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Do we buy our Leicas new or pre owned?


kenneth

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New, but when M2 and 3 were 20 years old, there was no choice. Bought some screw mounts 111F and 111C and that settled it for me. It cost me a small fortune to bring them back up to new condition and I have more invested than they are worth.. Such is liffe, I wanted them.

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Both. I bought a well used M6 classic from a dealer and it has been perfect in every way for 15 years. I bought a new M6TTL 0.85 which immediately needed two different service attempts to get the rangefinder right. I have bought the following lenses new: 28/2.8, 35/1.4ASPH and 75/2.5 and they all needed adjustment (the 28 and the 35) or replacement (the 75). Some other lenses have been fine. So I'm under 50% satisfactory on new Leica gear, and better than 50% on used.

 

But I've stopped buying gear. I have enough. But........ there is a new Voigtlander 50/1.1 coming............

 

Then I'll stop.

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I am a big fan of buying used, now. Initially while building my M System, I bought everything new (6 years ago). Now, I look for pre-owner lenses on e-Bay and elsewhere. I think I got a good price for my 28-elmarit and 75-summarit.

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Few things in life last forever, Leicas are probably one of those precious few. I have always bought previously-owned Leicas, and continued to use them for decades. One exception was when I traded in a two-stroke M3 plus $35 cash for a brand new single-stroke M3. The dealer had just received a shipment of the (then) new M4, and he wanted to clear out his old stock. Like any machines, they need (minimal) periodic maintenance. I still use my 75 year old Model F. It will likely out-live me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'd prefer to get it new. I bought my MP BP new + 28 f2.8 too.

The only pre-owned is my M6 TTL since they didn't make it anymore

on the year 2008 which i bought it (it was 99.999% in good condition)

The owner took only 7 rolls with it

before it got to me and he kept it in pristine condition. Not a single scratch.

I don't know. Owning a new Leica, for me, personally, I'd like to be the 'first'

owner. It's a special feeling ^___^

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I bought my two M7's used. One was new, but not from a retailer. All my lenses where also used, but like new, accepting the 28mm Elmarit.

 

The only thing I purchased new, from a official retailer was a Leicavit. When I can get like new, or new equipment with 30%-50% rebate, why should I sponsor?

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I saved for an bought my first M6TTL, 35mm 'Cron and 90mm Elmarit brand-new.

 

Subsequent camera bodies have either been used or ex-demonstration - an M2, 0.58 M6TTL and two M8 bodies - though I only have the M8s now - having sold the film Ms to feed my digital M habit...

 

With the exception of a collapsable 50mm Elmar and 135mm Elmarit, all of my lens purchases have been from new. Though that wouldn't stop me from buying used if the right equipment was available.

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I've generally purchased new, because I could afford to do so, and didn't want to be buying someone's problems, and at times I thought I was single handily keeping Leica in business (5 Ms and 10 lenses over the last two decades most of which has been resold), but in this recent incantation (developing an SLR kit for a nature trip) it has all been used. My cr$%^py photos really don't show the best optics. They are an utter waste on me. If I had to do it again, I would purchase used from day one. I will note that the used option today, with what Ebay has to offer, is much more appealable then it was when I started out in Leica. Buying used back then was almost as expensive as buying new, because you had to buy through a dealer.

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  • 1 month later...

Both. I have bought new: R5, R6, R7, 28-70R and 50/1.4R, 2xM6 classics, M8, 28/2.8asph, 35/2M and 50/2M

All the rest (M2, M3, MP á la carte, and lenses from 21 to 135), used.

 

With film cameras and lenses really built to last, there are no doubts Leica's fiercest competition are themselves.

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inherited it from my granduncle. best way to get. This kind of provenance makes it even more precious. And wouldn't have ever been able to buy one by myself so i would have ended up with a shitty DSLR. so never sell them, keep them for your kids, or grandchildren, nephews or whoever!

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I just purchased my chrome MP 0.58x finder, it is like new. An a-la-carte black MP with 0.58x finder is just too much! I also purchased a 50mm summicron and 28mm elmarit used from ebay and couldn't be happier with them. There's so many pieces of good used equipment floating around, why pay so much more?

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