[Leica] Bargain M8s?

[red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)]

Rich Pinto had told me there were 2 kinds of demos.....

Those back from Leica, sold as code U.  They come directly from Leica in the
official plastic bag, sealed.  They are factory refurbished cameras, the
original origin of which is not easy to find.

Those that Leica "gives" to the dealers as dealer demos.  These are the
cameras that we play with when we want to paw a camera at the store.  The
dealer is required to hold onto them for a period of time, then he has the
right to sell them, I think as "new" / demo cameras (  Same warranty as new?
not sure.. could be a more limited time warranty..... )  Theses cameras have
"not" left the store for refurbishment.

Which is cheaper?  Which is a better buy?

Personally, if I could get a new, dealer demo, at a discount, with the full
new camera warranty, that is the camera I would buy.

I go back to what I said..... you NEED the warranty for as long as possible.
The repair costs on these digital cameras will be off the charts.

Frank Filippone
red735i@earthlink.net


Subject: Re: [Leica] Bargain M8s?

Quite true. I had similar experiences over the years.
However, in some recent (last 12 months) discussions with people at  
PhotoVillage they seemed perfectly willing to discuss the history of  
various cameras which they listed as demos, used, etc. So  
communication would seem to be in order if considering equipment  
which is not sealed in an unopened box.

Fond regards,
George