Leica latest prices

[Tim Gray]

You can get new M's sometimes from Popflash for a bit more than $2k. They are gray market imports. They are usually listed as "Mint, like new."

 

[Robert Budding]

Agreed.....I'd buy a Mamiya 7II and a lens or two and beat the pants off the Leica for that money

Exactly what I did. There are limits to how much I'll spend on miniature formats.

 

[Muihlinn]

Originally Posted by Andrew Moxom (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Agreed.....I'd buy a Mamiya 7II and a lens or two and beat the pants off the Leica for that money
​

Exactly what I did. There are limits to how much I'll spend on miniature formats.

I own both, I'm happy with both and I won't spend that sum in none of those bodies... or outfit. But the 7II ins't a beater of leica, they may have a common field under daylight but they're different kind of beasts. 6x7 does not replace 35mm as 6x7 is not called to replace 4x5.

 

[Kvistgaard]

... for me Leica has JUST NOW crossed the boundary between price and perceived quality.

I feel almost as if a weight has been listed from my sholders. It's a new day now!

Denis - that sounds like a genuinely healthy new perspective to me. Being an M6 (used) owner myself, I've come to realise that it is a very nice camera, but no more than that. Buying an M6 did not make me a Henri Cartier-Bresson, which I guess is what I subconsciously expected (more or less, anyway).

Let's forget the Leica mythology (built on thousands of marketing dollars) and put on the craftsman's hat. There are plenty of really great cameras available that does what the M does (which is, exposing film), at a fraction of the price.

 

[budrichard]

budrichard,
where did you buy a new Leica M7 for less than $2200?

http://www.bergencountycamera.com/

Camera was listed on eBay. I simply called Bergen County and verified the store was an Authorised Leica Dealer, the camera would be sold as new and came with warrenty information. Called Leica New Jersey and verified the serial number was listed as new in thier records and I could get the extended Passport for another $150 which I did and there you have it. Camera was absolutely new condition. The year before I had purchased another M7 on eBay from a Long Island Times photographer who purchased the camera but wa now all digital. I always personally talk with the seller for purchases like these and she assured me the M7 was Mint but no box or paperwork. Price was similar and camera was Mint and no problems.
It takes some work and you have to verify both the seller and the camera but there are good sellers out there and stores that have inventory, they want to dispose of. both cameras are 0.85 finders which I what I prefer so that helps in eliminating some potential buyers but I would bet money, that if a started today I could find another M7 0.72 and more rare 0.58 for around the same price from a dealer, it would just take awhile.-Dick

 

[wjlapier]

If I could I would buy the ala carte MP, but I don't have that kind of money so i bought used. The deals are out there if you look and as someone said do a little investigating before you purchase. My BP MP came under $2300 in near new condition--had a few light scuffs under the right kind of light, but I intended to use the camera and scuffs and rubs would be inevitable. Money saved I purchased a nice 35 'cron Ver III, again, for a great price.