[Leica] Hologon & Leica prices in Tokyo

[Claes Bjerner <claes.bjerner@pi.se>]

I just returned home to Sweden after my annual visit to Tokyo. Have =
been off the list for three weeks, but the first message I received =
from LUG after my re-subscription is about how a Japanese guy who =
offers mint and boxed Leica M6 bodies and lenses for very low prices.

Truth is that the Leica prices in Tokyo today are lower than ever =
before. My favorite store, MAP Camera in Shinjuku, now offers the M6 =
for 180 000 yen! With today=B4s rate at 130 yen to the dollar that =
equals US$1385. 

>1)M6 BLK NO 217XXXX 1290.00 US$(Boxed)
>2)M6 Chr NO 200XXXX 1350.00 US$(Boxed)
>3)Summicron 35 BLK NO 363XXXX 625.OO US$(Hood,Boxed)
>4)Summicron 35 chr NO 364XXXX 650.OO US$(Hood,Boxed)
>5)Elmarit 21/2.8 NO 357XXXX 1175.00 US$(Hood,Boxed)

These items offered on the LUG-list sound like fairly decent demo =
equipment considering the prices.

No, I didn=B4t buy anything Leica this time in Tokyo. Well, I picked =
up an additional US made M-grip for US$60.

One of my many reasons for going to Tokyo was to buy a converted =
Zeiss 16mm Hologon, but when my old friend, Yasuo Takahashi at Sukiya =
Camera in Ginza, offered me his demo Hologon plus his demo Contax G2 =
for less than US$2200 - how could I resist? 

When I proudly showed my wife the new Contax set she immediately =
decided to "share it" with me. She bought two more Contax lenses. One =
45mm Planar and one 28mm Biogon. My wife already has five  autofocus =
Minolta system cameras, but she thinks they are to "heavy and =
clumsy". How can a range finder fan argue against that? Next step is =
to get her a new body as well. A new Contax G2 body that is! I want =
my Hologon lens to stay permanently on my G2. When I=B4ve seen my =
slides I will give you a more precise evaluation of the Hologon. 

All I can say before I=B4ve seen the results is that the Hologon is a =
very awkward lens in many respects.It=B4s certainly not an everyday =
lens. But in the right situations it is the only one.