M8 owners: Are you glad you held off on the M9 for the new M?

[Godfrey]

I was calculating a ~$500 decrease in the M9(p) value per year until the prices of the new M and M-E were just announced. Seems I've just been handed a sudden $1500 decrease in a matter of weeks. I've had my M9p for almost a year now and got a pretty good deal on it but I have to feel for the people who bought an M9 just a few weeks ago before the price drops were announced. I think the retail price on them was $7000.00. So, could they now have bought the same camera (M-E) for $5400.00? or am I missing something? Bob.

You're not missing anything.

I bought my M9 in January as a Leica USA demo unit with warranty. It cost me $6300. I had looked at two other used M9s in the $5500-5800 range. The only two things you're losing with a new M-E @ $5500 is the frameline selector lever (which I almost never use) and the USB port (which I've never used). And the full, proper black finish ... LOL! The M-E is a terrific deal as these things go. Such is the price of progress.

Rather than be upset about having spent an "extra" $800 on my M9, I'm delighted to see that Leica has held the price on the new M to the same MSRP. With all the nice improvements on the M9, it would have been worth it for that alone. Add the new features (EVF capability, video capture, Live View) and I'm happy to pay the price.

And who knows? Some people will undoubtedly prefer the M9 anyway, just like some people prefer an M8, or an M4-2 over an M6. I bet that M9 prices drop a bit initially, but then rise back up to a plateau and stay there.

 

[Dante_Stella]

No matter how good a digital camera is, its price will drop significantly year after yeat. When we pay $4000 for a camera, plan on a $500 depreciation per year, or even more. Think of it as the cost of leasing a camera, and we pay $500-1000 to use the camera for one year. We better use the cameta a lot.

Actually, that's pretty cheap when you think about it - 10-20 dollars a week. Can you get a rental anywhere near that cheaply?

Dante

 

[Godfrey]

Originally Posted by raid
No matter how good a digital camera is, its price will drop significantly year after yeat. When we pay $4000 for a camera, plan on a $500 depreciation per year, or even more. Think of it as the cost of leasing a camera, and we pay $500-1000 to use the camera for one year. We better use the cameta a lot.

Actually, that's pretty cheap when you think about it - 10-20 dollars a week. Can you get a rental anywhere near that cheaply?

Well, the price drops year after year up to a point. My E-1, which I acquired in 2008 when it was five years old, cost me $325 with 3400 exposures on it. Substantial savings over the original $2000+ price tag, still a wonderful camera. I can sell it today for about $250, with 15000 or so exposures on it.

That's a pretty cheap run rate for one of the best DSLRs ever made.

 

[maitani]

since I handled the M that thing at photokina, I'll happily skip the M9 going for an M in midterm (for the fullframe, video and great hi-iso) my M8 stays with me until it did the last shutter action, it's too special, also the IR-sensitivity makes for unmatched BW results.