Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/12/14

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] In Shock
From: douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)
Date: Thu Dec 14 02:26:19 2006
References: <003901c71f31$3db55120$6501a8c0@philbebf9fd538> <6331553C-799A-44A0-A46A-C2D5E14A683D@mac.com>

Different kind of shock over here in Germany - the selection on the s/h 
market is simply overwhelming, reasonable prices too. People going 
digital has led to a massive price drop on the s/h 35 mil and MF 
markets. I recently picked up no end of excellent CY, Rollei, Zeiss and 
other decent glass at rock bottom prices e.g. 1.4/50 Planar with a 
slightly dented filter ring for 35 Euros.
Leica stuff seems to be holding its own with the exception of R3 - R5 
(Portugal) there are even 2 R3 Safaris for sale in Hannover.  R-E's are 
quite rare and command higher prices and R7s are very rarely found, R6 
and R6.2 are rare and actually overpriced. R8 and R9 are quite 
reasonable. Prices of M cameras are very much model and condition 
dependent. Screw mount cameras are increasingly filling the shelves - my 
local dealer thinks this is a demographic effect - LTM owners are dying 
off, and their kids are selling off the old gear.
Douglas

Richard Clompus wrote:
> Philip, is Mid-City still in business on Walnut Street?  I bought some 
> Leica gear there and they had quite a bit of darkroom supplies also.
>
> Richard Clompus
>
>
> On Dec 13, 2006, at 10:37 PM, Philip Forrest wrote:
>
>> That's par for the course, pretty much.  I know a few camera dealers 
>> that
>> once had big stores but now strictly do everything online.  
>> Maintaining a
>> retail store is just too expensive these days when the bottom line 
>> you're
>> competing against is a giant like Amazon.com.
>> Here in Philly, the closest photo store with a decent selection of 
>> anything
>> is in Bryn Mawr.  All of the big camera shops closed down or were 
>> bought out
>> by Ritz and now are just purveyors of point & shoot cameras.  We do 
>> have a
>> Calumet, but again, it's a big chain store, it's expensive and they 
>> have a
>> used gear selection that is more like a museum than a showcase.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>> [mailto:lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Rob McClure
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:42 PM
>> To: Leica Users Group
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] In Shock
>>
>>
>> For the first time in morte than a year I went to the two primary
>> professional camera shops in Columbus, Ohio -- Midwest Photo Exchange
>> and Cord Camera (main store).  I realize that digital has overtaken
>> film, but was shocked to find virtually no used equipment, digital or
>> film.  Both stores previously had massive inventories of this stuff.
>> Also, the new digital equipment in stock was pretty pedestrian -- the
>> usual Canon and Nikon.   Very little Pentax, Olympus or  Panasonic.
>> Both are Leica dealers, but no digital or film Leicas were in stock.
>> The large MF and LF departments at MPEX are shells of its former
>> selves.  I guess I am partly to blame as I now buy most of my used and
>> new equipment mailorder.  Is this typical of what is happening to
>> camera stores in other markets?  I suspect it is and it is disturbing.
>> I'll think twice before buying mailorder in the future (in the unlikely
>> event I can find those items locally).
>>
>> Rob McClure
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

Replies: Reply from bernardofeio at yahoo.com.br (bernardo feio) ([Leica] M8 "problems" questions...)
Reply from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson) ([Leica] In Shock)
In reply to: Message from photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Philip Forrest) ([Leica] In Shock)
Message from rclompus at mac.com (Richard Clompus) ([Leica] In Shock)