Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>>>>>>>> Third, if Nikon or Canon chose to make lenses of Leica or Zeiss quality, they certainly are fully capable of doing so (well, Canon is: I'm not certain Nikon has the available money for R&D at the nonce, as they're still fiscally a-teeter, though not on the verge of bankruptcy as they were four or five years back). But, if Canon marketed a Leica or Zeiss quality lens, then it would have the same price tag that Leica and Zeiss charge for theirs, as the economics of production are pretty well fixed in a world market, and perfection costs as much to manufacture East of the Moon as it does West of the Sun. <<<<<<<<<< Well, then, let's compare some Zeiss for Contax and Leica-R prices where they offer like lenses. Prices are courtesy of B&H Photo's current web and printed listings. Zeiss 25 mm f/2.8: $769.95 Leica 24 mm f/2.8: $2195.00 Zeiss 28 mm f/2.8: $331.95 Leica 28 mm f/2.8: $1795.00 Zeiss 35 mm f/1.4: $1074.95 Leica 35 mm f/1.4: $2795.00 Zeiss 50 mm f/1.4: $274.95 Leica 50 mm f/1.4: $1995.00 Zeiss 50 mm f/1.7: $164.95 Leica 50 mm f/2: $895.00 Zeiss 60 mm macro: $829.95 Leica 60 mm macro: $1795.00 Zeiss 80 mm f/1.4: $869.95 Leica 80 mm f/1.4: $2795.00 Zeiss 100 mm macro: $1649.95 Leica 100 mm macro: $2695.00 Zeiss 180 mm f/2.8: $1249.95 Leica 180 mm f/2.8: $2995.00 Zeiss 28-70 f/3.5-4.5: $629.95 Leica 28-70 f/3.5-4.5: $1095.00 Zeiss 35-70 f/3.4: $1034.95 Leica 35-70 f/4: $1195.00 Zeiss 80-200 f/4: $849.95 Leica 80-200 f/4: $1895.00 B&H doesn't list prices for longer Leica lenses, so those I can't compare. Regardless, if a photographer bought every lens above, he'd pay $9731.40 for the Zeiss collection and $24,140.00 for the Leica set. So if, as quoted at the top, "Canon marketed a Leica or Zeiss quality lens, then it would have the same price tag that Leica and Zeiss charge for theirs," I wonder if those hypothetical Zeiss/Leica-quality Canons would be at the Zeiss prices or the (in most cases) astronomically higher Leica prices. Because most of those Zeiss prices listed -- which cover more than all the lenses I'd need -- strike me as pretty reasonable (heck, the Zeiss 80 costs less than a new 85 f/1.4 Nikkor). I just dislike the Contax bodies with the shutter speed dial on the wrong side. Larry