resale value (was: Re: [Leica] M8 and the WAR)

[red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)]

That's cheating..... the Euro has gained on the dollar, reflecting gains in
monetary exchange rates, not equipment values.... The new stuff is more
expensive than the older stuff so the used stuff goes up in value as
well....  If the dollar were gaining on the Euro, I think it might be a
different story.....maybe.

The Dollar and Yen are pretty locked together......Nikon and Canon prices do
not change significantly with exchange rates.....Leica does.....

The best time to buy ANY new Leica item is when they first offer it to
market.....  before they figure out what it really costs them to
produce.....

Frank Filippone
red735i@earthlink.net

> The retention of value of Leitz/Leica glass (and cameras of 
> course) reflects the fact that their optical performance and
> build quality assure their usefulness for decades. One doesn't
> have to buy and re-buy every several years.

If I were of such a mind (and I'm not) I could re-sell my 280mm f/4 APO for
a tidy profit even considering the time value of money, after several
years' use and after producing many profitable 'keepers'.  Sounds like a
bargain to me.

Doug Herr