Would you spend $290,000 on this Leica lens?

Yowser!  This is one expensive lens!  Seriously what do you do for a living if you can afford this lens?  


www.leitz-auction.com/auction/en/auktion...n37/article/227.html

I would need to have ALOT more $$ in  my bank account before I ran off and bought something like this .

Don Granger wrote: Yowser!  This is one expensive lens!  Seriously what do you do for a living if you can afford this lens?  


www.leitz-auction.com/auction/en/auktion...n37/article/227.html

I wouldn't buy it if it was 2000.

   I just don't understand why people spend so much on Leica lenses.  No thank you. 

Colorado Mike wrote:  I just don't understand why people spend so much on Leica lenses.  No thank you. 

G'day mate

Two things come to mind here ...
a) a decade ago I met a fella running a Leica camera plus 2 or 3 Leica lenses- an all up cost of maybe $A20k and he came to a beginner's photography workshop.  While the kit was undoubtedly first class, I asked him 'why the most expensive stuff on the market?' to which he answered - "I'm a retired dentist, I have the money, I like the best of everything, so why not Leica"

b) Currently I run Panasonic cameras with their Leica lenses.  I am on record here -and other photo forums- in stating (a few years ago now) that when I compared the sharpness of the Leica lens on my Panny FZ superzoom camera with the Pentax and its Sigma APO zoom lenses, the Leica on the Panny produced sharper images than the Pentax - even though the Panny sensor was only 1/9th the area of the Pentax.  Side-by-side comparison images printed to A3 size / 12" x 16" or thereabouts, the Leica images were definitely sharper.  The Pentax sensor certainly had much less noise as one would expect from a much larger sensor, but showing fine detail - no the Leica lenses were better.

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Insert your choice of "Hell no!"

Seriously, not a chance.  

Scotty wrote:

Don Granger wrote: Yowser!  This is one expensive lens!  Seriously what do you do for a living if you can afford this lens?  


www.leitz-auction.com/auction/en/auktion...n37/article/227.html

I wouldn't buy it if it was 2000.

Hey bro, I have to say my thoughts are the same.  While I appreciate the craftsmanship that Leica puts into their gear, I don't get the desire to pay for what you are getting.  At least for my photography interests.     Merry Christmas!

NOW, WAIT A MINUTE… let's go logically!

When I deliver a set of images to a company's graphic department,
and they are very happy with it, these pros must know what they are
talking about. 

If I produce such work with less than 10k € of gear at a given price
— that is not known to be the cheapest in town — I would be out of
business in not time if my equipment was in that range of prices.

Clearly, the buyers are not making a living with that stuff so they must
be wealthy amateurs, collectors.

Wealthy Leica collector.  It isn't about the lens.  It is about its rarity (only 3 made.).  Wealthy people buy $40,000 wrist watches and $250,000 cars as well.  It is what it is.

I should mention to our Australian friend above that the Lumix lenses carry the Leitz brand but are made in Japan just like every Zeiss lens made for anything other than a Hasselblad.  That doesn't say anything negative the lenses by the way.  They are excellent.  I use a Japanese Zeiss lens myself and I can assure you it is as good as any and better than most.  I'm sure the Panasonic Leitz lenses are just as good. 

Sometimes brands can be misleading.  For example, the sharpest 80-200 zoom lens I have ever used is branded Yashica.  Yashica was never able to gain much market share in the camera industry for whatever reason but this particular lens is unbelievable.  Better than any Zeiss or Nikon zoom of similar focal range I have ever owned.

Several decades ago Leica launched a line of 35mm SLR cameras.  The lenses were made by Minolta in Japan but carried the Leitz name.  The cameras were made in Europe but not by Leica or in Germany..  The regular Leica rangefinder cameras and the lenses for them are very good.  I used to use an M4 and M6 Leica with a modest collection of lenses.  They were the best cameras I can think of for wide angle 35mm photography..  I used the Nikon system quite a bit more for practical reasons but the Leicas were outstanding performers.

I use digital rangefinder cameras now from Fujifilm.  They actually outperform about everything smaller than medium format that I have owned  thanks to the lack of moire filters and first rate lenses.

G'day mate

Beaut response and full of facts - well done

Phil

Thanks Mate.

WTH, no.  Simply said.  No.  Spending this kind of cash regardless how much money you have in the bank if crazy. 

Nearly 4 years wages for a lens?  LOL Not a chance! 

Hmmmm, buy a house or buy a lens?  





We all know where I fall in the circle of wealth.