RoamingScott wrote:
Pretty sure the only people that consider Grey Goose luxury are college kids stuck drinking everclear. Kind of like Fuji shooters looking at all the grey-haired gooses shooting Leica.
I wonder what that makes me as a Fuji and Leica shooter. 🤔
When I got into Leica it was first wanting a FF camera and second a small toll for candid work coming from 40 years earlier when I shot every day for the Uni newspaper and yearbook.
I never considered price, but the right tool for my needs plus mainly the feel of the tool in my hands and how it got out of my way.
It turned out to be the M9 in 2010.To me it was not a luxury camera, but a tool for a specific need.
flash wrote:
The other two are, of course, drivel. But we see those all over the place, sometimes even within the photographic community.
It’s true that the last two examples can be seen in all areas of the photographic community, but so can the first. Leica lenses aren’t the only ones that go up in value, a fact so obvious that you have to roll your eyes when someone says something snobby like “everything else is going to be on the $10 shelf at the pawn shop in a few years.”
A rebranding away from luxury back to utilitarian tools would be most welcome. I hope the current branding is only temporary.
raizans wrote:
A rebranding away from luxury back to utilitarian tools would be most welcome. I hope the current branding is only temporary.
Regarding my personal interest I would agree with this but highly doubt it will happen. Leica's success is kind of coupled to the luxury brand image - and no matter if we like it or not, we need to admit that Leica is successful with this strategy. Therefore they are rather pushing this agenda further than changing course. I expect new Leica cameras to hit the $9-10K bar soon as new items - and these are not the special editions! Because I am now convinced that people will still buy them. I shake my head about it, but I am also aware that there are quite a few out there who have the funds and willingness to fund this.
The ones who like to use Leica cameras and gear as "utilitarian tools" are already kind of second tier at best and will fully rely on the used market with gear from at least 2 generations before the latest releases.
raizans wrote:
It’s true that the last two examples can be seen in all areas of the photographic community, but so can the first. Leica lenses aren’t the only ones that go up in value, a fact so obvious that you have to roll your eyes when someone says something snobby like “everything else is going to be on the $10 shelf at the pawn shop in a few years.”
A rebranding away from luxury back to utilitarian tools would be most welcome. I hope the current branding is only temporary.
I haven't seen to many Nikon or Canon lenses selling for over 20K. Like I said when I sold all my Canon gear in 2015 the only piece of gear got any real money on and it didn't increase in value was my 200 2L.
Maybe eBay is glitching on me, but when I do a sold items search with minimum price set to $20,000 all I get is a few cine lenses, one Leica 50mm APO Summicron LHSA, and one Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 AL.
Former members of the Nikon Historical Society could talk your ears off about high auction sales.
retrofocus wrote:
I expect new Leica cameras to hit the $9-10K bar soon as new items - and these are not the special editions!
From what I can see the M11 and the M11-P already cost $9,840 right now, so I would assume that the M12 will cost more than $10K, or perhaps $9,999... I personally find it too much and again for me personally it is more than I want to pay for a manual focus rangefinder... I paid $8K for the Hasselblad X2D last year and I am still totally fine with that. I paid slightly more for a M10-P in 2021 and I personally would not do that again. Different from person to person I guess. For me the Pixii prices are much more realistic and I sincerely hope they are successful.
flash wrote:
Well, in all fairness, I did buy a Noctilux for AUD 10K new and sold it 5 years later for AUD 12K. And I can think of no other brand you can use a 50 year old lens on your 2025 camera without an adaptor.
The other two are, of course, drivel. But we see those all over the place, sometimes even within the photographic community.
Gordon
If Nikon still makes the D850 and D780, those can be used without adapters with 50 yr old F mount lenses like the 35 1.4 AI.
raizans wrote:
Maybe eBay is glitching on me, but when I do a sold items search with minimum price set to $20,000 all I get is a few cine lenses, one Leica 50mm APO Summicron LHSA, and one Canon FD 85mm f/1.2 AL.
Former members of the Nikon Historical Society could talk your ears off about high auction sales.
I don't think EBay is the right venue for checking collectable Leica prices. The leica used market is strong enough to have established it's own resale channels.
On Saturday nights, the meeting place in our part of town is a friend's barn, behind his farm stand. Doctors, plumbers, hardware store guy, restaurant guy, vintners, finance bros, electricians, and writers stop by all night in a constant flow in and out. Everyone brings their drink and I don't think Doug, the farmer with cigar and "lighter", has bought any in years. If you forget, you're covered. One Saturday, I thought we should have a blind vodka tasting and bought about 8 or 10 different brands. In the results, cost didn't matter but origin did. If it came from Poland or Russia (no Swedish in test), it was good. Grey Goose was nasty. Even Popov in the plastic jug was better.
