$500-$800 REBATES on M8 from Leica

Leica has just announced a REBATE PROGRAM for the M8. B & H has updated their prices to include the rebates.

Somethings about to happen! Stay tuned................

And what good is it if it is sent to the USA and is only good in the UK? We did not even get the Passport warranty in the USA.

FWIW, I just got an e-mail from Leica Germany stating that you can now trade in your old SLR or RF for an M8 - and they will pay 800 EUR for it. Off to the fleamarket :-)

 

Soeren

Clearing the shelves for the new model, to be announced at Photokina?

Why does this remind me of Chrysler's $2.99 gas deal?

This reminds me that the Euro is insanely high and Leica jacked the price of the M8 to over 6 grant (at least here in Japan).

Rebate or not, it's still about $2500 overpriced.

"Rebate or not, it's still about $2500 overpriced."

 

Just so I can get a perspective on this....how much overpriced is a Porsche 911 Turbo?

>>> Just so I can get a perspective on this....how much overpriced is a Porsche 911 Turbo?

 

It's not.

IMO they should call the rebate the "Michael Kamber Special."

things that are not mass made are not really over priced. i don't think it's really fair to say it should only cost x amount because of a dslr cost comparison. just like a porsche. anything that's made in small batches will cost more. whether it's worth it or not is up to the user.

No, the Porsche analogy is just wrong. A Porsche Turbo is a state-of-the-art sports car. Even so, it is 60% or so less than a

bottom of the line Ferrari, which is another state-of-the art sports car. If what floats your boat is a state-of-the -art sports car,

when you buy a Porsche or a modern Ferrari you know you are getting cutting edge technology. Buyers always have and

probably always will pay a premium to buy cutting-edge stuff whether or not the cutting-edge stuff is ever put to real use.

Whether that's a rational choice over buying a Camry is not the question.<p>I think a better analogy of modern Leicas is to

a Rolls Royce. For decades when you bought a Rolls you were getting very expensive 1950's engine technology mated to

a 1960's GM automatic, wrapped in a hand-made body with larger tolerances than a Camry (no robots). Beyond a panache

of status (real or imagined) and the smell of nice Connolly hides, you got little or none actual car achievement. Yet it cost

considerably more than almost any other car.

All the car analogies are wrong, and so are the references to state of the art technology. Aside from collecting

Ms, the reason for buying an M8 is to have a digital rangefinder. When Cosina or Zeiss manufacture a digital rf

for MSRP 2500$, then maybe the M8 will be overpriced. Until that happy occurance, the M8 has no competition and is

priced accordingly.

Anyone knows if this rebate program is worldwide applied?

DonE, not looking to start an argument, but I've seen this notion that there is something paradigmatic about a rangefinder vs, I

guess, an SLR made repeatedly, and I just don't get it. Yes you see a little more of a scene, so what? You also get a less

accurate idea what will be on the frame. I've used several rangefinders, including an M7. There's just nothing about the

viewfinder assembly method that seems to me to be something that should affect one's photography. If anything, I think the

rangefinder as a virtue idea is a marketing ploy more than anything-- just look at Gandy's breathless touting of the utterly

mediocre Cosina bodies.

Andy, I don't say there's anything special about rangefinders, just that if someone wants a digital rf there's

the M8 and nothing else on the market. Personally, I wouldn't mind having one, but don't need one. I like

rangefinders, though. The only rationale I have is that I get more 'keepers' with one than with other types of

cameras. I have no idea why, but to quote from Godzilla vs The Sea Monster "I can't return a gift from the gods",

so I use 'em.

Gary H. - what warranty does one get for a new M8 in USA? I guess I didn't realize there's not a Passport warranty here in

USA? What gives with that? (Unless I misunderstood.)

Andy K - I would rather my Turbo than either of the 430's - the only thing that Ferrari has over Porsche is nicer red paint -:).<p>

 

Similarly, if CaNikon made a body which accepted M lenses or equivalent and delivered M lens IQ - I would be all over it like ugly on ape. Some M users actually use the stuff - because of the glass , many have bought an M8 - despite the M8's many limitations - to see what the glass was like on the digital M. The M files as good as CaNikon - I know,as I shoot with all three.<p>So I guess I am saying the M8 isnt an inferior or silly choice - for those who understand what they are getting. For example, I can take my 21/35/50 3 lens kit with a body and charger, all in a tiny bag or shove it in my brief case when traveling. The thing works. If CaNikon made a better body which used my M lenses - bring it on - would love to see it - Leica have become a very ordinary manufacturer these days, I have no doubt that CaNikon could make a better body.<p>

 

As for rangefinder viewing shooting - it has strengths and weaknesses regarding focusing as well as viewing - these arent hard to figure out. For some the strengths more than compensate weaknesses - for many others they dont. So what?<p> Also please dont paint me as a red dot apologist either - frankly it is just a tool , no better than anything else I choose to use and certainly no worse - except in terms of quality control, robustness and certain annoyances - here Leica is decidedly inferior to CaNikon - all of whom are inferior to Alpa and Hasselblad and Rodenstock and Schneider.<p> one camera from anyone cant deliver all the solutions to photographic problems..

My Dodge neon was $2500 overpriced.

 

will these rebates be retroactive?

 

I can't believe leica is actually doing a rebate. I thought it was company policy to never give anything back to the customer for free.

What was the price of an M8 just before they announced a rebate? Have prices merely been increased to offset the rebate amount? Also, is there any new word on a new digital camera being offered?

william torres: <i>What was the price of an M8 just before they announced a rebate?</i>

<p>The price was the same as the new net-of-rebate price.

<p><i> Have prices merely been increased to offset the rebate amount?</i>

<p>The other way round. The rebate has been put in place to offset the price increase. Leica has (or had) price

increases every quarter for the past 8 or 9 years. That's why the market for used M lenses keeps going up.

<p>Once the economy picks up again, or the exchange rate makes the US dollar higher (don't hold your breath for

either), then Leica can remove the rebate and prices will be high again. They did this for M film cameras years ago.

When I bought my first M cameras, there was a 10 percent reduction and a $200 rebate on "Leica Days." So my

$1,895 M6TTL cost me around $1,500. This was December 2001. The current price of new M film cameras has

paced ahead of inflation or any other indicators, most probably due to the exchange rate.

<p>I bought two M8's from KurlandPhoto on Ebay, demos with one year Leica warranties. Craig Williams used to

work for Tamarkin and now works at Kurland. He's one of the best Leica people on the planet, and a gentleman as

well. Since I bought the M8's the price for used ones has dropped by $500. I'm not complaining, as I really like the

cameras. Silver ones are cheaper than the black ones.

<p>This stuff is all relative. I'm trying to help a friend get a grip on her life. Her monthly laundry bill is over $1,000.

Shocking to me, but not to her.