Does anyone have original MSRP for Leica cameras?

[haysm7]

<p>I've been trying to track this information down but haven't turned anything up through Google. I'm just looking for the original MSRP pricing information for Leica products at the time of their release. I'm just curious to see how they compare to one another when adjusted for inflation. Thanks!</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>If you have access to a (university) library with magazine archives, you can look up actual selling/advertised prices in old photo magazines. November issues are good, since they're selling for Xmas.<br /> Of course, something closer to a retail market price nowadays can be got for the last few months on "sold listings" on ebay ("completed listings" are often unsold items for which the price asked was way too high, so don't use that). Here is a link for a search for Leica M3 <strong>sold</strong> - you need to do some filtering, of course)<br /> http://www.ebay.com/sch/Film-Cameras-/15230/i.html?_from=R40&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&_nkw=leica+m3</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>An older related thread:<br>

http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00IwM9<br>

To eleminate all the US$ to RM / DM / Euro ups and downs it would be nice to have a table showing the price in Leica assembly line worker's hours.</p>

[john_boyle3]

<p>Several Leica catalogs from the 60s and 70s had prices for all of the items included. A Morgan & Morgan reprint of a 1939 catalog also lists prices. I have several of these old catalogs ( they are not for sale ) and may be able to help. Do you have any specific items in mind?</p>

<p> </p>

[ray .]

How about the M2 and/or M3, John?

 

I seem to recall the price for the M4-p body I purchased at the time they were new was somewhere around $600-$800.

[ray .]

Typing into google search 'price for new Leica M4-p in 198' I found a Popular Photography page listing.

 

An M4p body was $599.95, and with 50mm Summicron, $1199.

 

Looks like if you type in 'Popular Photography with a year and month, every page of the magazine is online in PDF (?) form. You can scroll through the pages which include the ads.

[john_boyle3]

<p>The oldest catalog I have with the M2 and M3 is #36 dated 5-62. The M3 w/o lens was $297, w/50mm rigid Summicron $447. The M2S w/o lens was $249, w/35mm Summicron $423. I bought my M4 new in 1967 and it was $288 w/o lens, $315 w/50mm Elmar. Hope this helps.</p>

[SCL]

<p>My catalog #42, dated 1/1/69 shows some of the following prices:<br>

M4 w/o lens $309, black w/o lens $339, with 50mm Elmar f/2.8 $390, with 50mm rigid Summicron $459, with 50mm Summicron DR f/2 & OVU $498, with 50mm Summilux f/1.4 $537. I bought mine earlier thru a USN purchasing program for a good discount.</p>

<p>The Leicameter MR-4 was $51 or $57 in black. The bright line optical finder for 35mm lenses was $37.50.</p>

<p>The Leicaflex SL w/o lens was $483. A Focomat IIC with lamp, 60 & 100mm Elmar f/4.5 lenses, baseboard, double condenser, upright, illuminated magnification indicator and color filter holder was $1086.</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Ray, are you sure about the 1980 M4-P price? I purchased my M4-2 new in 1979 for $1125 in Quebec City when the Canadian dollar was worth 86 cents US, that is equivalent to $967 US. The M4-P would have been equal to or pricier than the M4-P one year later, so I assume the M4-P with its two additional framelines would have been at least $1000 US. I bought a new 35mm version IV Summicron f 2 lens, also designed and made in Midland, at a discount from a Montreal store. for somewhere between $400 and $450 CAN ($344 to $387 US).</p>

[ray .]

Arthur, here's the page I was looking at, apparently Pop Photo Oct 1982:

<a href="http://books.google.com/books?

id=3SagqdaoM0kC&pg=PT52&dq=%22price+for+new+leica+m4-p+in+198%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=O3ODU-

KKOZL6oASF8YCgAQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22price%20for%20new%20leica%20m4-

p%20in%20198%22&f=false">link</a><p>

 

The M4-p price is down the left column.<p>

 

The M4-p was the only Leica I ever purchased new, but it was sometime after 1981- I'm thinking 1983 or '84. I

sold an article for $600 and bought the camera with that cash, and seem to remember the price being almost

exactly the same amount. That's why I thought the $599 price listed in the magazine must be correct.

Is it possible that because the M6 was about to be released, the prices on the M4-p had been lowered?

[paul_neuthaler]

<p>..just remember that, in the 50's and 60's, $ was much less inflated. I think the average exectutive salary in the 50's was $15,000 or so.<br>

Arthur Plimpton will remember -- he was an executive in the 50's -- right Arthur?</p>

[tiffany_namm]

<p>I have a 1938 copy of "Miniature camera" magazine, and they advertise the Leica IIIb for 43 British Pounds.</p>