[Leica] 75mm F/2 M lens? New vs. used

[joelct at singnet.com.sg (joelct)]

Mark

It's different strokes for different folks 

I hazard a guess what Joseph Yao meant was that 

if the item is available new - he would go for the new as against used

But in the case of Leica and its more than 70 years history behind it - 
there are many items that are no longer produced

So if one is going for an old out of production item - then there's no 
choice but to accept a used one.

With automobiles & watches the same principle apply - i.e if you are an 
original VW Beetle fan your only choice is to acquire a used one.

Just my 2c worth

Joseph L / Singapore



--- Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> On 3/21/05 11:15 AM, "Joseph Yao" <joseph@yao.com> typed:
> 
> > on 21/3/05 2:02 am, B. D. Colen at bdcolen@earthlink.net wrote:
> > 
> >> As to cost comparison - anyone who goes out today and buys a new
> 75 1.4
> >> - assuming he or she can find a used one- is out of his or her
> mind.
> >> $3000? Nuts. Pick one up used and save maybe $1K over the new
> Summicron
> >> AND get an extra stop along with the $1K saving.
> > 
> > I may be nuts by your standard but why would I want to buy a used
> lens when
> > new ones are readily available?  The saving of $1k is nowhere
> enough to
> > offset my discomfort of such compromise.  This is not a case of
> the R
> > 35-70/2.8 ASPH when no new ones are available. ;-)
> > 
> > Firstly, the M 75/1.4 would not cost me US$3,000 as we do not have
> a greedy
> > Leica importer here.  Secondly and more importantly, I would never
> buy used
> > if the same is available new.  The same applies not only to photo
> equipment,
> > but also to cars, fine watches and just about everything.  I find
> it very
> > hard to accept something that has been used, fondled and possessed
> by
> > someone else.  The only exception is when the item in question is
> no longer
> > available new.  In such case I would only consider
> 'new-old-stock', followed
> > by LNIB, MIB and as a severe compromise, 'mint-'.
> > 
> > Perhaps I need to see a shrink, but then I did not marry a
> divorcee either.
> > 
> > Joseph - overworked ER doc with OCD regarding new Leica toys  ;-)
> > 
> Well I disagree heartily with both you guys. (BD and Joseph Yao)
> First of all the question itself posed by BD which is:
> 
> Why buy something, namely Leica but also in general NEW when you can
> get it
> used and save a bunch of cash.
> 
> I'm having trouble getting on the same wavelength of the logic of
> this
> question.
> Second of all the answer here by Joseph;
> "...why would I want to buy a used lens when new ones are readily
> available?"
> I'm not following that either.
> I should buy a new one because it's available?
> Joseph, perhaps you should elaborate!?!
> 
> New vs. used
> That's a subject which has not come up that often on the LUG you'd
> think
> we'd see it every week.
> To me its this:
> Some people like new stuff and are willing to save up for it. Its a
> big deal
> for them.
> And sometimes that have real reasons other than a vague preference
> for metal
> with less germs on it.
> And some almost always prefer old stuff. They don't mind the extra
> effort in
> tracking the stuff down and figuring out how to deal with the
> gremlins which
> pop up right off the bat or a bit further on down the line.
> Often much of there preference might be for stuff which is too good
> and cool
> to be made any more.
> I could say it's a matter of commitment as is often my point on just
> about
> anything. But I'd not really be hitting it.
> Plenty of photo enthusiasts with stacks and portfolios of finished
> fine
> prints or a fine tuned tray of slides or a laptop CD computer
> presentation
> don't have the street price new sticking in their brains any more
> than that
> have that insulting "retail" quote which comes out of the press
> release.
> 
> But of the photographers I know on most of their gear I'd say 2/3's
> of their
> stuff is new and maybe one third used. But some tend to be all used
> or all
> new. I actually don't know any professional photographers who are
> all used
> or even mostly used. Or some local people I know who are highly
> committed
> amateurs, perhaps with some shows in galleries.
> 
> Often you find yourself needing a new piece of gear for some shots
> you need
> to both shoot and deliver by the end of next week.
> There is rarely any thought of "which version of a 21mm lens do I
> want to
> get". You get what they have in the store. I don't think this is
> what Joseph
> was just saying but if it was then we're on the same wave length
> after all.
> 
> By "store" for me that means "B&H" mail order.
> B&H" has been my main supplier since Camera world down the street
> bit the
> dust by the big bad Wolf say four years ago.
> Most of my Leica stuff I got from there though.
> Over the counter.
> They don't pay for parking so sometimes I'll walk.
> Many of the photographers in this area of course went that route.
> More then a few actually got stuff from camera world new only did it
> by mail
> order. And it was less than a mile away from their studio.
> And many photographers living in or near a large city with a good
> camera
> store maybe was able go go that route although camera world was a
> bit of a
> rare exception in local stores.
> It was cheap.
> It was good.
> And it had everything.
> 
> A friend of mind who is a top photographer saw me with my Leicas and
> thought
> he'd try them out.
> There was a bunch of used stuff under the glass of PRO PHOTO down
> the street
> going for cheap. He picked up a used M6 with a couple of lenses and
> got an
> adaptor so he could use old screw mount lenses for a different look
> for some
> of his shots. Many photographers are always going for a new and
> different
> look.
> Or in this case an "old and different look".
> There was a problem or two of course with the M6 and at least one of
> the
> lenses.
> He brought it all back at the end of the two week period of
> returns.
> That was that for Leica for this guy.
> I often though had he gone to CAMERAWORLD and spent some more money
> like I
> did and got stuff which, if it didn't work could be exchanged for
> something
> that did he'd be shooting with Leica for plenty of his stuff now.
> Instead of the stuff which he DID get from CAMERAWORLD.
> Stuff which he needed to work right off the bat and didn't have the
> time to
> fool around with.
> Nikon and Canon and Hasselblad.
> When it came to the stuff he was more serious about and paid the
> bills he
> didn't screw around.
> 
> That's how most of my photographer friends get their stuff..
> They buy new when they need it now and they cant afford to screw
> around.
> It's going to pay for itself anyway in the short to long run.
> Or its just otherwise just too important for them.
> They just want the very latest version.
> And they need to be able to exchange it for a good one if they
> somehow got a
> dud.
> 
> 
> Mark Rabiner
> Photography
> Portland Oregon
> http://rabinergroup.com/
> 
> 
> 
> 
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