Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/07/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Follow Up: my question was: "I'm considering selling old technology to buy new technology. The love objects I have in mind are the following: 1. The original Noctilux, 50mm, f1.2 lens. 2. The M5 body. 3. The R-Macro 100 mm f2.8 lens. Have any of you any knowledge of what they might fetch given my wife's insistence I think about selling them before going digital with the M9? If you wish to respond off list I can be reached at: drleonpomeroy at verizon.net , Thanks, Leon Pomeroy, 2010 Year Book Contributor with Canon DSLR." I've read the following responses with interest: 1. Dear Leon, hang on to your Noctilux: no digital camera is worth selling that lens for. Bharani 2. Once the Noct is off the block, the rest of the gear is small potatoes. Maybe your wife has some old jewelry she doesn't use much, or some shoes hardly worn. Silver and gold fetch good prices I've heard. Chris (who isn't joking in the least) 3. You're not going to get a Nocti f1.2 bokeh with an algorithm. Selling your amazing lens to get a camera is like you need gas for your Corvette so you sell your wheels. Kind of defeats the purpose. Also give as a URL of your pix so we can commiserate. The Noctilux 1.2 is a gorgeous and amazing lens. Much more compact and lighter than an f1. Mark William Rabiner 4. I beg to differ. We are talking the old Noctilux, which may be of interest to collectors, but for taking pictures surely the new one is better. Cheers, Nathan 5. An idea....sell the Nocti 1.2 to a collector. Buy the M9 with a ASPH Summilux or with the new Nocti .95. Should be about an even cash swap......when you also sell the M5 and Macro Elmarit. Everyone is happy..... Frank Filippone 6. Considering the performance at high ISO, why do you need the f1.2 aperture (other than DOF). The Summilux should be more than fine. Jim 7. Do you think the M9 high iso perfomance is any good? Cheers, Michiel Fokkema 8. Lusting for an M9 is the problem with cult lenses - even if you were to intend to use it, there is too much pull to keep it unused. If I have a Noct 1.2 around, I will sell it and get an M9 and a 50 'lux ASPH, and for a $1000 more, also get the Nokton 1.1. (no surprise that I do have an M9 and those two lens) As a user, the Noct 1.2 no way is worth that much money and there are better ways to "invest." Heck, sell it and buy a HCB print :-) Richard Man 9. Leon, It is really a poor tactic to sell before buying for two reasons: 1. You will want some accessories with your M9: an extra battery or two, a "Thumbs Up", the hand grip, perhaps a Luigi case, etc., etc., etc. If you sell before hand you won't know how much to ask for your gear to recoup your costs... 2. You may decide it is important to keep some of your old gear as backup. Your wife should understand this as you will be taking her to exotic and distant lands on fabulous journeys. Once in a lifetime adventures that, if the new technology fails, you will need a backup that works with your new system.Thus, as you can plainly see, you must buy first...Trust me, any other tactic would be foolhardy! Best, Bob Adler 10. Well you're in the rare position to be one of the few users to shoot a Noctilux 1.2 digitally with an M9. Here's one odd example of it. Kitties. to have undergone some national processing. Here's a better one. Now that's bokeh your not going to get with an algorithm. Selling your amazing lens to get a camera is like you need gas for your Corvette so you sell your wheels. Kind of defeats the purpose. Also give as a URL of your pix so we can commiserate. The Noctilux 1.2 is a gorgeous and amazing lens. Much more compact and lighter than an f1. Also selling before you buy as Bob nicely puts it is less great than just getting the gear by saving or financing becuae if your just trading for the gear it can get so you are just in effect playing with money. Less than assembling an ideal photography kit for you. This shuffling of gear back and fort has got to be what photography has become all about for so many people you see on the photo chat lists. There is no commitment; yes commitment to your gear as well as to your photos, your body of work. Mark William RabinerMark William Rabiner 11. Leon, Since everyone is gonna tell you everything but what you asked, here's my best shot at an answer to the question you asked. Your Noctilux is probably worth more than the M9 if it is in pretty good condition. It is going to go up in value, while the M9 will depreciate. Your (near mint) M5, is worth anywhere from $650 to $1200 depending on condition, model, and a few other factors. The R Macro 100 2.8 if it is the APO can be worth around 1800-2000. These are kind of hard to sell, as are any R lenses. The best place to sell your M5 would be on the Rangefinder Forum. If you are thinking about selling the Noctilux, I think I would seriously think about taking it to a photographic auction house like Tamarkin. Good Luck. Regards, Sonny http://sonc.com/look/ Natchitoches, Louisiana 12. Your Noctilux is probably worth more than the M9 if it is in pretty good condition. Especially if you have the 12 503 hood. The hood seems to be rare. Marty 13. Once the Noct is off the block, the rest of the gear is small potatoes. Maybe your wife has some old jewelry she doesn't use much, or some shoes hardly worn. Silver and gold fetch good prices I've heard. Chris (who isn't joking in the least) 14. I beg to differ. We are talking the old Noctilux, which may be of interest to collectors, but for taking pictures surely the new one is better. Cheers, Nathan 15. An idea....Sell the Nocti 1.2 to a collector. Buy the M9 with a ASPH Summilux or with the new Nocti .95. Should be about an even cash swap......when you also sell the M5 and Macro Elmarit. Everyone is happy..... Frank Filippone 16. Considering the performance at high ISO, why do you need the f1.2 aperture (other than DOF). The Summilux should be more than fine. Jim 17. Subject: Re: [Leica] Lusting for an M9 That's the problem with cult lens - even if you were to intend to use it, there is too much pull to keep it unused. If I have a Noct 1.2 around, I will sell it and get an M9 and a 50 'lux ASPH, and for a $1000 more, also get the Nokton 1.1. (no surprise that I do have an M9 and those two lens) As a user, the Noct 1.2 no way is worth that much money and there are better ways to "invest." Heck, sell it and buy a HCB print :-) Richard Man Sincere thanks to all who took the time to express opinions I find helpful. I'm 80% disposed to selling the items in question. I'm 20% disposed to retaining the Nocti F1.2 and mounting in on an M9.The Nocti F1.2 has "personality." It has a "warm" signature all its own making for a tough call at the moment. Bottom line: I'm more a "user" than "collector" and this bias has me tilting towards parting with the items in question. Leon Pomeroy