leica $$

[enigma]

Ok, very simple question. Why are Leica cameras so much? A rangefinder camera for $2,500.

I know they are THE BEST of all, but what is it about them that is so good. The glass, the body, all of it.... what makes the camera the rolls royce of camera?

Thanks for enlightening me.

Justin

 

[voodoocat]

I wondered the same thing. I guess the shutter makes absolutely no noise. Also allows you to handhold lower shutterspeeds. The optics are also superb... zeiss caliber. It makes an ideal camera for street photography due to it's weight and size. It's also quiet enough to be allowed in courtrooms.

 

[doxx]

it's all about german quality... actually mostly everything in these cameras is assembled by hand. The quality and quality control is superior! You can still use a 50+ yrs old Leica with the same astonishing results like a brand new camera...
It's a common tool for street photography because it's light, small and discreet. The lenses are the sharpest and fastest lenses in the world...
Leica rules!

 

[Dew]

and i know about "german" quality :heart:

 

[voodoocat]

Me too

My wife is of German descent

 

[dlc]

It is the quality and time put in to build each camera and lens. I certainly don't dispute their quality, but I don't know of any camera(even medium format) that is worth $3000 to me, even if I was wealthy.

People that have other camera gear that they use that spend $3000 for a Leica and lens, the only rationale is.....

80% prestige - 20% photography.

 

[urameatball]

so you're saying it's all poser value.?

 

[Chase]

Only 80%

 

[doxx]

me thinks if you get serious about something, you just start to look for the right tool... In photography it's mostlikely about quality, durability and fast & high quality lenses. A Leica system provides you with all that kind of stuff.

Also... always depending what you need/want to shoot.

 

[ksmattfish]

Leica is fairly well known for being of the highest quality. Yes, you are paying extra for the name, but I think that is typical with top of the line products.

I've always been of the opinion that Pentax, Nikon, and Canon are all really about the same, but you'll definately pay a little more if it says Canon or Nikon on it.

Leica is also very collectable, and that drives up the price. It is possible to find better deals on "unpopular" Leica models. It's also very possible to find the same optics (Zeiss or Schneider) on other great cameras forgotten by history, and therefore afordable.

The Leica camera that most people think of is their rangefinder camera. Rangefinders don't use through the lens viewfinders, so they don't have the mirror and prism of an SLR. This cuts down on size, movement, and noise. They also usually have leaf shutter shutters rather than focal plane shutters (like SLRs). Leaf shutters cause less camera movement so you may be able to hand hold the camera at slower shutter speeds. Leaf shutters also can sync with a flash at higher shutter speeds than a FP shutter.

KSmattfish