the Leica name on one of their lenses.

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Interesting comments, thank you all.

 

Leica, of course, has a long history of marketting other manufacturers lenses under their own name. For example:

 

21mm f3.4 Super-Angulon (mirror lockup for Leicaflex)

21mm F4 Super-Angulon-R

35mm f4 PA Curtagon

16mm f2.8 Fisheye Elmarit-R

500mm f8 M-Telyt-R

45-90mm f2.8 Angenieux Zoom

15mm f3.5 Super-Elmar-R

 

All of the above, except the Angenieux zoom, were also available in other camera's mounts. I used to have the 35mm f4 PA Curtagon on my Contarex.

 

Then, there are the non-Leica designs (Minolta, Sigma, Schneider) lenses produced by Leica only:

 

Early zoom lenses

15mm F2.8 Super-Elmarit-R

 

...and I am certainly missing others.

 

My point is, are we getting a "better" lens than what is available in other mounts, or are we paying through the nose for a red dot? Then, what is the PR impact of such price comparisons?

 

Guy

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