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Where to buy Leica MP in London?

david_craig1

By david_craig1
in Leica and Rangefinders

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bob wyer

bob wyer

Posted
Posted

Try the following:

www.theclassiccamera.com

Very friendly, helpful and knowledgable

As you enter the courtyard it is far right, but don't miss hard left Jessops

Collectable shop, full of Leica memorabilia not to mention some rare "Bits"

Godd hunting Bob Wyer

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bob wyer

bob wyer

Posted
Posted

Try the following:

www.theclassiccamera.com

Very friendly, helpful and knowledgable

As you enter the courtyard it is far right, but don't miss hard left Jessops

Collectable shop, full of Leica memorabilia not to mention some rare "Bits"

Good hunting Bob Wyer

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chris_kelly3

chris_kelly3

Posted
Posted

David

If you can venture a little bit outside London then do try Wey Cameras in Weybridge Surrey. (Easy 30 minute train ride from Waterloo Station)

I have bought Hassleblad and Leica stuff from them. (Bought an M7 and Tri-Elmar yesterday, as it happens)

The owner, Stephen, and his two sales guys, Carl and Sean, are friendly, knowledgable and patient. I haven't needed any after sales service as yet but have every confidence that it will be very good if I need it.

Regards

Chris

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glenn_warren

glenn_warren

Posted
Posted

The Classic Camera: Good prices but service sometimes a little aloof.

 

R.G. Lewis (opposite Holborn Tube station): Good service if you get the right person.(One of the guys is a d***, the other three are very helpful.

 

Richard Caplan (off Jermyn St.): Excellent service; this guy goes the extra mile.

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johann_fuller

johann_fuller

Posted
Posted
You won't find a more freindly and helpfull bunch of guys that those in Kingsley Photographic on Tottenham court Road. I have found one particular dealer mentioned above ( not to far away from the British Museum) to be quite high handed and snobbish in their approach to customers.
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Richard Williams

Richard Williams

Posted
Posted

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<head>

<meta http-equiv="content-type"

content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">

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Two that haven't been mentioned are Kingsley Photographic [wait -

Johann just did] on Tottenham Court Rd., and Aperture in Museum St.

(near The Classic Camera, Jessops Classic,  and RG Lewis - all

four shops are within a few minutes walk of each other). Kingsley also

do Nikon and Contax etc., but know a lot about Leica - they host

official Leica Days). Aperture specialise more in used Nikon, but are

also good for used Leica and carry some new Leica stock. Richard Caplan

and The Classic Camera are hardcore Leica specialists and don't sell

much else. RG Lewis have a broader range of stock, but have been going

for over a century and selling Leica for much of that time. Staff have

been friendly and helpful in all these shops, and I wouldn't hesitate

to buy from any of them. I've only had to use after-sale service at

Aperture, who were happy to adjust a used lens that needed tightening.

You can check for MP pricing on their various websites:<br>

<br>

<a href="http://www.theclassiccamera.com/">The Classic Camera</a><br>

<a href="http://www.jessops.com/classic/">Jessops Classic</a><br>

<a href="http://www.apertureuk.com/">Aperture</a><br>

<a href="http://www.rglewis.co.uk/">RG Lewis</a><br>

<a href="http://www.gkz56.dial.pipex.com/">Richard Caplan</a><br>

<a href="http://www.kingsleyphoto.co.uk/">Kingsley Photographic</a><br>

<br>

</body>

</html>

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bruno_menilli

bruno_menilli

Posted
Posted

David,

 

Over the years I have used all the above mentioned shops( I live only about a half mile from the British Museum), but the two that stand out for service, patience and interest are:

 

1) R G LEWIS, Len Lyons,the owner is the one to deal with although there can be days when he is not there. 9 Southampton Row WC1 : 020 7242 2916.

 

2) APERTURE, Patrick is the guy to talk to.They have a small cafe at the back of the shop, and they stay open till 7pm including Saturdays. I'm not 100% sure if they can supply new warrantied Leica equipment? 44 Museum Street WC1 020 7242 8681.

 

Good luck!

 

Regards

 

Bruno

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hamish

hamish

Posted
Posted

Aperture - I checked a piece they carried on their website as "mint" (a Nikon AIS lens) in the store - long scratch down the barrel - they didn't bat an eyelid when i pointed it out or suggest a a new price/description.

 

Check out Nichols in Mornington crescent - very very good value for a voigtlander 15mm - ask for Nick - number in Amateur Photog every week. often carries/has access to what he doesn't list.

