Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/16

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] LUG: R8
From: "Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 11:50:47 -0500

> Master Nitka:
> 
> Yah, I've been watching the prices on the R8 and they certainly are soft.
> Notice that Leica must feel the same about new R8 sales, as they bumped the
> warranty from 3-year Passport, to 3-year Passport PLUS 2 year parts & labor
> as an incentive.
>
> Check the prices on the used market, and you'll see that an R8 is often
> selling for less than an R6.2, which says something about Leicaphile's
> loyalty to mechanical bodies, and distrust of electronics (especially from
> Leica, speaking from my own experience). Leica users are, I think,
> conditioned, or have a prediliction, to think in terms of 'minimize,'
> regardless of the advantages of electronics (or we'd all be shooting F5s,
> no?), and shy away from the used bodies (the R7, despite its near-perfect
> display, is also dirt-cheap, in relative terms). As to the lenses, the ROMs
> seem to be holding their value, but have devalued the non-ROMs to the point
> that, yes, good glass is cheap.
>
> All of which to say, it looks like a buyer's market on the R8 & non-ROM
> lenses. Sorry.
>
> CQ

......I would like to add that the situation is, you have the established
leaders, Pepsi and Coke (Nikon & Canon) and then everybody else, sadly the
R8 is in the 'everybody else' category--which does not bode well for the new
Panasonic/Leica alliance.

sl