Starting to ponder liquidation for M-Milestone

[zauhar]

Originally Posted by Pablito

darkroom gear is hard to GIVE away.

I'd like a good color enlarger (or at at least a variable contrast) - Will one of you nice people send me one? I will pay shipping!

Randy

[sykotec]

Not for a digital camera of any sort, but I've started clearing out the stuff I don't plan on concentrating on in the future to sort out the few things I want. If you want a digital RF, I can certainly see the logic - no time like the present. If you want to wait for the next, better thing, you could be waiting forever. If it's where you want to be, do what makes sense to get there.

Even more so in my case, as what I'm looking for is all film-related - someday people won't even think to ASK before throwing thing out, and supplies aren't getting any more plentiful.

More classifieds coming soon from me, to most importantly, I've got this one up:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/phot...oom-gear/cat/8

Moderators - please speak up if it's a faux-pas to post a link to an existing classified ad. Obviously, I wouldn't do so unless I thought it was by the book.

[sykotec]

Not a bad idea - if it works for you, go for it. I'd rather do both - clear out what I don't need/am easily distracted by, and work for what I'm after as well. Gear to trade or sell for the gear I really want, and since it's film type stuff, any extra work related income is going towards stocking up the freezer.

Originally Posted by michaelbialecki

I am actually considering getting a second job for about 4-5 months, working my butt off, then buying an M and never looking back....

I have the free time, work is plentiful out here, and it is something that I am seriously considering doing....I don't plan on selling anything, just working some more.....

cheers, michael

[BCMielke]

I have got some film items I plan on selling. Mainly the stuff that gets little use. I will be also selling some extra lenses that I have for my DSLR. I think it will be worth it in the long run. I plan on having the M for awhile.

[digitalintrigue]

Will the M improve my photography?

In a word: no.

It's about ten times what I would pay for a digital. In other words, the depreciation in the first month will pay for a viable digital body for me. $7k just doesn't make economic sense; I could sell gear and obtain one, but I won't.

[sykotec]

I wonder what loses value faster - a motorcycle (or car) or digital Leica? My guess is if they're both bought new, the curve might be similar.

That said, I HAVE been thinking about selling the 'spare' vintage scary-fast bike - for the hotrod fund though, not a camera. We maintain a separation of house and garage toy funds here...

Originally Posted by bbrovold

I be more apt to sell say my motorcycle to get the M-9 Monochrome.
But then what would I sell to get money in the future? Oh, I guess I would also sell the M6 since I would have the Mono.

[jky]

Originally Posted by robklurfield

Right kidney vs. left kidney...

Get a CT scan and give up the one with less cysts.... It'll be worth more - so you can also buy that new summicron.

[anselwannab]

Originally Posted by digitalintrigue

Will the M improve my photography?

In a word: no.

It's about ten times what I would pay for a digital. In other words, the depreciation in the first month will pay for a viable digital body for me. $7k just doesn't make economic sense; I could sell gear and obtain one, but I won't.

I've seen this kind of data before for some gear. Does anyone keep track of the prices of Leica? I peeked at ebay and it seems some retailers haven't got the memo about the price drop. Be interesting to see around Christmas where all the used prices are.

I really think April is the earliest we'll see the camera. That was the first delivery indicators before 'early next year' became standard response.

M8s seem to be around $2k. Looking forward to M9s getting there sometime this decade.

[Phil_F_NM]

Originally Posted by Vickko

Oh, no, rule number one - do not sell any Leica lenses. Close corollary is to not sell any Leica mount lenses.

So, what about Rolleiflex, Hasselblad, Linhof Technika 4x5...?

Why NOT sell the Leica lenses when all of the aforementioned will beat the pants off a Leica every single day of the week?

The only reason I still have just one Leica lens and one body is sentimental. I took them to Iraq and they went through hell with me. I'll keep them forever but through some lens testing I've done with two new Leica lenses and a V2 Summilux vs a couple Nikon RF lenses and a $12 Helios-103, there is NO rationalization that I could come up with to keep a few lenses that are valued at a few thousand each.

Of course, if you're saving up for a Leica body, then you'll need a few lenses I guess.

Phil Forrest

[back alley]

leica is a luxury item...it's never going to be a game changer without autofocus...not with folks who are growing up with af.

[bugmenot]

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

Why NOT sell the Leica lenses when all of the aforementioned will beat the pants off a Leica every single day of the week?

The only reason I still have just one Leica lens and one body is sentimental. I took them to Iraq and they went through hell with me. I'll keep them forever but through some lens testing I've done with two new Leica lenses and a V2 Summilux vs a couple Nikon RF lenses and a $12 Helios-103, there is NO rationalization that I could come up with to keep a few lenses that are valued at a few thousand each.

