Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/09/20

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Subject: re: [Leica] Leica and Pricing
From: Larry Kopitnik <kopitnil@marketingcomm.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 09:41:26 -0500

>>>>>>>>>
Third, if Nikon or Canon chose to make lenses of Leica or Zeiss quality,
they certainly are fully capable of doing so (well, Canon is:  I'm not
certain Nikon has the available money for R&D at the nonce, as they're
still fiscally a-teeter, though not on the verge of bankruptcy as they were
four or five years back).  But, if Canon marketed a Leica or Zeiss quality
lens, then it would have the same price tag that Leica and Zeiss charge for
theirs, as the economics of production are pretty well fixed in a world
market, and perfection costs as much to manufacture East of the Moon as it
does West of the Sun.
<<<<<<<<<<

Well, then, let's compare some Zeiss for Contax and Leica-R prices where
they offer like lenses. Prices are courtesy of B&H Photo's current web and
printed listings.

Zeiss 25 mm f/2.8: $769.95
Leica 24 mm f/2.8: $2195.00

Zeiss 28 mm f/2.8: $331.95
Leica 28 mm f/2.8: $1795.00

Zeiss 35 mm f/1.4: $1074.95
Leica 35 mm f/1.4: $2795.00

Zeiss 50 mm f/1.4: $274.95
Leica 50 mm f/1.4: $1995.00

Zeiss 50 mm f/1.7: $164.95
Leica 50 mm f/2: $895.00

Zeiss 60 mm macro: $829.95
Leica 60 mm macro: $1795.00

Zeiss 80 mm f/1.4: $869.95
Leica 80 mm f/1.4: $2795.00

Zeiss 100 mm macro: $1649.95
Leica 100 mm macro: $2695.00

Zeiss 180 mm f/2.8: $1249.95
Leica 180 mm f/2.8: $2995.00

Zeiss 28-70 f/3.5-4.5: $629.95
Leica 28-70 f/3.5-4.5: $1095.00

Zeiss 35-70 f/3.4: $1034.95
Leica 35-70 f/4: $1195.00

Zeiss 80-200 f/4: $849.95
Leica 80-200 f/4: $1895.00

B&H doesn't list prices for longer Leica lenses, so those I can't compare.

Regardless, if a photographer bought every lens above, he'd pay $9731.40
for the Zeiss collection and $24,140.00 for the Leica set.

So if, as quoted at the top, "Canon marketed a Leica or Zeiss quality lens,
then it would have the same price tag that Leica and Zeiss charge for
theirs," I wonder if those hypothetical Zeiss/Leica-quality Canons would be
at the Zeiss prices or the (in most cases) astronomically higher Leica
prices.

Because most of those Zeiss prices listed -- which cover more than all the
lenses I'd need -- strike me as pretty reasonable (heck, the Zeiss 80 costs
less than a new 85 f/1.4 Nikkor). I just dislike the Contax bodies with the
shutter speed dial on the wrong side.

Larry