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Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Red Dot Cameras (Red Dot Cameras) are saying that prices of selected (but unspecified) Leica M lenses and accessories will increase by up to 30% from 1 May.
Sadly, the decline in the Pound against the Euro is finally catching up with us.
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TimF
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(Senior Member)
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25/04/2008 10:44
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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I suppose that what goes down can go up again, but we shall see what transpires I guess. On the up-side, at least we aren't in the USA!!
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Hi Tim, difficult to see the Pound gaining ground back against the € and even if it did, even more difficult to think of Leica reducing their prices. They, surely, have to start meeting price resistance at some point.
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Actually there does seem to have been a small rebound this week - about 3c. - presumably suggesting that the markets have some degree of confidence in the Bank of England's £50 billion bail-out plan. However, I would think that any more substantial recovery will take some significant time, so the effects of the present realignment of Sterling against other currencies in general will be with us for a while.
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Well, it's a case of Good News and Bad News. The Good News is that a typical lens has not gone up by 30%, the Bad News is that it's gone up by 25%.
The APO Summicron-M 75/2 ASPH used (last week) to cost £1519 at ffordes; now it costs a boggling £1899.
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cpfc12
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(newbie)
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05/05/2008 19:48
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Well, they will have to keep their precious glass and metal, as most of us mortals living on planet Tesco will not be able to stump up the dosh.
What will happen then; £1000 cash back on M8? Crazy world.
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Drat. and I didn't even win the replica. 
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TimF
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(Senior Member)
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09/05/2008 09:41
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Ah well. Given my plans would involve older (ie s/h) lenses rather than new ones I'm not that bothered. 
Hows things going Mark?
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Fine thanks, Tim, though I have to say I'm enjoying the D3 more than the M8. The focussing issues of the M8 get to you after a while where the D3 just delivers.
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TimF
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(Senior Member)
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16/05/2008 09:50
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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That's something which was of concern to me when I had a brief look at the M8 when it came out. Having previously owned an M6 TTL/0.58 model for a year, and traded it in for similar reasons, the lower magnification on the M8 (0.64 from memory) was not my favourite feature.
Have you tried it with the viewfinder magnifier thingy?
As for the big price hikes, for the moment at least, it doesn't seem to be across the board (though of course the dealers maay have snapped up quantities to lay in before the deed was done). The M8 is still listed at £3200 at ffordes (a 25% increase would be an insane £4000 or so, which would simply kill sales outside the Euro Zone), the 35mm Summilux is £2190 (up from around £1960 I think) etc.
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Standard magnification is 0.68; I use the magnifier (1.25x) to give 0.85x when using lenses of 50mm or longer.
As for price hikes, Leica has just announced (so I understand) that the last 100 Noctilux 50mm f1 lenses will be sold in a special wooden box at an eye-watering €10000 which is of course ludicrous.
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mike_j
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(nobbut a beginner)
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17/05/2008 19:50
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Quote:
which is of course ludicrous.
All Leica prices are ludicrous
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BrianT
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(Old Hand)
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18/05/2008 08:08
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Yes perhaps, but so is a Nikon D40 to someone living in this blessed state on a basic State Pension. Surely it is all relative......I can't afford a Hermes handbag. Well in fact I could but the dog would be on short rations for a few weeks.
Mark will realise the relevance as of yore.
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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I'm quite sure Wesson brings you infinitely more pleasure than a handbag, even if it is made by an ex-Leica shareholder, ever could.
Bizarre thing to have done isn't it? Prostitute the brand to some temple of consumerism. Reminds me of an article in a hi-fi magazine on Stirling Moss' home stereo, B&O, clearly had no idea how to use it or even interest in music, come to that.
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BrianT
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(Old Hand)
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18/05/2008 11:35
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Mark Leica cannot be blamed for taking advantage of the stupidity of some of their customers. Is the wooden box by any chance 'Coffin' shaped?
B&O again design before performance. Actually that might not be true now it's a long time ago that I last bought anything from B&O. There again my son bought me one of those Bose wave thingmy things for the kitchen , kitchen? It's rightful place is down the bog with the chain pulled.
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TimF
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(Senior Member)
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23/05/2008 10:24
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Quote:
As for price hikes, Leica has just announced (so I understand) that the last 100 Noctilux 50mm f1 lenses will be sold in a special wooden box at an eye-watering €10000 which is of course ludicrous.
Most of these seem to be used by the proverbial American dentists with money to burn, so there we go, eh!
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Re: Up to 30% UK Price Increases
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Quote:
Most of these seem to be used by the proverbial American dentists with money to burn, so there we go, eh!
Or not used by Japanese collectors with money to burn?
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