Re: [Leica] Has Leica ever offered a student discount program?

["Ted Bayer" <tedbayer@harbornet.com>]

Thanks, B.D.  I fully understand, too.

I guess that I am looking back on my youth, when I was in my mid
twenties.  I was in Germany and bought some pretty hefty stuff -- Leica,
Linhof, Rollieflex TLR -- and then found that I couldn't continue in
photography as I had four kids and it didn't pay enough at the time.  So
I had to sell the cameras to eat and, as I am sure you can understand (I
lived in ND and there wasn't much of a market there in the 50's for
high-end equipment) I lost a bundle on it.

I think your advice to the young folks is right on.

Ted in Olalla

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 11:55 AM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Has Leica ever offered a student discount program?


> I understand what you're asking Ted...:-)
>
> Of course the depreciation will be far greater with the Bessa, but so
will
> the investment. The Bessa is, what, $550 for a brand new camera with
some
> modern features - which most students are used to and expect. The M6
in even
> half decent shape will be $1000. It's true the student may succeed in
> selling the M6 for $1000 two years later, but between the introduction
of
> the M7 and the on-rush of digital, who knows whether well used M6s
will be
> $1000 in two years, or $750 - and a $250 loss on the M6 would probably
be
> the same as the loss on a Bessa R2.
>
> And here's another thing to think about, besides the fact that the
student
> may be able to afford the Bessa but not the M6 - the student who only
> invests the $550 in the Bessa is likely to hang onto it longer, and
> therefore has a greater likelihood of ultimately getting hooked, than
the
> student who has tied up $1000 in the M6. I can tell you that one of my
> students who recently acquired a beatup M6 classic loves his, but is
already
> questioning whether he can afford to hang onto it what with rent
coming due,
> etc......
>
> B. D.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ted Bayer
> Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 2:44 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Has Leica ever offered a student discount
program?
>
>
>
> I think this is good advice, B.D.  But I have a questions about it
(and
> this is not meant in any way to be devious -- it is truly a matter of
> thinking ahead.)
>
> If the student does find the he/she likes using the RF and would
prefer
> to have a Leica M,  what would depreciation do to the resale value of
> the Bessa R2 one or two years from now?  Do you think it would be
offset
> by the depreciation (based on a percentage of the current value of
both
> cameras) on a Leica M (say an M6 TTL) during the same period?
>
> Ted in Olalla
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 11:04 AM
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Has Leica ever offered a student discount
program?
>
>
> > For any student - on a student budget - considering getting into
Leica
> in
> > particular, or RF in general, I would suggest considering a Bessa R2
> body
> > and a used Summicron 50 or pre-asph 35. No, it's not a Leica body.
But
> it
> > has a meter, it has a top shutter speed of a 2000th, a flash sync of
a
> > 125th, it's cast metal, and it has a bright viewfinder. AND, it's
new
> and
> > has a warranty.
> >
> > Is offer this advice, btw, because I think what is most important
for
> > students is finding out if they can have a happy marriage with a
> > rangefinder, rather than acquiring a Leica.
> >
> > B. D.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of David
> > Degner
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 1:38 PM
> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Has Leica ever offered a student discount
> program?
> >
> >
> > Mathew I feel your pain.  As a fellow student who loves and uses
> Leicas you
> > have to drop large chunks of money at times.  I have not found any
> truly
> > cheap way to get leica equipment but there are a few relatively
cheap
> > pieces of equipment that you can start with and add the expensive
> stuff
> > when you can (always have a list to give to parents for birthdays
and
> > Christmas :)).  For a body there are two ways to go 1)I would
suggest
> an
> > M4-2 body, the collectors hate them, so they are cheaper about
> $600-$700,
> > watch out for quality and read up on them a little though. 2) An M3
> body,
> > freshly serviced,  There is absolutely nothing as smooth soft or
quite
> as
> > my M3 after I got it back from Sherry, the perfect leica piece ( if
> you
> > don't mind slower loading and unloading).  It just makes you want to
> melt
> > when using it, and its great for 50+mm lenses.  As for buying
lenses;
> the
> > first one I would get is the 50mm ASPH you can get a good used one
for
> > about $600 I found one for $500, the cheapest sharpest modern lens
in
> the
> > bunch.  After that it all depends on your style and what you are
using
> your
> > equipment for.  Remember you'll only have to buy these things once
in
> your
> > life so don't be afraid to go the next step up.  Good luck.  Where
are
> you
> > going to college?  I'm off to western Kentucky next year.
> >
> > David Degner
> >
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