 

and of course robert white at wwww.robertwhite.co.uk and www.fordes.co.uk - both been v. helpful.

 

I have found RG Lewis and Kinglsley both v. helpful - Kinglsey more -"on the ball".

 

Good Luck

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bruno_menilli

bruno_menilli

Posted
Posted

Hamish

 

I visited Aperture and saw a Leica lens which wasn't exactly as described, but that was put right, in a friendly way.

 

 

 

David wants a shop to visit in person, so the description of an item would not be a problem,I think?

 

NICHOLAS off Mornington Cresc. is not a shop I would recommend, having gone there, and to Prince Of Wales Road ( where it used to be based, and was much better) every now and again, over the last 20 years.

 

I have never bought anything there, as it appears, I believe, to be the last resting place of many pros. moribune gear.Of course not everything that they sell is like that, just most,it appears.

 

They do not sell new Leica equipment. I have assumed David is after the latest MP, not the original?

 

On the other hand it might be worth a visit, just to see the range of camera shops in London. It's diagonally opposite Mornington Crescent tube station, at 15 Camden High Road NW1 020 7916 7251

 

Regards

 

Bruno

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bill_g2

bill_g2

Posted
Posted

<i> << We in the good ol' USA pay sales tax on used cars...and on used cameras. >> </i>

 

<p>Of course, if you buy out of state I think you can not pay state sales tax on things like cameras.

 

<p>In most of Europe, the rate is obscenely high. In the UK, I think the rate is 17.5%. At least it is only around 8% here in Switzerland.

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stephen_w.

stephen_w.

Posted
Posted

Of course you are correct, in that buying used gear from another state, one does not pay sales tax. But, if the company has a branch in your state, you pay the tax no matter where it's shipped from.

 

I bought my used car in St Louis and paid tax there. When I moved back to Tejas and registered it here, I didn't pay additional tax.

 

17.5% VAT/IVA is high considering that it is being paid with after income tax money - essentially, 35%.

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Richard Williams

Richard Williams

Posted
Posted
Secondhand dealers can apparently elect to use something called the VAT 'retail margin scheme' (from The Classic Camera site: "Most second-hand items are sold in the Retail Margin Scheme, so the VAT content of the price is not reclaimable and the amount does not have to be disclosed."). I suspect that may mean the dealer only has to pay (some percentage of) VAT on the profit margin, though the purchaser still ends up paying the market rate dictated by the VAT-inclusive price of a new camera (and non-EU buyers or VAT-registered customers don't pay any less).
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stevep

stevep

Posted
Posted

I work in London (about a mile from the British Museum) and I have to agree with

Bruno's comments above.

 

Not mentioned was Jessop's Classics - very near Classic (same courtyard) and an

authorised Leica dealer. While they mostly have used gear, they do have a few brand-

new as well. They may even have an MP'03.

 

Aperure has always treated me well, but it's 80% Nikon and good used Leicas are the

other 20%. Great cafe, too.

 

Ask for Len at R G Lewis, and you won't go wrong.

 

For those visiting London, the museum area is sort of a hub of Leica gear. In addition

to the stores mentioned above, there is City Camera (some eclectic used gear) around

the corner. Just down on New Oxford Street is a sort-of pawn shop with the odd

tidbit. A couple of weeks ago they had a Jaguar special edition M6. And then there are

two big (note to Americans - that's big in the UK sense) "flagship" photo stores

(Jessops and Jacobs) just down the street. Some used stuff, and worth a look to see

what percentage of the store is analog versus digital :-)

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Nowhereman

Nowhereman

Posted
Posted

>>>17.5% VAT/IVA is high considering that it is being paid with after income tax

money - essentially, 35%<<<

 

The 17.5% is not on the selling price but on "value added" which, on a used camera,

would be the selling price minus what the dealer bought it for. The the second pint

that it's after-tax money is not really relevant as the consumer buys everything out of

after tax money. [Also, not everyone has a marginal income tax rate of 50%.]

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stephen_w.

stephen_w.

Posted
Posted

Mitch,

 

Sometimes I pay with before tax money, here's how?

 

I frequently work o'seas on long term projects. The IRS allows the first $72,000 to be exempt from tax once one meets one or two guideline, which I won't get into.

 

REAL fun getting a $20,000 from the US goverment, believe me.

 

Four of the last 13 years tax free!

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