Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/28

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Subject: Re: [Leica] R 15
From: Duncan Young <dunk@mincom.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 18:35:16 +1000 (EST)

On Sat, 28 Feb 1998, Alastair Firkin wrote:

> Duncan,
> 
> > so your other option is to purcase the Contax
> > version for only 2/3 the price.
> 
> Sorry not here in Australia ;-) Leica $11K Contax $12K and mine was
> second-hand [the great thing about Leica is that so much is available, even
> here I've seen 3 in the last month] and I've yet to see a Contax secondhand
> lens beyond about 28mm and no 15's in the year I've been looking, as I had
> thought about going Contax if I could have found this lens.

I too am from Austrailia, I was looking at a out of date US mail order
price list ( october 1997, hey, it was the one in my draw a work ).  The
Leica was approx $6000US the contax $4000US ( i.e. roughly 1/2 and 1/3
Austrailian prices respectively at the current exchange rate.  You have a
good point about the second hand situation in Autrailia ( I assume you read
the "photographic trader", it seems that half of it is dedicated to used
leica (slight exageration).

If you were actually going to purchase the 15mm new, it would be cheaper to
fly to the US, get one sent to your hotel ( via mail order ) then fly back
( not declaring it of course ( but I didn't say that ;)  ).

On a different note, I have a question for those with better information than
I, is the multicoating on the 15, T* multicoating from Zeiss, or is it Leica's
version?  I believe Rollie uses slightly different Multicoating technologies
on its Zeiss lenses ( compared to Hassleblad ), so perhaps leica does the same.

    Duncan ( who is constanly exasperated that US camera prices are
             approxamately1/2 the Austrailian ones ).