[Leica] leica 35-70 /2.8

[Photovilla@aol.com]

<<

it seems that there is flow of these lenses again. a dealer in Seattle is

selling two and rich has/had one for sale. all brand new, there was a

message on the board a while back by somebody who had visited solms and saw

them making this lens again. if that's the case the price should come down.

for all interested parties, there are at least 3 on ebay right now. i think

these lenses are degined to be put on ebay only. does anybody use this lens

at all.>>

I thought someone would eventually post this...what took you guys so long to 
notice?

Here is what I know of the story. 
( I have now received 4 of these lenses in the past two weeks from two 
different sources...)

1) Leica made parts to make 300 of these lenses as a "run."
2) they made 200 in 1999 or so.
3) they lost money on them, stopped making them at "about 200." Lots of 
rejects.
3A) Leica users had panic attacks, fits, and disorders of the nervous system 
yet to be explained! 
4) parts sat there until about six months ago when they decided to "get rid" 
of the parts by making the remaining lenses and raising the price by 80%. 
Covers the cost of many rejects. ( I give Dr. J some credit for helping Leica 
see the logic in this btw!)
5) four (from two different sources) pop up in two weeks. A frenzy ensues and 
quite quickly it looks as if the remaining 100 will be gobbled up.

Well, is it "worth" $7k+ for one of these babies? I think we can all see this 
to be an obscene price for any lens, but it is as "worth it" as the market 
will bear I suppose. My view of this at the moment is that YES, _the market_ 
is finding it to be "worth it."

My two New, USA ones sold fast as did one import one... and I have one more 
new import remaining, I hope soon to be sold. 

One was sold to a LUGer who I bet is shooting it already...and I know for a 
fact he is not a "collector." I bet we will see some photos done with it 
eventually ... if he cares to share.

I do NOT believe they are going to make these regular production lenses 
again. 

Everything points to the idea that these are "old stock" including the serial 
numbers I have seen on each one. 

While I have done my best to find out about a "Make II" of this lens, I have 
had a few "in" people deny such a thing would happen. (No, these are not the 
same folks who denied the existence of the M7 btw!<bg>) 

BTW, these are NOT folks who work for Leica that I'm talking about...so treat 
that info. as what it is...rumor!

Joseph has been a strong proponent of them making a new version of this lens 
a regular production piece and I believe I would be too if they could get the 
price down a bit.


By the way, YES, I do want one for myself and NO I don't have one for 
myself...so YES they are still pretty darn rare. Don't let two on ebay fool 
you...that is "today" from dealers who normally don't know what to do with 
such things and need a wider audience. Tomorrow will be different for these 
unless I'm very wrong.

Don't count on  a price drop for those babies is my guess. Once they are 
gone, that will be it for the run and soon we'll see them traded around like 
so-many gold bars on ebay.

If I had a spare $7k sitting around the house I would do it in a minute but 
alas I "shaked my piggy bank" and I'm doomed to a lot of shooting at "f4" it 
looks like. ;-)

bests,
Rich
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