Old For New

[Mike Farley]

Amongst certain Leica afficionados, there is an aesthetic for cameras where the paint has worn to expose the brass underneath which indicates that they have been well used. The idea is that the camera becomes personal to you, which is just as well as its value will have decreased considerably.

Now Leica is seeking to cash in by offering a NEW well worn camera and lens in a limited edition, to save you the graft of actually having to use the camera and introduce the wear yourself presumably. Leicas appeal to collectors and there have been any number of daft limited editions, but this one reaches new heights. Or should that be depths? There is more at The Online Photographer. I especially like the featured comment at the end which suggests that some of the brassing is more aesthetically pleasing in some of the cameras compared to others. What I wonder is why the neck strap and accompanying case do not appear to have been subjected to any distress?

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... stuff.html

[Mike Farley]

I have just found out what this bit of nonsense will cost, which is $24,500 in the US. There is no indication of the UK price as yet, but taking VAT and import duty into account probably means that it will be in the region of £20k when it becomes available in March.

[Paul Heester]

Does Leica just cater for Oligarchs and other wealthy people?? I know their products have always been expensive but recent examples seems to have moved them into the stratosphere

[Mike Farley]

Does Leica just cater for Oligarchs and other wealthy people?? I know their products have always been expensive but recent examples seems to have moved them into the stratosphere

Amateur Photographer has reported that the kit will be be £17.8k, if it is actually made available in this country. If bought separately, the body and two lenses would cost around £11k, so not accounting for the carrying case, that's around £7k extra for a bit less paint.

That does not tell the whole story as the 50 f/1.4 Summilux lens supplied in the kit has a scalloped focussing ring, which is not standard. This means that it is destined to be a very rare item and to some people these things matter. You know, not those who wilfully devalue their gear by using it as intended. Ironically, with the Leikravitz, you could do exactly that and no one would notice, although I doubt few will ever see the outside of a glass case. Perhaps Leica should have put a few dings in the body for greater authenticity.

Is Leica to blame for issuing this special edition? After all, like any other company it is there to make money and it is merely catering to a demand. And I suspect that they have a pretty good idea of how many people are interested in such offerings and then make just a few less to spur sales and keep the price up. Not to mention that various special editions also helped keep the company going at the start of the digital era when it was struggling financially.

As to whether even standard Leicas are worth the money, the law of diminishing returns undoubtedly applies. Certainly the way that the lenses render is very attractive and it adds to the appeal of the final image, but that is strictly a secondary consideration.

[Mike Farley]

This is what a well used brassed Leica really looks like and reveals the Leikravitz for the travesty it is.

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.co ... amera.html