Why are leica cameras so expensive?

Eric, you still haven't shown any basis for your beliefs. Your experience with 'Leicaphiles' is quite different from mine. Perhaps it is you who is concerned about where the stuff is made? Most Leica users I know couldn't care if the stuff was made in Germany, Portugal, Canada or Japan (as some highly-regarded Leica lenses are).<P>

Manufacturing has become globalized in so many industries that the "Made in ... " label has become almost meaningless. As long as the products meet the company's design and quality standards, what's the big deal? I'm not concerned that many well-regarded Nikon and Canon (Minolta, Pentax, etc.) products are no longer made in Japan, as long as they work.

Hey I think everyone missed one big factor:

 

collectors

 

there are so many leica collectors vs the number of leica users that the prices are now artificially high for used cameras, and as a results leica can charge even more for the new cameras because the used prices are so high

 

are they nice cameras? yes

are they quality made? yes

are they a good value? NO

"What makes these cameras sooo expensive?"<p>

Bacause that's what it takes to appeal to the snobs who think ostentatious contempt for the concept of "Cost Effectiveness" is a a badge of sophistication and class.

Be careful Chuck you're sounding dangerously close to sour

grapes.

When you buy a Leica you buy two things, prestige and quality. However, I believe the price of a Leica is more in the prestige than the quality. Their is a guy I know with the a M6, and I must admit the lenses are fantastic. Much to his dismay, they are hardly much better than my Nikkor AIS lenses, and we have both enlarged up to 13x19 inch prints. They have the SLIGHTEST edge in all aspects, but honestly (Im gonna make alot of enemies now) Leica lenses are hardly much better to justify a 200% price premium Nikon's (or Canon's) lenses, and the decreasing advantage their optics have over "Inferior" mass produced optics is almost nill now. Honestly, I would never recomend anyone building a new camera system to buy into Leica, only a previous Leica owner should. There now I have 10,00o new enemies on photo.net

"Their is a guy I know with the a M6, and I must admit the lenses are fantastic. Much to his dismay, they are hardly much better than my Nikkor AIS lenses, and we have both enlarged up to 13x19 inch prints."

 

I have two 12x18 full-frame B&W images hanging on a wall at home. Both were printed with the same APO Rodagon 50mm on Galerie glossy paper. One was shot with a pre-ASPH 35mm f/2.0 Summicron M lens (IMHO better than the ASPH version on balance) and one was shot with a 35mm f/2.0 AF Nikkor. If you took a 10x loupe to both prints, you could probably tell which image was made with the Leica lens- but it isn't obvious.

 

"Leica lenses are hardly much better to justify a 200% price premium Nikon's (or Canon's) lenses(,)"

 

200%? You wish it was 200%!

 

Currently, the 35mm f/2.0 AFD Nikkor sells for $265 after rebate:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=92011&is=USA

 

The 35mm f/2.0 M ASPH lens sells for $1,595:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=134723&is=USA

 

That is a 600% price difference.

 

And the 50mm f/1.4 AFD Nikkor sells for $270:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=134723&is=USA

 

Wile at the same time, the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux M lens is going for $1,995:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=99575&is=USA

 

That's more than a 700% price spread.

Because Germany has to get even with the world.

Has everyone seemed to forget what the output is?

Its a photograph.

 

I have a feeling most folks couldnt tell the difference by looking at the output of a Russian FED5 or a Leica M8.

 

Seems like the French Wine versus the California Wine blind taste test which the French were blasted.

 

I am a canon fan, and I like a razor sharp original image.

Some Canon lenses deliver this result well others less well.

 

THere are many factors in a photograph

 

Lens body and film.

 

I would love to see some 1600 ASA Fuji exposed in a Canon A2 versus an M8 I wonder if one would be able to tell the difference and would the dfference be worth $5,000?

My Us dollar is worth less today than ever before. I can't sell my Leica and expect to get my money back in the near future. I like my M6 but I could use an RZ67 kit much more now.