Of course, if you're saving up for a Leica body, then you'll need a few lenses I guess.

Phil Forrest

Holy crap ... actual logic and rational thinking

I completely agree. I owned 2 Leica lenses until a year ago: a 35mm summilux pre-ASPH and the latest model 50mm summicron (aka pre-ASPH now, I suppose). Sure, they weren't particularly expensive lenses, by my entire Canon setup cost just a hair above those two lenses combined. So there was no justification in keeping them since I had sold my M3. I had come to the same conclusion as you have, that Leica lenses are not THAT much better to justify the stored value and investment. I sold them and put the money to better use, some photography related, others student debt related. I may regret it one day (already kind of regret the summicron), but as they say "only buy what you can afford" and "keep what you can afford to leave on a shelf". I'm sure the two folks who bought it are putting the lenses through much better and more use than I ever did.

[batey_1020]

Im not considering selling anything but i have considered moving in with teh In-Laws for a few months to save some money for a Leica M (May have mentioned home deposit to the other hafl)....

[Doug]

I don't think I could bring myself to sell my M2 after 45 years, but I should move a bunch of other stuff. Not sure if I'd apply the proceeds to a new "M Milestone" but I'm tempted... Maybe hold off for the "N Milestone" Steven mentioned, which I understand to have 32 Megapixels. You heard it here first!

[KM-25]

If I sold 25% of my film or half my 4x5 kit or 70% of my Hasselblad kit, etc, I could buy a "M". But that would be like selling fine oil paints for a paint-by-numbers set, utterly idiotic....especially considering I sold two 15" x 15" silver gelatin prints this week for nearly a grand each...

A $7,000 digital camera...?.....no freaking way, lol!

[sanmich]

I would do it if
1- I knew I was going to use the camera very intensively and make use of every minute of its fast depreciation rate.

2- I could live with only one camera.

I guess I won't...

[Rico]

And remember, kids: digital goes down in value, kidneys go up!

[denizg7]

buying a new mp and investing on it is the best way. like a new m3 that cost 40 grand these days

[britinjapan]

Agreed with the SAVE approach...never sell any lenses or your old favorite bodies - you can only live to regret it. Put a small amount aside every month...

[Roger Hicks]

My Gandolfi 12x15 might make a reasonable sized dent in the M if I can get a press discount.

But after photokina, I increasingly suspect that for me, the future may be silver halide.

Cheers,

R.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

My Gandolfi 12x15 might make a reasonable sized dent in the M if I can get a press discount.

But after photokina, I increasingly suspect that for me, the future may be silver halide.

Cheers,

R.

Newsflash!!!!! Did I read that correctly Roger? ... I'd be interested to hear your reasons for this train of thought.

[Doug]

Please help prevent this from becoming a "film vs digital" thread!

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Keith

Newsflash!!!!! Did I read that correctly Roger? ... I'd be interested to hear your reasons for this train of thought.

(1) More interest from more people who are prepared to pay for information, instead of expecting everything to be free, and less competition. Bear in mind how I earn my living.

(2) With the exception of Leica, oversized, overcomplicated cameras (and yes, I probably will get the new M if I can afford it)

(3) A strong preference for shutter speed dials, aperture rings and manual focus and a strong dislike of touch-screens (akin to (1) again)

(4) Not exclusively digital.

Cheers,

R.

[Dylan Hope]

I'm honestly not that desperate for the M because it's more my emergency exit strategy if film gets too expensive for me to justify than an actual object of desire, so I'll keep shooting film while I save for it. Take some more hours at work, shoot more weddings, balance it all with student loan stuff. I figure it'll take me around 14-18 months if I don't get any more weddings, shorter if than that if I do. Might sell off my Canon gear near the end as a booster shot, pick up a voigtlander 25, a zeiss 50, and eventually a 90.

Of course, with that sort of timeline I'd probably end up holding out for the second M which would be just around the corner, a mere 18-30 months away from that previously mentioned 18 month mark :P

[jsrockit]

Originally Posted by raid

You will be replacing items that would have increased in value with an item that will decrease in value. This is a problem.

Raid, but you recently bought a M8 and M9. You know these will go down too... but you sure will get enough enjoyment out of them to make the depreciation a non issue right?

[helenhill]

I'm not so sure this One leica Camera and it being a Digital
is worth the Sacrifice

How can One know If this will be the 'Ultimate' Tool for You
as long as You realize the Risk and are willing to Gamble than Go for It

But to Me it's not worth doing