Leica newbie question- where should I look for quality used Leica gear?

[sid_sharma]

I have, so far, been a Nikon user, but after borrowing a friend's

M6TTL, I have succumbed to the Leica system. Since I have yet to find

a buyer for my mint, unused Hassy 501CM kit, I will have to go the

used route. Where should I look for quality, reliable, used Leica

cameras and lens? I'd like to get a M6 Classic or a M6TTL with a 50mm

Summicron lens to start off with. Am I being realistic in budgeting

$1400.00 for this body+lens combo? Any used dealers you all would

recommend?

Thanks in advance.

-Sid

[charles barcellona www.bl]

Dealers where? Your locale? (where is that?) On the net?

 

I'd probably suggest going with a dealer, or buying from someone here on the forum who will stand behind his/her item as being a good one.

[michael_kastner]

In your position, I'd try a bid at eBay from a seller who is to be noted as being a real Leica store, who offers (directly with or without the photo(s) there or indirectly via e-mail) the serial numbers as well as (again directly or indirectly) the fact that you'll harvest something like a six-month guarantee as well. $1400 should do the trick.

[sid_sharma]

I am located in ANn Arbor, Mi, and am willing to buy from dealers anywhere who will ship to me.

[gary_brown2]

I've found that this forum or Keh camera is great (keh.com)

[patricks]

Sid - don't do it. Before you know it you own $4K of Leica equipment.. ;-)

 

A good used M6 classic will run you about $900-1,000 (a tad more if minty). A mint M6TTL, a better buy IMO will run you about $1,200. If you cannot afford the Summicron lens to start with the Konica Hexanon 50/2 is pretty much just as good and it can be had for around $225-250 in mint condition if you look around a bit.

 

If you want to buy from a "trustworthy" place, e.g. a authorized dealer you'll definitely pay a premium, around $1,400 for a mint M6TTL, which doesn't seem to be in your budget. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rich Pinto at www.photovillage.com in New York.

 

Add a op/tech neopren rangefinder case for $25. You are set to go. You'll regret it for as long as you live...

[geri_brandimarte2]

Sid,

 

I love my M6 and I hope you will too. I may be able to help you free up some

cash to help with your purchase. I am looking to buy a used 501CM Kit. How

much do you want for yours. I live in Birmingham, MI so their would be no

need to worry about sending payment or the kit. Email me at:

gbrandimarte@hotmail.com Hope to talk to you soon, Geri Brandimarte

[Rob F.]

Another vote for KEH camera brokers, and for this forum. $1400 is pretty tight; $1600 should get you what you want.

[marke_gilbert]

Sid,

<p>Have you called Huron Camera in Dexter?

<P>They dont always have a good amount of Leica gear, but it would be worth a shot. If you email me off list, I can suggest some others in SE Michigan.

<P>Best,

[kevin m.]

If you keep your wits about you, ebay's a great place to get bargains. I got my first Leica off ebay - An M2 with collapsible Summicron 50 - for a really good price because the seller couldn't post pictures. He had good feedback, so I contacted him and he was polite and prompt in his replies, plus he offered to take the camera back if it didn't match his description. I've since bought another body, a V35 enlarger, another lens, several filters and a 35mm Summicron (from a dealer in Austria, no less.) In each case for below-dealer prices. I've found the key is to establish email contact before the end of the auction no matter how good the seller's feedback is. I figure if a seller can't be bothered to make an effort before the sale, you'd be hard pressed to get any help from them after they have your money. Buying a camera 'kit' (body with lens/lenses accessories) will save you money, too. Look for misspellings, too. Lecia, Summicorn, etc.

 

Don't rule out dealers, though. I got a sweet deal on a Hexar RF kit with the 28 and 90 lenses because the dealer no longer carried the Konica line.

 

You can get a Leica for a price that's (relatively) affordable, you just have to work a little harder. Happy hunting!

[fotografz]

No need to look any farther than here.

 

Just post WTB and state what you're looking for.

[jerry_pfile1]

Sid,

 

Both Marke and Marc had good suggestions. Big Georges Appliances (Leica dealer about a mile west of the "Big House") generally has used gear.

 

Over this way in Canton, Troy or Dearborn you can try Adrays Appliances (also Leica dealers).

 

Check the ads in the News or Free Press. There's a show at least once a month or so around here. There are always a few dealers there who have a lot of Leica.

 

You could also place a WTB classified in the above papers also.

 

I'd follow any of these venues if I was buying used. Unless you're buying new, it always nice to handle the stuff in person.

 

Best,

 

Jerry

[albert knapp md]

Sid: I would personally avoid eBay unless the seller has a stellar

reputation. I would suggest Ken Hansen Photographic in New

York at 212 3170923. He is honest and very knowledgeable and

has a great selection. It may be worth your while to pay a

premium for a guarrantee.

[douglas_green1]

I would add that ebay is NOT the place for a newbie to buy a Leica. I buy and sell gear on ebay all the time. High value transactions such as Leicas on ebay are best left to those who are highly familiar with both the items they are buying, and all of the pitfalls of ebay as a shopping venue. You need to understand just what the risks are, and how much you are saving to make an intelligent judgement as to whether the potential savings vs. the possibility of a rip-off is a reasonable trade-off. Also, one can NEVER be 100% certain that an ebay transaction is completely risk free, unless you really know who you are dealing with on the other end. Even if 90-95% of all transactions are positive, and the average savings on any one transaction is around 25% compared to buying elsewhere, you have to make lots of purchases to insure that you don't get burned overall.

[david_cuttler]

Sid --I have purchased 2 cameras on Ebay, but to get the 2 keepers, I had to return 2 others. I will never be sure if it was deliberate misrepresentation, or ignorance on the part of the sellers of the returned items. I think it was the former. On the other hand I purchased a V/C 25mm lens & Cosina body from a person on this forum, and I was absolutely pleased with them. You really need to know what to look for, and how to evaluate the item when it arrives.

 

I just received a 1950s vintage Brumberger 500 watt 6X6 projector that I purchased off Ebay for $115.00. It came with a full box of unused glass & metal slide holders, a stack loader, and all the manuals. It even had the original sales receipt, and hang tag in the case. It was brand new! Someone bought it, and just stored it for fifty years. The good values are out there but you need to be careful. Also stay away from anyone who says, �I don�t know anything about cameras, but it looks nice.�

[kelly_flanigan1]

Go Blue!

[kevin m.]

I guess it comes down to having a guaranty vs. cost savings. Dealers do charge money for what they provide. The question is, do you always need what they're providing? If you do your research, you can save more than a little bit on ebay. Specifically: Mint condition German-made, late Pre-aspherical 35mm Summicron for $530. (due to favorable exchange rate at the time) M2 with recent CLA, EX++ with 50mm collapsible Summicron for $675. (buyer had no pics) Mint minus 50mm Summicron with tab $450 (buyer had no pics.) In all cases I asked for (and the sellers agreed to) a return privilege before I place a bid. Again, happy hunting.

[carbonado]

I bought a used M6 TTL from Rich Pinto at PhotoVillage. (http://www.photovillage.com). Rich was great on the phone, answered all my questions, and everything arrived *exactly* as described.

 

Got a great price on the M6, too! (Definitely in your ballpark for just the body, although your desired lens might raise the ceiling a bit.)

 

Highly recommended.

[carbonado]

BTW, I would avoid ebay at all costs. It's simply not worth it -- unless you're ordering from a reputable dealer.

 

But if that's the case, then why go through the hassle of ebay? Most dealers -- especially if they sell some stuff through ebay -- will give you the same prices as ebay if you mention their listings. And many dealers -- in my experience, at least -- would much rather sell directly to you and avoid ebay, as well.

 

The only way that ebay might *possibly* work is if you pounce on a "recently listed" listing listed by someone who has no idea of the going price. I don't particularly like this -- it seems borderline unethical, although I'm not sure why I think this -- but there are always stories about folks getting Leicas for absurdly low prices because the seller had no idea that a "little camera like the M4" could go for so much.

[enrique_munoz1]

I had a look at the Photo Village site mentioned above and was shocked by the price (low) of the LHSA black paint M6 TTL. Can they really be going for less than $2000, only $200 more than a normal TTL? Then I did a search and read a bit about them, and may be they are no great thing after all. Still I am surprised about the small price difference.

[stephen_w.]

Sid,

 

There is a good source of used items in general on the east-side of State St. between Packard and Eisenhower. They have recently changed names so I don't remember their name. They will haggle. I got a SWC and an CLA'd M3 from them. A good old-fashioned camera store.

 

Avoid Huron Camera in Dexter.

 

Go Blue!

[kevin m.]

Unless I'm missing something or it's just not discussed in polite company, could some of the people who are bad-mouthing ebay be troubled to give some reasons as to why they are doing so? A little more evidence, a little less attitude would be nice.

[carbonado]

>> Unless I'm missing something or it's just not discussed in polite

>> company, could some of the people who are bad-mouthing ebay be

>> troubled to give some reasons as to why they are doing so?

 

I figure it's pretty simple. All sorts of people sell stuff on ebay. Dealers, wackos, and everyone in between. And frankly, when I'm spending $1100 on an M6 -- or even $200 on an XBOX -- buying from an unknown seller on ebay is more of a risk than buying from a known dealer. Period.

 

Of course, there have been millions and millions of successful sales on ebay.

 

But just as likely, there have been lots and lots and lots of scams, and while I've only been scammed once -- over a ten dollar used book -- there's no way I'd put myself in a position to be scammed over an expensive camera.

 

*shrug*

 

Sure, ebay is making attempts at better protection -- escrow, the new guarantee with PayPal, etc. -- but my single scam experience has taught me that even getting a measly ten bucks back can take upwards of two months. It's a drag. And in order to get any sort of refund from any of ebay's various "protections" requires a significant amount of patience and email writing time. Who wants to write emails and keep track of whether 30 days have passed so now you can file a complaint? Who wants to try and contact recalcitrant sellers who don't read their email to answer questions?

 

Others love ebay. It's a rush. They'll buy their M6s and Summicrons and love every minute of it. And for the most part, they get pretty good deals.

 

Me, I'd much rather find dealers I trust and will back their stuff unconditionally. You don't like it? Fine, send it back, and I'll refund your money.

 

You might get that on ebay, you might not.

 

But you won't know whether you have it or not until you really want it and then find out you can't have it.

 

I dunno. Maybe I'm out of line being wary of ebay?

 

Who knows.

[kevin m.]

Chris: I had the same experience you did. I've been burned twice on ebay in 5 years on low-dollar items. In both cases I didn't use my head and I bid on the items even though I had misgivings about the seller. Slow to answer emails, etc. I've had no trouble sussing these kinds of sellers out when I take the time to establish contact before I bid, though. I would prefer to buy from dealers, myself, but I couldn't afford the kit I now have if I had paid dealer prices.

[john_newell2]

Over the past (almost) 20 years I've done more buying and selling from/to Jim Kuehl in Iowa. He consistently has great prices and I have never seen anything that wasn't at least as good as promised, usually better. He is as reliable as the sunrise. No website, though. Ads in SB or by tel 515-225-0110 if memory is correct. And, no, I do not have any personal or financial connection! -- just years of very happy dealings.

 

John Newell